“The beliefs that Dickens held, were so strong that he could not help but to portray them in his writings.” Charles Dickens influenced the fictional story Oliver Twist through his perception of the era, understanding of the individual and self realization. There are several aspects in which Dickens influenced the story. His strong political beliefs, dreadful childhood, unfortunate time period, and strong morals are among a number of of the various methods induced by Dickens.
The workhouse conditions that were common during the Victorian Era were quite appalling, and as a workhouse boy, Dickens quickly learned what it was like when experienced firsthand. The “shocking conditions of the factory that made an ingrained impression on Dickens” is clearly portrayed in Oliver Twist. The conditions in which Oliver is forced to work in are just as poor as the conditions that Dickens worked in for many years. Just as Oliver had been orphaned and left alone, “Dickens had felt abandoned by his own family when his father was imprisoned and his mother wished to keep him working in the blacking warehouse”. Furthermore, many young boys were either provided no alternate option to slaving away in the poor conditions of workhouses, of felt obliged to help support their family. Moreover, many young men worked hard to escape the grasps of poverty, sadly many failed at the task. The small living quarters supplied to the workers were of wretched condition, as described by Dickens: “Now, these tumbling tenements contain by night, a swarm of misery, As on the ruined human wretch, vermin parasites appear, so these ruined shelters have bred a crowd of foul existence that crawls in and out of gaps in walls and boards; and calls itself to sleep, in maggot numbers, where the rain drips in; and comes and goes, fetching and carrying fever..” Simply stated, the conditions witnessed by Dickens directly impacts the character Oliver Twist and his experiences throughout the book.