Jewish Population of Victorian England Essay - 856 Words

The Jewish Population of Victorian England HISTORY The Jews had their roots in Eastern Europe but were also scattered in western European countries such as England. The Jewish population has been historically scapegoated since the time of the medieval Church. Stereotypes have been formed of the people practicing this religion for hundreds of years in England and elsewhere on the Continent. The timeline shows the progression of the population in England and the strides they have made over a century. YEAR # OF JEWS IN ENGLAND 1815 25000 1851 35000 1880 60000 (Naman 47) In 1800, the overwhelming majority of Londons Jews, rich and poor, were still living in the East End of London, in and around the†¦show more content†¦Another stereotype labels the Jews as always being the middle man in shady business (86). Even in novels of the time period, Jews were being persecuted due to their religion and their disreputable dealings with money. A prominent author--Dickens--most notably renderstwo Jewish characters who are as different as they are alike. They are seen as servile and possess exaggerated characteristics of one practicing the Jewish religion. WHY MONEY LENDERS? The Jewish man has been portrayed as the money lender for hundreds of years. This stereotype dates back to the Middle Ages and is related to the old church. During the middle ages, the medieval Church regulated guilds and dominant positions in guilds belonged to Christians. Since the Jewish community was not tolerated, they had to change their trade. The Church allowed the Jews to be money lenders but not other professions where they may be competition for Christians. Being a money lender was an ideal job for the Jewish man because if he was persecuted in his community, he could leave and find employment elsewhere. Money lending did not require one to be rooted in one area. PORTRAYAL OF THE JEW IN THE VICTORIAN NOVEL: A COMPARISON OF DICKENSIAN CHARACTERS Fagin (The Merchant of Venice) vs. Riah (Our Mutual Friend) In his many works, most notable is Dickenss representation of the Jewish character. In Our Mutual Friend,Show MoreRelatedGood versus Evil in Oliver Twist2013 Words   |  8 PagesDickens’ novel Oliver Twist the reader is revealed to the fact that there is a battle between good and evil. There are battles between certain poor orphans who are Oliver, an orphan boy who is hidden from his real family and fortune, and Fagin, a Jewish criminal that eventually gets hung at the end of the novel. 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