In what is arguably his best-known work, Charles Dickens addresses the gross inequality between the sexes that plagued the 1800s. Oliver Twist confronts public opinion disheartening not only of lower class women, like Nancy, but also of the stereotypes placed on the actions of upper class women, like Rose and Mrs. Bedwin. Although he is able to illustrate this inequality through several female characters and their interactions with their male counterparts, Dickens is one of the first to depict these women as at least somewhat conscious beings, capable of some reflection. He approached his female characters with an attitude of change in relation to their “roles”. Instead of seeing England as "a patriarchal model that reserved power and privilege for men", (Marsh) he chose to give his female characters a greater role in their own lives, allowing them to develop as real characters rather than fading into the background. , at least in his literature. However, Dickens was well aware of the expectations of women in 19th-century England: he knew that women were considered "physically weaker but morally superior to men" and that they were considered "best adapted to the sphere domestic” (Hughes). By accepting these stereotypes, Dickens is able to both prove them wrong and write strong female characters who are able to deal with issues such as prostitution, loyalty, family, and injustice. It is clear, however, that Oliver Twist is not set in a fairy tale version of England, writing other characters as they would be in the set era. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Gender inequality in Oliver Twist cannot be discussed without raising the adjacent issue of social inequality. Although upper-class women were not treated as equals to men in their lives, they at least received an education and were treated with some respect, unlike their lower-class equivalents. Even when providing valuable and important information, Nancy is treated with little or no respect, being told, "I will not allow the young lady to go any further." Many people would have been too suspicious of you to have come this far, but you see, I am ready to please you,” by Mr. Brownlow (Dickens 491). He clearly favors Rose, the “young lady”, by not making her “go further”, while disrespecting Nancy, who is obviously part of the working classes, by speaking of distrust. Although Mr. Brownlow may have a genuine reason for making this judgment, since Nancy was late for their first meeting, he bases his judgment largely on her social status and "profession." True to the times, Brownlow believes that Nancy is a sick prostitute and sees her as “…the shadow that haunted the well-run middle-class household” (Hughes). In this same passage, he continues to question Nancy about their location: “…for what purpose could you have brought us to this strange place? (Dickens 491) Nancy, who is not the complete idiot that Brownlow thinks she is, is well aware that Fagin or Sikes might be watching them if they spoke "where it is daytime, and there is something moving …” (Dickens 491) as Brownlow continues to suggest. However, even though Nancy expresses these concerns, speaking of "...horrible thoughts of death and shrouds covered in blood..." and believing that she "...saw 'coffin' written in every page of the book...".