Melville House Books

Perfectly healthy child asking for a handout

Scientists have conclusively proven that Oliver Twist was a greedy little bugger who certainly was not in need of the “more” he asked for in his famous line, “Please, sir, I want some more.” According to a Reuters wire story, “The picture painted by Charles Dickens of starvation rations in an 1830s workhouse north of London is wide of mark, according to an analysis of menus and other historical evidence.” A report in the British Medical Journal by pediatric dietician Sue Thornton says the typical diet of children in Dickensian workhouses, “comprising three pints of gruel a day, would sustain growth in a nine-year-old child like Oliver ….”

Related: An article from the Sydney Morning Herald details the real-life Oliver Twist who seems to have inspired the book.

Dennis Johnson is the founder of MobyLives, and the co-founder and co-publisher of Melville House.