ship, Dickens uses Oliver to give actions of pathos to escape being apprenticed to Mr. Gamfield. Oliver’s incessant pleading, desperate look, and courage to approach the board gives light to how terrible Oliver would be treated. The pathos of Oliver standing up to the parish board pleading not to be sent to Mr. Gamfield is a powerful scene because not wanting to be apprenticed to such a terrible man presents great feeling of pity and sorrow. Knowing that a poor, innocent boy will most likely go to his death because of the faulty judgement of those in power shows the difficulties of the children trying to survive in an uncompassionate world. Pathos is also used to give readers a sense of pity to the children that are not as fortunate as Oliver is to escape being sent to an employer to be worked to death. Lee 6Dickens wants to show how horrendous it is to be working to your death and as Norman Page, says the significance of this scene is to “allude to the plight of the climbing boys, another contemporary scandal” (88). Because of pathos, Dickens illustrates an image of sadness and sympathy for the children under harmful apprenticeships hoping that this will open the eyes of those who do not see how inhumane being under the custody of someone like Mr. Gamfield will be.Apprenticeships, even in the care of a good-hearted master is inhumane. Another set of stock characters and biting satire against apprenticeships show that even the best apprenticeships are cruel. At the kind Mr. Sowerberry’s undertaking business, it seems as if Oliver can have a better start at life but all children are treated with no dignity or respect. Dickens uses biting satire against apprenticeships when Mr. Gamfield feeds Oliver scraps of meat that the dog refused to eat to get into the feel of an inhumane apprenticeship. The child abuse in these cases can go far beyond that to being forced to sleep in the damp cellar with a coffin in ...
