The tender laws of England Essays

The tender laws of England Essays The tender laws of England Essay The tender laws of England Essay Dickens talks about a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer and a parish surgeon who did such matters by contract. Dickens is trying to say about the appalling and uncaring and inadequate medical attention in workhouses. Boards generally employed the cheapest doctors. Dickens refers to Oliver as A new burden imposed upon the parish. This seems to be not Dickens view but the view of those who managed the workhouses and society in general. Dickens explains that the nurse had been drinking from a green glass bottle, the contents of which she had been tasting in a corner with evident satisfaction. Dickens views of the people who were meant to be taking care of others were not high. He thinks they are inadequate for the job, are selfish and dont care about who they are meant to be looking after. Dickens writes about Olivers mother. He says, She imprinted her cold white lips passionately on its forehead. The use of the word passionately stands out at this point because it is the first positive image so far in the novel. Dickens is trying to show how badly unmarried poor mothers were treated in the mid 1800s. The doctor states that Oliver is likely to be troublesome. This is shocking to the reader, as it is doubtful that he is to be any more troublesome than any other newborn. At the end of the first chapter, Dickens expresses that Oliver s a parish child- the orphan of a workhouse to be cuffed and buffeted through the world- despised by all, and pitied by none. Poor orphans had a very bad status in the mid 1800s as people thought it was their own fault they were poor. Dickens is sarcastic when he says that Oliver was left to the tender mercies of church wardens because Christian officials should be kind and helpful towards poor people, yet these people were to punish them. In the opening of Chapter 2 it says, Oliver was the victim of a systematic course of deception Dickens is trying to give his readers the message that Oliver has been a victim from birth.