Oliver Twist Lesson Plan

Fagin: Portrayals of “The Jew”

Kind of Activity:

Group Discussion

Objective:

to explore the manifestations of anti-semitism in Victorian and Elizabethan London

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1

Structure:

One of the enduring critiques of Oliver Twist is Dickens' perceived anti-Semitism in crafting the character of Fagin. Introduce this idea to students by having them read Michael Joseph Gross' 2005 New York Times article, “A Face Lift for Wretched Old Fagin”.

Split students into small groups to discuss the main ideas of the article. Each group should collect 3 important points Gross makes in his article. Call on groups and have...