by Mohammed Lodhi Hussain
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and The Lost Children of Wilder: The Epic Struggle to Change Foster Care by Nina Bernstein serve as a historical reminder of the danger of losing ones self. Societal oppression of the underprivileged class is through political, social, and economic policies. We examine societal pressures, which place limitations on the advancements of the lower class to achieve contemporary notions of success. Oliver and Wilder are both tangled in a web of bureaucratic mishandlings. They were born into a system, which seeks to eliminate them.
Throughout history, elitist groups that are able to extend their influence into many sectors have governed society. In Victorian England, and the 1970s we examine the political environments that seek to maintain economic class divisions and limit the sphere of influence to the impoverished. During Oliver’s time at the workhouse he was subjugated to horrific conditions that sought to break the will of an inspired child. Resulting in a obedient developing class that will accept there place in society. Of course there are exceptions to these policies.
The backbone of society seems rooted in the proliferation of class divisions. Throughout Oliver and Shirley Wilder’s life, struggle is analogous with the underrepresented. However Dickens’s and Bernstein counter the onslaught of societal bias by the addition of characters like Mr. Brownlow and Marcia Lowry whose convictions for moral righteousness propel them from the common practices of the time.
“So they established the rule that all poor people should have the alternative . . . of being starved by a gradual process in the house, or by a quick one out of it.”1 In the past, the poor were identified as unproductive, non-conformists members of society. Their rights were violated in many occasions. Dickens’s is unwavering against his distaste of the welfare policy and practice of charity in Victorian England. The British Parliament passed policies that sought to disenfranchise the poor in the community. The Poor Law of 1834, stipulated that the poor could only receive government assistance if they moved into government workhouses.2
In the workhouses, the husbands were separated from their wives and children. Dividing family members into livestock was a dehumanizing experience. Our humanity lies within our capacity to claim an identity, which predominately is rooted in our parental heritage. Environment is the other factor, and the living conditions at the workhouse were horrific. The conditions in the workhouse were seen as justified. At the time, assumptions of moral value were associated with work. Claiming that work leads to success, and that economic failure was due to laziness. Which argues that poverty is a sign of immorality.
In the Lost Children of Wilder we see that Shirley Wilder’s is being caterogorized based on bias, and misunderstandings from the surveys. By institutionalizing class divisions through the Child Care System, society places the blame of poverty on the individual, rather a community issue. “Vanderschraaf, the psychiatrist, reported. She was disoriented for some time, lacking insight and judgment. She was irrelevant, ambivalent, bizarre, showed magical thinking… She had nightmares in which her parents were killed…”3 the ambiguity of the Ms. Vanderschraaf is typical of the protocol of dealing with problem children. Later she admits that Shirley’s behavior can be identified with a variety of disadvantaged ethnic classes. Institutionalizing class divisions protects the governing system from liability. The responsibility is placed on the machinery for change and the politicians and leaders are only vessels for enacting change. Therefore, they are exempt from the aftermath of policies that strengthen the barrier between economic classes. Shirley’s case is typical of what happens to children in the childcare system. Initially the system seeks to help her, however by the time she is capable of living the system she has already been crippled. What we must understand is that the policies are intended to do well. But ignorance and other social misunderstandings inhibit any progressive work to occur. Ever attempt from the social work system falls short, It seems that we need to comprehend the challenges of the individual and not stereotype them for the sake of convience. Only through open discussion can we began to actualize the hardships of individuals in the society.
Both novels discuss the struggles of the voiceless class, which is further polarized by the fact that they are children. In society our greatest resource is the potential of our children. We are accustomed to value the possibilities of our youth. However, the novels project a dismal childhood for a majority of children. The author’s use of the children politicizes the issue of identity in industrial nations. Industrial nations seem less concerned about the quality of life for its electorate, and more concerned with the bottom line. It seems that our fascination with acquiring capital has hardened our hearts. Meanwhile our future leaders are struggling to survive in system that is intent on crippling them.
Throughout the novel, the pursuit of defining one’s self is a prevalent theme, whether its Oliver endurance against all hardships or Shirley Wilder’s uncompromising beliefs we see the development of these important traits.