Abstract

Oliver Twist is one of Charles Dickens’ most successful realist novels, which has been popular all over the world. This novel was written in 1838 when it was the period of the Industrial Revolution. There were many realistic and moral problems in advanced industrial civilization. Dickens revealed the degeneration of society and morality by his writing.

Many researchers both abroad and home have done studies on this novel. They researched from the background of this novel, the life of Dickens, linguistic features, narrative technique and realistic significance. It enlightened the author of this article to study on this typical novel. The author of this article analyzed the irony in Dickens’ arrangement of characterization and coincidences.

By doing so, the author of this article hopes it could raise readers’ attention to irony in Oliver Twist as well as their further understanding of Dickens’ writing charm in his humorous words which revealed the darkness in the society at that time.

   Key words:  Oliver Twist; irony; exposure; realist

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 Literature review-3

2.1 Studies abroad-3

2.2 Studies at home-4

3 Irony in Oliver Twist-5

3.1 Analysis of characterization-6

3.1.1 Oliver’s ups and downs-6

3.1.2 Bumble’s peacockery and hypocrisy-7

3.1.3 Nancy’s struggle and death-8

3.2 Analysis of coincidences-10

3.2.1 Arrangement of pleasant coincidences-11

3.2.2 Arrangement of unpleasant coincidences-13

4 Thematic significance of irony-14

4.1 Exposure of social degeneration-14

4.2 Exposure of moral degeneration-15

5 Conclusion-16

Reference-18