Monthly talk: Dr Keith Hooper – Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist: Parable, Providence and the Poor
It is a very long time since we had such a good speaker at our monthly meetings than in October. Those who were able to attend were spell-bound by an outstanding talk. A specialist on 19th century literature, Dr Keith Hooper, gave a highly entertaining and authoritative account of what drove Charles Dickens to write some of the most powerful and influential novels in our language. I had sent reminders to the burgeoning memberships of our reading groups, but it was not just enthusiastic and committed readers who enjoyed this talk so much. Dr Hooper succeeded in engaging his whole audience and will have inspired those who have been reluctant to embark on reading a full-length Dickens novel rather than just watch a film or TV version, to do take on the challenge. It really is worth it!
Dr Hooper described in graphic terms the notorious Poor Law system which degraded the poorest members of society. He showed how uncaring so many prosperous members of society were, not least because they were often completely ignorant of the lives of the mass of the population that lived close by. This neglect was made more shocking by the fact that the decision makers and leaders in government invariably claimed to be Christians with a mission to help the needy. Dickens was motivated to expose this hypocrisy and to shame the country into reform.
Having a burning desire to help the poor and create a fairer country did not prevent Dickens from being a formidable businessman. Alongside his powerful moral agenda, he was also determined to avoid the poverty and humiliation his own father experienced by making his fortune – and he was outstandingly successful in this.
Like so many of us, Dickens was a complicated man, not least in his personal and family relationships. His treatment of his wife has resulted in great criticism from biographers but should this devalue his other monumental achievements?
Dr Hooper’s impressive talk was delivered without notes and glittered with anecdotes and remarkable details. Dickens was famous not just as a writer but as a public performer, and he would have enjoyed Keith Hooper’s own theatrical delivery! His audience was left in no doubt about Dickens importance in our literary culture but also as a major figure in shaping political and social attitudes. Dickens was an enormous celebrity by the time of his death, and Dr Hooper’s talk demonstrated powerfully why this was so.
Keith Hooper’s ‘Charles Dickens – Faith, Angels and the Poor’ is published by Lion, and his lectures on Dickens as well as Charlotte Bronte can be found on YouTube. This is a link to one of them but there are more if you search on Google. They are well worth seeing! Oliver Twist: Parable, Providence and the Poor.
Next month’s speaker will, I am confident, also be well worth listening to. Councillor Martin Wrigley is a very well-known figure in our community, having served for many years at all tiers of local government – Dawlish Town Council, Teignbridge Council and now Devon County Council. His commitment to the people of this area is outstanding, and he is respected across the political spectrum, regardless of party allegiance.
John Vick