Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (Summary)

 

Oliver Twist

by Charles Dickens

(Summary) 

 

In the novel "Oliver Twist" we can read about the shocking destiny of a poor boy, Oliver Twist, who lost his mother during birth. Through a realistic performance we can see his pathetic life in the orphanage and later on the streets. The novel deals with a social problem, better said the growing parentless children in London. Dickens tried to show the lives of poor children through Oliver Twist and accused 19th-century society of inhumanity and hypocrisy.

Further away from London a woman gave birth to a child and died. In view of the fact that no one knew anything about its origin, the child got a name and surname. When the children were born the children were signed based on the alphabetical order. That’s how this child was named Oliver Twist.

The young children of this institution were growing up in poverty and plight. The small resources that the organization had were running out because some employees were stealing them. In addition, the employees used to attack the children and this aggravated their grief. The most prominent role in the orphanage was played by Mr. Bumble, the clerk and administrator of the municipality who was in charge of financing and feeding the children.

Oliver Twist once asked for more porridge, as he was really hungry, but got beaten up. According to the staff, his behavior was rude and needed to get rid of him as soon as possible. They sent him to a chimneysweeper to learn what he does but he treated him so badly that Oliver was sent back to the orphanage.

He was then employed by a mortician, Mr. Sowerberry. Oliver was a sensitive and handsome boy and he helped the Mortician earn a lot by walking next to the children’s coffins. Even though he earned him a lot of money, the mortician misbehaved with him. Oliver slept among the coffins and he would eat only when the dog had some leftovers. Despite the fact that he lived badly with no privileges in life Noa Claypole, the mortician’s helper and Charlotte, his girlfriend, were jealous of him. The greatest terror over Oliver was committed by the landlady. Desperate Oliver attacked the stronger Claypole but he shouted so loudly that Oliver was hitting him hard and wanted to kill him that Oliver got beat up again.

Oliver decided to put an end to this unbearable situation. He said goodbye to Dick, his dear friend that was ill and dying, and decided to find happiness somewhere else. On the way, he met a boy named Jack Dawkins. He was using the nickname Artful Dodger. He was a little weird and rude but Oliver became his friend. Jack took him to a jungle part of London which was full of thieves, drunkards and wanderers. Oliver met another strange friend there, an old Jew named Fagin.

Fagin has a real gang made up of grown-up criminals, but also little boys. They steal everything they can and they are no strangers to murders. Artful Dodger alongside a thieve named Charles Bates steals in the city. They both bring the Fagin uppermost of the stolen goods which he sells to other people. Soon he teaches Oliver how to steal. Oliver does not understand that stealing is something bad and sees it all as a fun game. During a robbery the police catches Oliver, even though he has done nothing wrong, and takes him to court. He was charged with pickpocketing.

In court he meets Mister Brownlow and he saves Oliver from jail. Oliver lived with him for a while and those were the most beautiful days of his life. But Oliver's excitement and happiness finally cease. Fagin along with his gang kidnaps Oliver and decides to bring him back to crime. He did this because a criminal named William Sikes needed a small boy to crawl up a window and open the door of the house, which he wanted to rob. The gang is helped by a nanny, the Sikes Girlfriend. She sees that Oliver was not made to do so.

Sikes had no mercy. He treated Oliver poorly and threatened to kill him if he refused to help in the robbery. Oliver was forced to do so but the robbery failed in the end. Sikes escapes to save himself and leaves the injured Oliver to save himself. Then a mysterious Monks comes to the story and wants to find Oliver.

Oliver did not know that the robbed house belonged to Maylie and Rose, her adopted daughter and Oliver’s aunt. Rose was the sister of his deceased mother. There is another link. Mister Brownlow was a friend of Roses father. The two ladies decide to help Oliver and they take care of him after the injury and also prevent him from going to the court again. The boy has special feelings for Rose that even he couldn’t explain.

While he was getting better, he met Monks who was constantly following him. In the meantime, Mister Bumble became the manager of the orphanage and Monks visits him in order to find evidence. Monks found out at Mister Bumble that Oliver was his stepbrother. All of that happened thanks to the medallion that was stolen from Oliver’s mother when she died.

Sikes hid well after the robbery and his girlfriend Nancy was helping him. Nany found out, why Oliver was so important to everybody. Monks paid Fagin to make Oliver a thieve so that he would end up in jail and never receive the fortune his father left him in his will. The inheritance would then belong to Monks because the two of them shared the same father. Nancy tells everything to Rose. Fagin finds out what Nancy did and when Sikes hears about it, he kills Nancy.

Sikes escapes then. He ran from the police in the company of his dog. Rose was co-operating with Mister Brownlow and he reveals Monks and everything about him. The two of them manage to find a compromise. Monks had to promise, that he would not search for Oliver anymore and Brownlow promised not to turn him in. The police chased Sikes and he died at the end while Fagin and his gang were arrested. The authorities decided to hang Fagin. Mister Bumble stopped being the manager of the orphanage and became a member of it when he ended up homeless. Miter Brownlow adopted Oliver, who then lived a happy and honest life. Oliver’s brother Monks moved far away.