Was Oliver Twist a young woman in the real world?

Could it be that a young woman with tuberculosis named Alice Shepard inspired the creation of the character of Oliver Twist? This is a question that a historian has now raised; A historian who has found similarities between the violence that happened to a real pauper imprisoned in one of the notorious London asylums of the Victorian era and the story of a fictional orphan by Charles Dickens.

"Sir, may I have a walk, please?" Dickens biographer finds possible inspiration for Oliver Twist EXCLUSIVE: Theresa Musgrove has found documents in newspaper archives that show a girl named Alice Shepherd was severely punished in 1836 for a similar simple and harmless request.

Theresa Musgrove, while researching a new book on Dickens, came across 1836 newspaper reports about Alice Shepherd. At a nursing home in Hendon, Shepherd endured starvation and solitary confinement after a judge ruled he should be punished for daring to ask for permission to walk.

In his classic novel, which was published as monthly footnotes from 1837 to 1839, Dickens wrote that nine-year-old Oliver was taken to the judge and imprisoned in a "dark and solitary room" for insolently asking for another promise from Harira. He narrates the scene with Oliver's poignant line: "Sir, please, I want a little more."

This starving child was kept in prison for a week. Dickens wrote: "Oliver was the victim of a systematic process of betrayal and deception."

Newspaper reports recorded that Alice Shepard was placed in a "psychiatric restraint" (a straitjacket) because she was "in a state of extreme mental disturbance." The Reverend Theodore Williams, as judge and chairman of the local board of trustees responsible for overseeing the operation of the old Hendon Asylum, recommended that Shepherd be punished for his "abhorrent conduct".

He was kept in solitary confinement for 24 hours and sentenced to a diet of bread and water until the next board meeting - which was held every two weeks.

Another local judge, who was also a member of the board of guardians of the orphanage, tried to defend him in vain. He argued that such a "thin and emaciated woman, apparently suffering from tuberculosis, was the last person who should have been subjected to such a punishment."

"When you read his account of the punishment, it's almost word for word the description of the scene where Oliver Twist is punished after asking for more food," Musgrove told The Guardian.

He added: "The reaction to Oliver Twist's insolence in asking for more food is perhaps a reflection of Alice's boldness in asking permission to go out and walk; A reasonable request that met with the ire of those whose duty it was to exercise the unrelenting authority of the Board of Trustees. Out of their kindness, this board provided the means of economic affairs to the poor who were not considered worthy of receiving help.

His research is published in his new book, Charles Dickens and His Hidden Family History. This book has been released by Pen and Sword Books this week.

Musgrove writes in his book: “Both Oliver and Alice were kept in solitary confinement; However, as we find out, the punishment for the boy under the care of the church was not considered too severe, as he was allowed to go to the paved yard to wash under the water pump. Reverend Williams had similarly pointed out that the room dedicated to the solitary confinement and starvation of Alice Sheppard "opened onto a yard where other poor people were present and therefore was not considered a very severe punishment".

He continues: "In mid-January, only a few weeks after the account of the affair was published, Dickens wrote to his publisher, Bentley, that 'I have come to a wonderful idea of my own; An idea that will make Cruikshank shine." In other words, the creation of the character of Oliver Twist had begun, and the first chapters of this novel were published in February 1837, with the frank and impressive illustrations of George Cruikshank.

He notes that Dickens was familiar with Hendon, which is within the present-day Borough of Barnet, London. He writes: "For example, Hendon and Barnett are mentioned in the novel Oliver Twist; But there are other references in Dickens's letters and press writings that show that he knew and was interested in this area. This area was located at a distance that could be reached by walking or riding from the city; A peaceful area with villages and agricultural lands.

He continues: “In the final parts of Oliver Twist, after Bill Sykes commits the brutal murder of Nancy, he goes on the run and is hunted. After spending a night outdoors, Sykes goes to Hendon; "But it seems people there are getting suspicious of him and he's coming back to the Heath area."

Oliver Twist's novel revealed the brutality of poverty in Victorian Britain. Dickens became a tireless advocate for social reform; A writer whose bitter childhood experiences had a deep impact on him. His father was imprisoned for debt and Dickens was forced to work in a wax and shoe shine factory when he was about 12 years old.

Leon Litvak, a leading Dickens specialist and professor of Victorian studies at Queen's University Belfast, said it was entirely possible that Dickens was inspired by Alice Shepard's story. According to him, the newspaper reports were part of "a collection of influences that fired Dickens' imagination and formed a coherent narrative"; Especially in the early years of his literary career.

He added: "Dickens was a journalist before he became a novelist; Therefore, he was well aware of the power of arousing emotions and creating excitement. He was fascinated by the issue of nursing homes and knew what the press was publishing about specific cases of misbehavior in these centers."