Oliver Asks for More – Contextual Q&A

Question 1

"A council was held; lots were cast who should walk up to the master after supper that evening, and ask for more; and it fell to Oliver Twist. Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said: 'Please, sir, I want some more.'"

(i) Why does a "council" decide to have someone ask for more gruel? (3)
(ii) What does "desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery" reveal about Oliver's mental and physical state? (3)
(iii) Why is it significant that "lots were cast" to decide who asks? (3)
(iv) What does Oliver's politeness ("Please, sir") reveal despite his desperation? (3)
(v) How does this passage establish Oliver as a sympathetic character? (4)

Answer:

(i) The boys hold a council to collectively decide on their action because they are too afraid to individually approach the master for more food. By using lots (casting lots like drawing straws), they distribute the risk and responsibility equally, making it seem like fate rather than individual rebellion. This shows the boys' need to share both the courage and potential consequences of challenging authority.

(ii) The phrases reveal Oliver's extreme physical hunger ("desperate") combined with emotional suffering and loss of hope ("reckless with misery"). "Desperate" suggests he is at his limit—hunger has overcome normal caution. "Reckless with misery" suggests that suffering has made him indifferent to consequences. Together, these words show a child driven to act not by courage but by unbearable deprivation.

(iii) Using lots rather than volunteers emphasizes that this is an act of communal agreement—the boys collectively decide, not individual heroism. This shows that the oppressive conditions affect all the boys equally, and their collective decision represents their shared desperation. It also protects any single boy from being seen as a troublemaker—it's fate, not choice.

(iv) Despite his desperation, Oliver says "Please, sir" with formality and respect. This reveals that despite extreme hunger and misery, Oliver retains politeness and deference to authority. It shows his innocence and his acceptance of social hierarchy even when suffering. The politeness makes his punishment more shocking—he approaches authority with proper respect yet is met with violence.

(v) Oliver is sympathetic because he is a child ("Child as he was") driven to desperate action by genuine hunger, not by rebellion or greed. His politeness despite desperation shows his essential goodness. The author emphasizes his vulnerability—he is pale, thin, weak, and forced by circumstance to do something difficult. Readers naturally sympathize with a child suffering from neglect and hunger asking for basic sustenance in a respectful manner.

Question 2

"The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper. The assistants were paralysed with wonder; the boys with fear. 'What!' said the master at length, in a faint voice. 'Please, sir,' replied Oliver, 'I want some more.'"

(i) What does the physical description of the master reveal about the contrast between the master and Oliver? (3)
(ii) Why does the master react so extremely to a simple request? (3)
(iii) What does "stupefied astonishment" suggest about the master's worldview? (3)
(iv) Why are "the boys with fear" at this moment? (3)
(v) How does Oliver's repetition of his request demonstrate his character? (4)

Answer:

(i) The master is "fat, healthy man" while Oliver is described as pale, thin, and weak. This stark physical contrast reveals the injustice and inequality: the man responsible for feeding children is well-nourished while the children starve. It suggests the master has never experienced hunger or deprivation, making his later cruelty toward Oliver even more revealing—he cannot empathize with the hunger he should be responsible for preventing.

(ii) The master reacts so extremely because Oliver's request challenges the system of authority and unquestioning obedience. A child asking for more violates the expected order—children should accept whatever they're given without complaint. The master's shock suggests that such a request is almost unthinkable in his experience. The request is a form of rebellion against the established hierarchy, which the master sees as a grave transgression.

(iii) "Stupefied astonishment" suggests the master's worldview is that children should accept their lot without question, that they should be grateful for whatever minimal sustenance they receive. He is astonished because Oliver's request fundamentally challenges his understanding of proper social order. The request seems to him not a reasonable expression of human need but an impossible act of defiance.

(iv) The boys are afraid because they realize Oliver's request has violated a fundamental taboo, and they fear not only for Oliver but for themselves. They have encouraged Oliver to break this unspoken rule, and his failure to be silently accepted by the master threatens them all. Their fear shows they understand the power dynamics and potential consequences of challenging authority.

(v) Oliver's repetition demonstrates remarkable courage and conviction. When the master responds with "What!" in a faint voice, Oliver does not back down or apologize. He repeats his request calmly: "Please, sir, I want some more." This shows that Oliver is not being impudent or rebellious but is genuinely making a sincere request. His steadiness despite the master's shock reveals a child who understands his basic needs are legitimate, despite the system denying them.

Question 3

"The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle; pinioned him in his arm; and shrieked aloud for the beadle. Mr Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement. 'Mr Limbkins, I beg your pardon, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!' There was a general start. Horror was depicted on every countenance. 'For MORE!' said Mr Limbkins. 'Do I understand that he asked for more?'"

(i) What does the master's violent response reveal about the system's approach to discipline? (3)
(ii) Why does the master need to call for the beadle instead of handling the situation himself? (3)
(iii) How does Mr. Bumble's language and tone change the nature of Oliver's simple request? (3)
(iv) What is the significance of the board's shocked reaction to Oliver asking for more? (3)
(v) How does this scene reveal that Oliver's punishment is political rather than personal? (4)

Answer:

Question 4

"Oliver was ordered into instant confinement; and a bill was next morning pasted on the outside of the gate, offering a reward of five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist off the hands of the parish. In other words, five pounds and Oliver Twist were offered to any man or woman who wanted an apprentice to any trade, business, or calling."

(i) What does "instant confinement" suggest about the system's response to Oliver? (3)
(ii) Why does the workhouse offer five pounds to anyone who takes Oliver? (3)
(iii) How does the phrase "off the hands of the parish" reveal the workhouse's view of Oliver? (3)
(iv) What is ironic about offering five pounds with Oliver as a package? (3)
(v) How does this action represent the system's punishment philosophy? (4)

Answer:

(i) "Instant confinement" shows that the system acts swiftly and without consideration of Oliver's circumstances or appeals. It reveals the workhouse's zero-tolerance approach to any challenge to authority. The speed and severity of the confinement—without trial, hearing, or opportunity to explain—demonstrates the system's arbitrariness and its willingness to use isolation as punishment for a child's expression of hunger.

(ii) The workhouse offers five pounds not from kindness but as an incentive to get rid of Oliver. By publicly advertising a reward, the system warns other children: if you challenge authority like Oliver, you will be discarded. The reward also reveals the system's pragmatism—it cannot control Oliver through punishment alone, so it uses financial incentive to expel him from the institution entirely, making him someone else's problem.

(iii) "Off the hands of the parish" reveals that the workhouse views Oliver as a burden, a problem to be solved rather than a child to be cared for. It treats him as property to be disposed of rather than as a person deserving support. The phrase suggests Oliver has become unwanted, unmanageable, and expendable. The parish wants to offload its responsibility for him to anyone willing to take him.

(iv) The irony is that Oliver, a child in desperate need of care and protection, is offered as a package deal—essentially sold—for money. The system that failed to feed him properly now offers him as a commodity to anyone willing to take him on, presumably as cheap labor. The five pounds is meant to compensate whoever takes him for the "burden" he represents, treating a human child as a financial transaction.

(v) This action reveals the system's punishment philosophy: it operates through expulsion and isolation. Rather than reform or redemption, the system removes problems rather than solving them. By publicly advertising Oliver's availability, the system makes an example of him to other children, warning that those who challenge authority will be cast out. The philosophy suggests that the system values control through fear and removal over compassion or improvement.