Historical Background

     Oliver Twist was written during the industrial revolution in England. Queen Victoria was ruling during this time period. Factories were becoming well known, by their poor working condition and jobs they had available. The working conditions caused many illness among the workers, due to the: damp dark climate, hazards machines, tight spaces, and poor pay. A law was set during this time period that any debtors were mandated to go to jail.  Public school systems were also becoming well known throughout Europe and England. Slums were being created by the lower class and compartmental style housing was being made for them.
     Victorian Literature was created by Queen Victoria. She made all literature of that time, had it's genre named after her while she was in rule. During this time industrialization was at it's height. However, jobs were always open, but conditions and pay were very poor. Debt was high and quite common within the lower class. This affected Dickens' writing because he was able to connect to both the middle class and the lower class because of his experiences as a child.
     After Dickens worked in the factories as a child, he then moved to working in publishing houses. He would write different things that told about the conditions of the factories and England. He also made fun of the upper classes for the entertainment of people in the lower classes. He always included a little something from his own childhood within his writing.