Gruel, the meal for hard times, of which Oliver Twist famously wanted more, will be served to the public in London on Tuesday morning.
The barely-palatable meal composed of water, oats and milk, plus an onion, has been recreated from the novel and other old sources by the Royal Society of Chemistry to offer passers-by on Piccadilly the day before the great musical Oliver!, starring Rowan Atkinson, opens in the West End.
The revival of Victorian workhouse gruel is the first step in the Royal Society of Chemistry's 2009 theme of food, and the meal's reappearance comes a week before a major RSC report "The Vital Ingredient: chemical science and engineering for sustainable food" is due to be published with a launch at the House of Commons.
The gruel will be prepared by French chef Fabian Aid in the Royal Society of Chemistry kitchen in the basem*nt of Burlington House, a building with which Charles Dickens would have been familiar.
Beadle Mr Bumble will slop the legendary stomach-turner into pewter dishes at the entrance to Burlington House on Piccadilly and a food nutritionist will be on hand to comment.
Dickens, in his second novel, wrote that the workhouse board: "established the rule, that all poor people should have the alternative of being starved by a gradual process in the house, or by a quick one out of it. With this view they contracted with the waterworks to lay on an unlimited supply of water; and with a corn factor to supply periodically small quantities of oatmeal; and issued three meals of thin gruel a day, with an onion twice a week, and half a roll on Sundays."
Royal Society of Chemistry chief executive Dr Richard Pike said: "The part that food plays in our lives has perhaps never been more memorably portrayed in literature than in the workhouse scene. Thankfully in Britain matters have improved tremendously but it remains a daily threat in many parts of the world. This year we will be looking closely at food sustainability and the part that science and engineering play in this. Even in the UK we have to prepare for the future."
Read the latest RSC News on Twitter
FAQs
Bumble and the workhouse board wanted to ensure the other boys were too scared to ask for more so, Oliver was punished so badly for having asked for some more gruel.
Why does Oliver Twist ask for more gruel? ›
Oliver Twist asks for more gruel because he is very hungry and, because of that hunger, very miserable. He was appointed to this task after the other orphans at the workhouse drew lots to determine who should ask.
What does gruel mean in Oliver Twist? ›
Gruel is also a colloquial expression for any watery food of unknown character, e.g., pea soup. Gruel has often been associated with poverty, with negative associations attached to the term in popular culture, as in the Charles Dickens novels Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol.
What did Oliver receive when he asked for more gruel answer? ›
Instant Answer
When Oliver asked for more gruel, he received a stern look and was struck by the master. He was then seized by the board members and reprimanded for his audacity to ask for more food. 2. Oliver was prompted to ask for more gruel because he was extremely hungry and malnourished.
Was Oliver wrong in asking for more gruel? ›
Answer. Explanation: Explanation:Oliver is not wrong he has asked more gruel for filling his stomach but the man who keeps the food bet him and took him to his room Oliver cried all night in his room Oliver has the right to ask for food.
What is the moral of the story Oliver asks for more? ›
"Oliver Asks for More" serves as a poignant commentary on social inequalities, poverty, and the treatment of vulnerable members of society during Dickens' era. It continues to resonate as a powerful depiction of a young boy's struggle for basic rights and his quest for a life free from the clutches of destitution.
When Oliver asks for more gruel, his master? ›
From the above sentence, it can be concluded that when Oliver asked for more gruel, the master hit him on his head and shouted at him. Hence, option 1) is the correct answer.
What happens when Oliver Twist asks for more? ›
Oliver loses, and after dinner, the other children insist that Oliver ask for more food at supper. His request so shocks the authorities that they offer five pounds as a reward to anyone who will take Oliver off of their hands.
What is the famous Oliver Twist saying? ›
The quote “Please, sir, I want some more” was originally spoken by the character Oliver Twist in the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. In the novel, Oliver is an orphaned and neglected child who begs for more food while in a workhouse.
What is the moral of Oliver Twist? ›
Oliver Twist is an orphan. moral A moral is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral of Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist is to persevere in the face of adversity.
What is the meaning of the story Oliver Twist? Oliver Twist is a social novel used to commentate on the unjust treatment of the poor. Dickens also criticizes child labor and violence.
What did Noah call Oliver Twist? ›
Noah was Mr Sowerberry's apprentice who got jealous of Oliver being the new addition to the funeral business. He would often refer to Oliver as Workhouse since Oliver came from a workhouse run by the beadle Mr. Bumble.
Why did Oliver ask for more gruel? ›
Though the boys aren't truly considering cannibalism, they are very, very hungry. This is Oliver's primary motivation for asking for more food. Their great hunger leads the boys to hold a "council" where they elect (through lots, or by rolling a dice) Oliver to ask the master for more food.
What was Oliver's punishment for asking for more food? ›
The master aimed a blow at his head, seized him by his arms and called Mr. Bumble. Mr Bumble came and Oliver was immediately locked in a room to spend the night alone. That was the punishment to Oliver for asking more food.
Why did it require courage to ask the master for more gruel? ›
Answer: The primary reason that Oliver asks for more gruel (which is similar to oatmeal) is because he is hungry. The board members of the workhouse where Oliver lives meet and decide that "the poor people like" the room and board they receive.
What happened to Oliver when he asked for more? ›
At evening supper, once the gruel is dished out and eaten, Oliver goes to the master and famously says, "Please Sir. I want some more". He is then branded a troublemaker and offered as an apprentice to anyone willing to take him, and he is eventually apprenticed to Sowerberry, the undertaker.
Why was Oliver punished at the workhouse? ›
After representing his fellow sufferers in an attempt to get more food, Oliver is punished and is apprenticed to Sowerberry, an undertaker. Noah Claypole, a charity boy working for Oliver's master, goads Oliver to rebellion, for which Oliver is savagely flogged.
What happened when Oliver Twist asked for more food? ›
The assistants were paralyzed with wonder, and the boys with fear. “What!” said the master at length, in a faint voice. “Please, sir,” replied Oliver, “ I want some more.” The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle, pinioned him in his arms, and shrieked aloud for the beadle.
