Oliver Twist and Child Labour

During Victorian Times, England suffered lots of changes (social-political-economical). But, what of the main issues was child labour. In this process of changing, there were more work to do and cities began to increase its population. Workers were mainly adults, but when industries needed more hands; they needed cheaper labourers and who could be better than young children.

Oliver Twist shows perfectly how children were abused in Victorian times. Thanks to the movie, we can realize the lack of knowledge about an appropriate child’s development. Because of their little hands and small bodies, children were excellent workers in delicate jobs, even if those were licit or not.

Unfortunately, today we still see the same. Adult thieves use children to steal different things in supermarkets or on the street, because they can not be imputed if they are less than 14 years old. Therefore, it is easier for everybody. But, Is there anybody who thinks about children’s dreams and emotions?

The Signal Man (Modernity)

I like the analogy made by Dickens, when he illustrated modernity with a train. The train represents how fast modernity is arriving to the signalman’s life, even with the loneliness in the man’s life. I think that the train’s power is exactly the same one in modernity arrival, because it is very fast. Unfortunately, modernity is misunderstood. It is usually related to technological advances and not to people’s mind growing. Therefore, I also have fears about it. Modernity is not allowing people’s time to think about themselves and take a breath, rest and reflect on our own actions. Modern times consume us in their speed.

Is modernity considering a growing in mind? Are people understanding modernity? Modernity what for? If we think that evolution is a technological issue, I have to say that we are losing our focus in life. If so, I’m sure that there are more than thousand people frighten about modernity, as well as the signalman in the short story. How can we think about evolution, if we don’t have an evolution in mind before? Maybe the signalman was thinking about the same.

Have you ever...?

Have you ever thought about how useful Frankenstein’s novel is? Written by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is one of the most useful and beautiful novels to take into account in our teaching practices. Seeing as gothic, romantic, scientific-fiction or a long fable, there are lots of current topics to talk about, even if it was written in nineteenth century.

Through the novel I could see how alone the creature was after its creation. Selfishness and own ambitions were stronger in Victor Frankenstein’s life. Hence, when the creature saw himself alone, without education and someone to talk to, he could not understand what was his mission in life and society could not allow his uncertainty and difference.
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“But where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days, no mother blessed me with smiles and caresses. I had never yet seen a being resembling me, or who claimed any intercourse with me. What was I? (Shelley, 106)”

This represents that the monster did not have an identity. First of all, he did not have a name, which is our first identification. Have you ever thought about the importance of a name? If I don’t have my own identity; I can not have any relationship with society. Immediately, there is marginalization. Society does not allow differences (physically, emotionally, intellectually and so on); it assumes us with at least few common characteristics, for instance our names.
People need to be educated and guided by someone to discover identity and be part of society. We are when we have someone else to share with. Loneliness and Marginalization may not occur in an educated society. In this sense, teachers want students to be autonomous, respectful, self-awareness and with self-esteem to participate actively in society. If, there is not any relative to guide and accompany a person; teachers have this mission. Therefore, the novel made sense completely when I was reading it.

Simply Nature

I wandered lonely as a cloud deals with very delicate metaphors about nature’s enjoyment, as other romantic poets do. The author shows how proud and happy he is looking daffodils in the lake. In fact, they dance for him. Daffodils are shines to our darkness in the earth, as well as starts in the sky. Perhaps, people not very often stop and look at roses, moon or The Andes. They run every day and they fill themselves with routine and problems, which dull their lives. When I feel a huge cloud on me; I used to go out and enjoy the nature, in places such as Parque O’Higgins or Parque Forestal. To me, that is the best jocund company. Wordsworth writes “A poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company”. This stanza makes me think about the appreciation of simplicity and how simply details make us shine our hearts. How can you be gay if you have the most beautiful environment around you?