The Analysis of the Background of Oliver TwistAbstract: Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 9 June 1870) is one of the most distinguished representatives of English critical realism. Oliver Twist is one of Dickens most famous novel of critical realism. The novel is set in victorian age, which mainly reflects the terrible life of citizens at the bottom of society in England where the Poor Law had just passed. The paper mainly looks into the social background of Oliver Twist and the individual experience of Charles Dickens, so as to understand the society at that time and the close realitionship between Dickens life and his works better.Key words: Charles Dickens; Oliver Twist; social background; relationship1. Introduction Oliver Twist, is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. In this novel, Dickens significantly described the terrible life of citizens at the bottom of society in England where the Poor Law had just passed. Oliver Twist is notable for Dickenss unromantic portrayal of criminals and their sordid lives.1 It describes the effects of industrialism on 19th-century England and to criticize the hash Poor Law.In order to understand the society at that time and the close realitionship between Dickens life and his works better, this paper will deep analyze the social reality in Victorian Age and Dickens individual experience.Since the 21st century, scholars both at home and abroad study Dickenss life, ideas, writing technique and so on more deeply and widely. From 2004 to 2005, Yan Xingzhi published five papers to discuss the ideological content and the times and society of Dickenss novels.“On Dickens Values of Middle Class” (“J.NORTHWEST UNIVERSITY FOR NATIONALITIES”, 2004, 2) described that Dickens had a mixed feeling of love and hatred to material prosperity and social changes brought by industrial development. Driven by humanist sympathy and sense of social justice, he disclosed and criticized the dark sides and maladies of the society at that time.8 “Dickens Representation of Childhood Trauma” (Foreign Literature Studies,2006,3) of Shu Fanglai and “The Childhood Complex of Charles Dickens” (Shandong Foreign Language TeachingJournal, 2005, 4) of LI Yuan-yuan both expressed that there is a close relationship between the childhood of Dickens and his later writing works.At the begining, the paper deeply analyses the social background of the Victorian Age and uncoves the social reality. Then through the individual experiance of Dickens, the paper will indicate the close realitionship between Dickens life and novel. Finally, a conclusion is drawn that the society at that time is dark and there is a close a relationship between Dickens life and his works.2. Discussion2.1 The social background of the Oliver TwistThe Victorian Age of the Britain was the period of Queen Victorians reign from June 1937 until her death on the 22nd of January 1907. It was the most prosperous age in the British history. But, under the shelter of development and wealth, there was many social problems. There is a great gap between the rich and the poor. And during the process of the Chartist Movement, the poor workers were oppressed severely.In 1834, a New Poor Law was passed by the government. “ It was considered to be one of the most far -reaching pieces of legislation of the entire nineteenth century. The New Poor Law Stated that no able-bodied person was to receive money or other help from the Poor Law authorities except in a workhouse.” 2 In fact, the Poor Law could not improve the living conditions of these poor people. It was just a punishment for the denfenseless and helpless members of the lower class.8Oliver Twist describes the conditions in the workhouse to which the orphan Oliver has just been sent. In this passage, and through the previous chapters of the novel, Dickens depicts the conditions in a sarcastic tone. All of the conditions he describes are exactly the real social reality at that time. Rather than exaggerate to describe the reality, Dickens expresses the way English society treats the poor through real and vivid description. Oliver Twist is an extreme criticism of Victorian societys treatment to the poor.3 The workhouse was supposed to rescue the poor from the moral condition of filth. However, in the novel, the workhouse is a place full of filth.2.2 The close relationship between Dickens life and his works.Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812, at Landport in Portsea Island, the second child and the first son to John Dickens (17851851), who was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office and was temporarily on duty in the district. But his father had apend too much money in entertaining, and at the same time the household expenses was rising. In 1824, he was imprisoned for debt when Dickens was young. And his family joined in the Marshal Sea Prison, except Dickens, who was forced to work ten-hour days at blacking warehouse when