The Movie#

Major Themes and Symbols#

In Oliver Twist, Dickens mixes grim realism with merciless satire to describe the effects of industrialism on 19th-century England and to criticise the harsh new Poor Laws. Oliver, an innocent child, is trapped in a world where his only options seem to be the workhouse, a life of crime symbolised by Fagin’s gang, a prison, or an early grave. From this unpromising industrial/institutional setting, however, a fairy tale also emerges. In the midst of corruption and degradation, the essentially passive Oliver remains pure-hearted; he steers away from evil when those around him give in to it, and in proper fairy-tale fashion, he eventually receives his reward - leaving for a peaceful life in the country, surrounded by kind friends. On the way to this happy ending, Dickens explores the kind of life an outcast, orphan boy could expect to lead in 1830s London

Nancy, by contrast, redeems herself at the cost of her own life and dies in a prayerful pose. She is one of the few characters in Oliver Twist to display much ambivalence. Her storyline in the novel strongly reflects themes of domestic violence and psychological abuse at the hands of Bill. Although Nancy is a full-fledged criminal, indoctrinated and trained by Fagin since childhood, she retains enough empathy to repent her role in Oliver’s kidnapping, and to take steps to try to atone. As one of Fagin’s victims, corrupted but not yet morally dead, she gives eloquent voice to the horrors of the old man’s little criminal empire. She wants to save Oliver from a similar fate; at the same time, she recoils from the idea of turning traitor, especially to Bill Sikes, whom she loves. When Dickens was later criticised for giving to a “thieving, whoring slut of the streets” such an unaccountable reversal of character, he ascribed her change of heart to “the last fair drop of water at the bottom of a dried-up, weed-choked well”.

Leadership is, at root, about Influencing Others#

At the end of the day, the movie symbolizes the Golden Rule

When dealing with the huge pressure of meeting deadlines or attaining shareholder profitability targets, in most cases, the Golden Rule tends to be forgotten by employers. In this respect, business leaders need to stop putting corporate priorities and greed above the needs of employees. I am not arguing for an end of profit, but to prevent businesses from profiting from employee harm and potential exploitation. Profits should be a product of an organisation’s purpose, but not the purpose of the organisation.

“Great leaders are willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people” (Simon Sinek)