Money Theme and Conclusion        

 

        The plot itself is one surrounded by money, but not in the same way as the Dickens novel.  In the book, Monks is trying to get rid of Oliver so he can gain all of his inheritance.  This money-driving theme is seen in Oliver and Company as well.  Fagin owes Sykes money and, when Sykes does not receive it, he wants to kill Fagin.  Although the plot itself differs, we still see the money and the corruption it makes.  Holding this element up to scrutiny truly shows how this part of society may not have changed as much as we think from many years ago.  Money is power and, when that money is not given, the people who are affected take violent action.  Another theme that is still present is the element of relationships being used to get an individual through tough times.  For children watching the film, they see an orphaned cat graciously finding a friendship with a little girl as well as a gang of dogs.  This is much how Oliver found friendship with the Maylies, Mr. Brownlow, and even Fagin’s gang in Oliver Twist.  All of the friendships help and sometimes harm both Oliver characters, but the fact that he has friends helps him way more than harms.  Without them, he would not have survived throughout the novel or the film.      

         By keeping some underlying themes in the film, it can be considered at the very best a borrowed adaptation of Oliver Twist.  It seems to be more of an original work that uses the basest of themes from the classic novel.  Why would Disney feel the need to use the allusion to the Dickens’ novel?  I believe it could very well be the universality of the tale Oliver Twist that appealed to the creators at Disney.  But along the way the creators chose to lessen the story by making it so simple that there are holes in the plot that the children would pick up on.  The simplicity of the story in general seems to be claiming children are not smart enough for any sort of twist or turn in a plot.  If the original Charles Dickens tale was a children’s story, and we expect every generation to get smarter and more intellectual, why did this children’s story seem to take the route of downsizing any sort of complex element?  Disney seems to have chosen to look at their audience as young, but not just that: young and stupid.  To do any justice to Oliver Twist, some complex characters or situations could have helped.  Instead, the movie Oliver and Company seems to take on a life of its own.