Topic: It is Resolved that in his work Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens appears to argue that influence and environment (nurture), rather than inherent vice (nature) , cause criminal behavior.CON- for natureOpening Statement: It is obvious that Oliver Twist is a novel that pits the nature of good against the nature of evil. Furthermore, it is inherent vice that makes the criminals within these pages and not influence or environment. The characters of Fagin, Oliver and Monks clearly demonstrate this fact, proving that nature is what directs and shapes us. Argument 1: Fagin is an evil character. Even though he could have benefited from some sort of redemption, he refuses and remains evil. In prison, he tries to trick Oliver into fooling the guards and freeing him: "Say I fell asleep, they'll believe you." You can take me out, if you let me. (Ch. 52, p.414) There are several passages which suggest that Fagin has been a criminal for a very long time and that his nature is not easy to change. When we are introduced to Monks, he says that Fagin has been busy criminalizing boys for quite a while: "Why not keep him here among the others, and immediately make him a sneaky, whiny pickpocket (...) Haven you haven't you done it, with other boys, dozens of times? (Ch.26, p.194) In previous chapters, Oliver also seems to make this connection. “Deeply elaborate plans for the destruction of ill-informed or over-communicative people had actually been conceived and carried out by the old Jew on several occasions, he (Oliver) by no means thought improbable. (Ch.18, p.130) Fagin also admits, shortly after Oliver spots him admiring stolen jewelry, that: “People call me a miser, my dear. Only... middle of paper... the lips of the young child, (…) through the struggles and sufferings, the troubles and changes of his beyond, he never forgot him. (Page 96, Chapter 7) In a place where children never received blessings, only kind words, it could only have been Dick's good nature, despite his surroundings, that led him to say to Oliver " God bless you” (page 97, chapter 7). chapter 7)A: Noah Claypole is a perfect example of how education causes criminal behavior because of his drunk father who was discharged from the army. A: How do we know Noah didn't inherit these traits from his father? There is no conclusive evidence that supports that Noah became a criminal due to his parents' influence. If his father behaved inappropriately, it's just as easy to prove that Noah is a tyrant because of his heritage. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Olivier Twist. London: Penguin, 1837.