Survival of Marginalized Workhouse Orphan in Victorian Era as Reflected in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist

Sutanto, Nita Oktavia (2015) Survival of Marginalized Workhouse Orphan in Victorian Era as Reflected in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Skripsi thesis, Universitas Widya Kartika.

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Abstract

This is a research on survival of an orphan boy in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. As an orphan boy, the main character, Oliver in the novel experiences bad treatments during Victorian Era that makes him struggle for survival against the hostile society of the Victorian England. The objectives of this thesis are to analyze the main character's motivation to survive and describe how it finally changes his social status. In carrying out this research, the following methods are involved: reading, data collecting, data classifying, and analyzing. In analyzing the problems, character and characterization theory of intrinsic approach, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Roger's Person-centered theory of humanistic psychological approach, and Marxist and social mobility theory of sociological approach are employed. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs constructs five human needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization which is explained more by Rogers in his Person-centered theory. These needs serve as the tools to analyze Oliver's motivation to survive that can be noticed through his utterances, actions, thought and the author's narration. Meanwhile, by using Marxist and social mobility theory, the connection between achieving those needs and social status are revealed. This research leads to a conclusion that Oliver's survival is motivated to achieve certain needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. Dominant needs of higher class become driving forces for Oliver when he is still in the lower bel. This fmally brings him to social climbing of his status.

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