‘Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?’ or: Audience Development for Those Down on Their Luck

From begging to beginning

James Mahoney (1810–1879) Public Domain Oliver Twist — Samhallsroman

Picture the poor urchin suffering from intense hunger, surrounded by boys who have been beaten into submission. No longer able to remain silent, he approaches his oppressor with his empty soup bowl:

“Please, sir, may I have some more?”