Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Literary
July 28, 1837
Morning Herald
New York, New York County, New York
What is this article about?
In this excerpt from Oliver Twist, Mr. Bumble blames Mrs. Sowerberry for Oliver's bold defiance, claiming that feeding the boy meat instead of gruel has instilled an inappropriate 'soul and spirit' in a pauper.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
Oliver Twist's Contumacy.—'Ain't you trembling while I speak, sir?' said Mr. Bumble. No, replied Oliver, boldly. 'Oh, you know, Mr. Bumble he must be mad,' said Mrs. Sowerberry, 'no boy in half his senses could venture to speak so to you.' 'It's not madness, ma'am,' replied Mr. Bumble, after a few minutes deep meditation, 'it's meat.' 'What!' exclaimed Mrs. Sowerberry. 'Meat, ma'am, meat,' replied Mr. Bumble, with stern emphasis. 'You've raised an artificial soul and spirit in him, ma'am, unbecoming a person of his condition, as the board, Mrs. Sowerberry, who are practical philosophers, will tell you. What have paupers to do with soul or spirit either? If you had kept the boy on gruel, ma'am, this would never have happened.'—Boz.
What sub-type of article is it?
Prose Fiction
Dialogue
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Oliver Twist
Mr Bumble
Paupers
Gruel
Meat
Poverty
Social Class
What entities or persons were involved?
Boz.
Literary Details
Title
Oliver Twist's Contumacy.
Author
Boz.
Key Lines
'Ain't You Trembling While I Speak, Sir?' Said Mr. Bumble.
'It's Not Madness, Ma'am,' Replied Mr. Bumble... 'It's Meat.'
'You've Raised An Artificial Soul And Spirit In Him, Ma'am... What Have Paupers To Do With Soul Or Spirit Either?'