Light in darkness

Reading Oliver Twist, one is immediately struck by the gloomy atmosphere of 19th-century London depicted by Dickens. Oliver's ordeal—beaten for asking an extra bowl of porridge in the workhouse, forced to join a gang of pickpockets on the streets—rips apart the facade of society's underbelly. Beneath the "civilized" veneer of capitalism lie the hypocrisy of workhouses, the indifference of the clergy, and the cold stares of bystanders, painting a suffocating portrait of darkness. Yet stars of hope pierce through this gloom. Mr. Brownlow trusts Oliver despite false accusations; Nancy defends him at the cost of her life; the Maylie family offers him warmth and shelter. These sparks of kindness enable Oliver to preserve his goodness amid corruption, defying fate with childlike courage. His story reveals that even in绝境 (desperation), integrity and hope never truly fade. Rereading today, the novel remains a mirror to reality. It reminds us that defending kindness and resisting injustice remain timeless duties. Every act of warmth, however small, can gather into a light that illuminates the world.