In this section, we discover what the two men that took Victor away did to him. They squeezed Victor into a coffin and took him to London. Although he was still alive, he was stuffed into an occupied coffin, meaning he was in the tight coffin with a rotting body. After being in the coffin for several days, Victor was dropped off at an unknown home in London. In this home, there were many other children and animals being housed there.
Victor soon discovered that he was being housed with children who acted as beggars out on the streets, to receive sympathy as well as pocket change from pedestrians. The animals were used to entertain the adults, in hopes to gain more money. Competition among the begging children was very fierce, with more than thousands of children out on the streets every day. Most of these children had a harsh background and they were kicked out of their homes to fend for themselves and make money.
Considering this to be the time period where the Industrial Revolution was in full swing, the population in London was dramatically increasing. Families were in need of homes, which were low in supply. Not enough jobs were available, which was the reason for the young children out on the streets begging for money.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london.html
This website clearly describes the time period that Victor was living in. With children running around and begging for money on the crowded streets, this website goes into full detail about life in London during the chaotic 1830’s. It explains the change that London was undergoing, as well as the roles that children held in society during this time. Many were forced to work, just as Victor and his friends were.
One day, Victor had to drive his blind friend, Rebecca to “hell.” She would not say more about where he was driving her. After she entered an unknown home, Victor was waiting for many hours. He stepped out of the carriage and decided to explore this mansion that he had come to. He went to the back, and saw the most shocking sight of his life. He saw Rebecca, stripped down naked for the guest in the room, who happened to be the master of the house that houses the beggars and animals.
Rebecca would not mention anything that happened in the house after she had come out. However, she told Victor all about her past. Her mother had been a prostitute, and before she died, she had introduced Rebecca to the current master of her house. Ever since she was twelve, she had been residing in the master’s house, roaming around the streets, begging for money.
Later, Victor was ordered to drive Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple around because of his skills in driving the carriage. We find out that these two men are indeed resurrection men, who steal corpses for a living. Victor was offered to join in on their body-snatching schemes, where they were paid a working man’s yearly pay for just one dead body. While Victor was driving them around, he was able to see the dead bodies stuffed into small laundry hampers. The two men even stole the bodies from funerals that were being held in church. These men were people who dug up bodies from graveyards to sell, which was a sickening thought to Victor.
In this section, Victor takes on as a hero. After seeing that a mentally retarded boy is getting bullied by others, Victor rescues him. He gives him his hat and makes sure the two bullies stay away. Victor was also able to befriend the kind, blind girl named Rebecca, and the young, mentally retarded boy named Nico. Nico is constantly guiding and helping Victor, giving him helpful tips about the dangerous streets of London. Although all the children have some sort of deformity, Victor soon discovers that most of them have very kind and willing hearts. The warm and close friendship between and Victor, Nico and Rebecca was very pleasing and touching to read.
However, we also get to see the corrupted side of this book. The fact that a young teenage girl was forced to strip down naked for an old man is morally wrong. She was blind and obviously an easier target for the master. The things that a young girl would do to be able to stay in a home greatly shocked me. The old man’s irresponsible and sickening behavior was also very disappointing to see.
Although Rebecca does go through tough hardships like these, she was able to open up to Victor. She was able to do something she had never done before; she was able to talk about her hard past. With a prostitute as a mother that died too young, Rebecca’s childhood was only filled with difficult times. However, she was able to overcome this and meet trustworthy and reliable friends, like Victor.
Even though Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple were persuading Victor to assist them on their body-snatching schemes, Victor strongly does not want to join them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nL0-aSre7E&feature=fvsr
This video shows the damage that stealing corpses can do to families. Obviously, corpses are still stolen to this day to be sold. Although people are making money by selling these dead bodies, much harm and damage is done to their families. Imagine how the friends and family of the deceased felt when Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple barged in and stole the body away. Victor disapproves of what Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple do to earn money, and he finds what they do to be horrible and morally wrong. This video shows the effects that stealing corpses has on people, present day. Even though body snatching is not as common as during the 19th century, the harm done is nevertheless the same.
Victor soon discovered that he was being housed with children who acted as beggars out on the streets, to receive sympathy as well as pocket change from pedestrians. The animals were used to entertain the adults, in hopes to gain more money. Competition among the begging children was very fierce, with more than thousands of children out on the streets every day. Most of these children had a harsh background and they were kicked out of their homes to fend for themselves and make money.
Considering this to be the time period where the Industrial Revolution was in full swing, the population in London was dramatically increasing. Families were in need of homes, which were low in supply. Not enough jobs were available, which was the reason for the young children out on the streets begging for money.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london.html
This website clearly describes the time period that Victor was living in. With children running around and begging for money on the crowded streets, this website goes into full detail about life in London during the chaotic 1830’s. It explains the change that London was undergoing, as well as the roles that children held in society during this time. Many were forced to work, just as Victor and his friends were.
One day, Victor had to drive his blind friend, Rebecca to “hell.” She would not say more about where he was driving her. After she entered an unknown home, Victor was waiting for many hours. He stepped out of the carriage and decided to explore this mansion that he had come to. He went to the back, and saw the most shocking sight of his life. He saw Rebecca, stripped down naked for the guest in the room, who happened to be the master of the house that houses the beggars and animals.
Rebecca would not mention anything that happened in the house after she had come out. However, she told Victor all about her past. Her mother had been a prostitute, and before she died, she had introduced Rebecca to the current master of her house. Ever since she was twelve, she had been residing in the master’s house, roaming around the streets, begging for money.
Later, Victor was ordered to drive Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple around because of his skills in driving the carriage. We find out that these two men are indeed resurrection men, who steal corpses for a living. Victor was offered to join in on their body-snatching schemes, where they were paid a working man’s yearly pay for just one dead body. While Victor was driving them around, he was able to see the dead bodies stuffed into small laundry hampers. The two men even stole the bodies from funerals that were being held in church. These men were people who dug up bodies from graveyards to sell, which was a sickening thought to Victor.
In this section, Victor takes on as a hero. After seeing that a mentally retarded boy is getting bullied by others, Victor rescues him. He gives him his hat and makes sure the two bullies stay away. Victor was also able to befriend the kind, blind girl named Rebecca, and the young, mentally retarded boy named Nico. Nico is constantly guiding and helping Victor, giving him helpful tips about the dangerous streets of London. Although all the children have some sort of deformity, Victor soon discovers that most of them have very kind and willing hearts. The warm and close friendship between and Victor, Nico and Rebecca was very pleasing and touching to read.
However, we also get to see the corrupted side of this book. The fact that a young teenage girl was forced to strip down naked for an old man is morally wrong. She was blind and obviously an easier target for the master. The things that a young girl would do to be able to stay in a home greatly shocked me. The old man’s irresponsible and sickening behavior was also very disappointing to see.
Although Rebecca does go through tough hardships like these, she was able to open up to Victor. She was able to do something she had never done before; she was able to talk about her hard past. With a prostitute as a mother that died too young, Rebecca’s childhood was only filled with difficult times. However, she was able to overcome this and meet trustworthy and reliable friends, like Victor.
Even though Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple were persuading Victor to assist them on their body-snatching schemes, Victor strongly does not want to join them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nL0-aSre7E&feature=fvsr
This video shows the damage that stealing corpses can do to families. Obviously, corpses are still stolen to this day to be sold. Although people are making money by selling these dead bodies, much harm and damage is done to their families. Imagine how the friends and family of the deceased felt when Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple barged in and stole the body away. Victor disapproves of what Mr. Biggs and Mr. Tipple do to earn money, and he finds what they do to be horrible and morally wrong. This video shows the effects that stealing corpses has on people, present day. Even though body snatching is not as common as during the 19th century, the harm done is nevertheless the same.
Just reading some of the events that happened in your section of the book schocks me! It seems like this book has a lot of corruption and evil wrong doings. The fact that you tied in the real time period and what was going on at the time to the book itself really supplemented your portrayal of the story. I see why there would be so many kids out on the streets begging for money and competing, the Industrial Revolution definitly would cause this and really puts into perspective the negative sides of a revolution that most would think of as a positive event that thrust modernization forward. The fact that the blind girl rebecca has to do such attrocious things irritated and saddened me as well. This reminds me of the discussion we had about minimum wages in history, at times there will be people who are willing to take on jobs for extremely low pay just to get by. It does not matter as long as the end result is survival. Just like how rebecca had to do what she needed to get by although not morally correct. I find it hard to believe and comforted, by the fact that although faced with such traumatic events rebecca still has what it takes to open up to victor. That takes real braveery to trust again. On the fact about Victor aiding the resurrection men, if it were me i would ignore my consience and do the dirty job, a working man's yearly pay for one body? yes please, not everything in life will be pretty, sometimes you got to get by! The video is great additional info too, really puts the text into a modern day situation. niceee
ReplyDeleteI took a look at your website and I have to agree, this time period was extremely difficult for poor people to live in. The sad part is that those trials and tribulations do not exclude the poor children, as they are just as much a result of poverty and suffering as the adults. There is an interesting connection between the children and adults, however. Both groups of people are driven to do things by the invisible force of desperation, but the ways in which their actions differ are not as contrasting as one would think. As you described, Rebecca's actions in this section were morally wrong, but with a need for income and survival she must have felt as though she had no other choice. The resurrection men also commit immoral acts by stealing the bodies to turn a large profit. Each of these patterns of behavior is illegal, and serves as a good illustration of how far people are willing to go in an attempt for self-preservation. I really liked you video too, and think you did a great job overall! (:
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