Question

"Oliver was rendered the more anxious to be actively employed, by what he had seen of the stern morality of the old gentleman’s character. Whenever the Dodger or Charley Bates came home at night, empty-handed, he would expatiate with great vehemence on the misery of idle and lazy habits; and would enforce upon them the necessity of an active life, by sending them supperless to bed."

Answer 1

The passage describes how Oliver, a character in the story, is motivated to be actively employed due to the stern morality of an old gentleman's character. The old gentleman is described as someone who advocates against idle and lazy habits and enforces the necessity of an active life. This is evident in the way he would lecture the Dodger or Charley Bates, who would come home at night empty-handed, by emphasizing the misery that comes with idle and lazy habits. He would even go to the extent of sending them supperless to bed to enforce the importance of an active life. Oliver is described as being more anxious to be actively employed because of what he has seen of the old gentleman's character. This implies that the old gentleman's strict morality and emphasis on an active life has had an impact on Oliver's mindset and has motivated him to work hard and avoid idle and lazy habits.

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