Charles Dickens

Adaptation, Dossiers and Activities by P. Massara
 One of the most famous works of fiction by Charles Dickens, a view on London and its slums and workhouses during the Victorian Age, a "novel of formation" with striking contrasts. It is the story of an orphan from his orphanage and workhouse days to his flight to London, where he happens to live with a gang of boys led by a thief. Oliver has only met misery and people with no scruples and humanity in his life. But one day he meets a gentleman who believes in his goodness of heart…
 The reader contains in-depth analyses on Victorian towns, children's exploitation, children in literature and the cinema and theatre performances of Oliver Twist. 
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Key to Summing-up Activities.
 
 Uno dei romanzi più famosi di Charles Dickens, spaccato della vita della Londra dei bassifondi dell’epoca vittoriana. Romanzo di formazione e di grandi contrasti, è la storia di un ragazzo dai giorni dell’orfanotrofio alla fuga verso Londra dove si trova a vivere con persone spesso senza scrupoli e nessuna umanità.
 Il reader contiene inserti sulla società vittoriana, sullo sfruttamento minorile, sulla figura del bambino nella letteratura, sul cinema e il teatro di Oliver Twist.

Chapter 1 – Oliver’s early life

Chapter 2 – Oliver’s first job

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extension: Victorian towns

Chapter 3 – Oliver in London

Chapter 4 – Oliver’s life changes

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extension: Children’s exploitation from Dickens to today

Chapter 5 – The robbery

Chapter 6 – New friends for Oliver

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extension: Children in literature

Chapter 7 – Oliver is not alone

Chapter 8 – The end of all mysteries

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Extension: Oliver Twist performances

Summing-up activities

Glossary

E X T E N S I O N OLIVER TWIST PERFORMANCES There are many television and film versions of Oliver Twist and also a musical. It is a story with memorable characters, a simple and melodramatic plot1, a moral lesson ( crime doesn t pay ) and a happy ending. So it is perfect for a film. There are two silent film versions of Oliver Twist, in 1909 and in 1922. In 1948, following the success of his 1946 version of Great Expectations, David Lean directed an adaptation of Oliver Twist for the cinema. It was very successful but Lean changed many characters: Mr Brownlow becomes Oliver s natural grandfather, Monk isn t Oliver s half-brother, Nancy isn t a sensitive and loving girl and Rose Maylie isn t present. Fagin was interpreted by the famous actor Alec Guinness. His interpretation was memorable. David Lean s 1948 adaptation is still considered a very good version for the quality of the acting2 and for the artistic black and white photography. Oliver! is a British musical with music and lyrics3 by Lionel Bart. It first appeared in 1960, lasted many years and started the careers of several child actors, including Phil Collins, later of the rock band Genesis. Here Dickens s original novel is considerably simplified: Fagin is more a comic character than a villain4, and large parts of the story are not included. The musical was made into a film directed by Carol Reed in 1968 and won an Oscar. His Oliver is full of pathos5 but Fagin becomes a comic version of the famous villain. 1. plot: the series of events which form the story of a novel, play, film / movie, etc. 2. acting: the activity or profession of performing in plays, films / movies, etc. 3. lyrics: the words of a song. 4. villain: the main bad character in a story. 5. pathos: the power of a performance, description, etc. to produce feelings of sadness and sympathy. 86 

In 1982 Clive Donner directed a television version that was extremely faithful6 to the original novel. The film director concentrates his attention on the difference between Oliver and the places where he lives. He is generous among greedy7 people, honest among thieves, helpful with selfish8 people. Oliver and Company (1988) is Disney s cartoon version of the novel. Oliver is a cat, Fagin s gang is composed of dogs and the complete story is set9 in the crowded10 streets of today s New York. In this version for children, there are several changes. Fagin is a tramp11 but a positive figure. The worst character is Sikes, the only human figure in the cartoon. He has the worst human negative aspects. He has an evil soul and is always followed by two terrible dogs. Disney also made a 1997 television movie. The famous actor Richard Dreyfuss was Fagin and Elijah Wood, now famous as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, was the Artful Dodger. As in most film versions of this book, Monks, Oliver s half-brother, is not in the film, and there are a few other minor changes. The latest version of Oliver Twist was directed by Roman Polanski in 2005. He recreates the atmospheres of Victorian London, a city where there is no law and order, no social rules and the orphan is the victim of a world of criminals and thieves. London is described as a modern jungle12 where civilization has disappeared. Both the external and internal settings are dark and frightening and all the characters have to fight to continue to live. Finally, Oliver runs away but this doesn t mean that evil is defeated. Ben Kingsley is Fagin and his interpretation is memorable. 6. faithful: not changing any of the details, facts, style, etc. of the original. 7. greedy: wanting more money. 8. selfish: the opposite of altruistic. 9. is set: happens, takes place. 10. crowded: full of people. 11. tramp: someone without a home or a job. 12. jungle: an area of tropical forest where trees and plants grow very thickly. 87 

Scopri "Oliver Twist" di Dickens, un orfano nella Londra vittoriana tra sfruttamento e speranza. Con inserti su società, sfruttamento minorile, teatro

Oliver Twist - Collana RAINBOWS

Level A2 • Elementary - Collana RAINBOWS

Oliver Twist

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