摘 要

《雾都孤儿》是查尔斯·狄更斯最重要的一部作品，也是英国文学史上的一部经典作品。作为一部现实主义的代表作，小说通过对奥利弗·退斯特悲惨遭遇的描写，批判了资本主义制度下社会的黑暗，对贫民习艺所制度的合理性提出质疑，反映了19世纪英国的社会现实。但是就其揭露的社会犯罪现象而言，狄更斯违背了现实主义强调的真实性原则，从种族主义的立场出发塑造人物。小说中，贼首费金就是一个犹太人，三跛子店的主人巴尼是犹太人，赛克斯身边的南希也是犹太人。他们作为典型的反派人物，反映出作者强烈的反犹倾向。而狄更斯对犹太人的歧视不是突然产生，而是受到整个欧洲社会大环境的影响，由此可见整个欧洲社会对犹太民族的不公。本文将通过分析费金和南希的人物塑造，探讨作品中的反犹主义，进而反映当时生活在社会底层的犹太人的遭遇。

关键词：《雾都孤儿》，反犹主义，犹太人，费金，南希

Contents

1. Introduction...............................................................................................................1

2. Demonstration..................................................................................................2

2.1 A brief introduction to anti-Semitism.....................................................................2

2.2 Anti-Semitism in Oliver Twist..................................................................................3

2.2.1 The Jews’ poor living environment................................................................3

2.2.2 Fagin as a miser and a devil..............................................................................4

2.2.3 Nancy as a particular species of humanity........................................................6

2.2.4 The Jews’ inferiority to Anglo-Saxons..................................................................7

2.3 Factors accounting for Dickens’ discrimination against the Jews............................7

2.3.1 The Jews’ lack of political status...........................................................................8

2.3.2 Europeans’ economic bias against the Jews.......................................................8

2.3.3 The conflict between Christianity and Judaism....................................................9

1. Conclusion...............................................................................................................10

Works Cited........................................................................................11

Bibliography......................................................................................12

An Analysis of Anti-Semitism in Oliver Twist

1. Introduction

Charles Dickens(1812-1870), the greatest representative of English critical realism, was one of the most popular English novelists of the Victorian era. A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and other hit novels of 19^th-century England are his masterpieces, in which some of the most memorable literary characters were created. Dickens grew up in poverty, and this had an influence on his writing. He is known for his orphans and urchins, rogues, shopkeepers, stuffed shirts, widows, and other colorful characters pulled from the sooty streets of London. The writing style of Dickens is florid and poetic, with a strong comic touch. His satires of British aristocratic snobbery—he called the noble class the “Noble Refrigerator”—are often popular among readers.

Oliver Twist tells a story about an orphan named Oliver Twist. The little boy was born in a workhouse, where he was treated cruelly. One day, owing to his asking for more gruel, he was sent to an undertaker as an apprentice. But soon he ran away to London because he couldn’t bear Noah’s scornful comments on his mother, who was also an apprentice in the coffin shop. In London, he fell into the hands of a gang of thieves headed by a Jew, Fagin. There, Oliver was forced to steal. He was rescued for a time by kind-hearted Mr. Brownlow. Unfortunately, Nancy, the student of Fagin and Sykes, one of Fagin’s partners, found him and brought him back. Under Fagin’s command, he was controlled again and was asked to open doors for thieves. But as a pure child, Oliver chose to remind the host and luckily, he got aid from two rich women, Mrs. Maylie and Miss Rose. At the same time, Nancy confessed to Rose and Mr. Brownlow about what she had done before, which made herself killed by Sykes. Finally, with the help of Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Maylie, the mystery of Oliver’s life was made to be known. Monks who was the half brother of Oliver, Fagin and Sykes got the punishment they deserved while Oliver was adopted by Mr. Brownlow.