In this podcast, Professor Jon Mee is joined by three of his MA students to discuss Oliver Twist. They explore the transition between comic and dark subject matter; Dickens' presentation of women and where his difficulty to see them as equals stems from; how Oliver Twist lends itself to screen adaptations and changes in point of view.

He wrestled with working out a way to depict women. There is a development in his writing where the angel and the rose figure become less doll-like and are given more practical qualities, as happens in Our Mutual Friend to an extent - but he still seems to be defining their domestic roles. I think he had issues seeing women in any public role outside the home however practically-minded some of his women were. I don't think it's an issue he ever really resolved.

​Professor Jon Mee