Winning Essay By Alice Olstein
A recent poll on Books.co/uk dubbed Oliver Twist the third greatest literary hero of all time. Why is Oliver still a hero to modern readers? His unwavering integrity? His innocent courage? Perhaps. But I believe that the human face he gives to poverty makes him heroic. Most cannot empathize with the 36 million in poverty in the United States, because they see these human beings as mere statistics. How can you feel for a statistic?
Dickens knew how to catalyze compassion: create a hero. He could have communicated the life of impoverished Londoners through cold numbers (how many killed by malnutrition, how many orphaned, how many unemployed etc.), but this would be far less effective than painting a poignant picture for us through Oliver's eyes.With his satiric language in Oliver Twist Dickens attacked the upper classes, challenging them to examine their indifference and forcing them to empathize with the poor. Dickens held up a mirror to 19th century England; little did he know that the light from this mirror has shone across space and time, and has struck a young aspiring journalist in Santa Monica between the eyes. Inspired by Dickens' words, I now want to use my craft to shed light on the many injustices of the world, from the homelessness in my city to bloody religious conflicts half the world away. And, thanks to Dickens, I now understand how to win support from the world: create a face, a human, a hero.