AN ANALYSIS OF MATERIALISM AS THE REFLECTION OF ENGLAND IN 1837 IN CHARLES DICKENS’ OLIVER TWIST

Abstract

Industrial Revolution deals with the social issues such as the poor law, workhouse, class differences, child labor, and the recruitment of children for criminal work, bring the people into poverty. Its problems are as the motivation for people to get much money and cause the spirit of materialism. Materialism is the belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life, goods is as the primary substance of all living and non-living things. Human activity tends to fulfill their own needs continously this activity becomes higher and higher that leads into materialism. This research aims to find out the spirit of materialism in Oliver Twist novel and relates it with Industrial Revolution. This thesis uses inductive method in which the problem moves from the specific to the general and uses Janet Wolff’s theory in analyzing relation Industrial Revolution and materialism in the novel. The goals of this analysis are to find out the representation of materialism in Oliver Twist and materialism in novel as the reflection of the social condition in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. The result finds that Oliver Twist is the reflection of Industrial Revolution. Its society deals with the poverty and affects the people to be a materialist. People will do anything to recover from their economic condition. They try to get the money as much as they can. Dickens as the author wants to criticize about the condition of England relates to the children labor and poverty.