Summary

Oliver Twist is a deeply affecting and widely beloved novel by the acclaimed English author Charles Dickens. It tells the story of a young orphan boy who is born into a life of poverty and misfortune. After being raised in a harsh workhouse, Oliver escapes to London, where he unwittingly falls in with a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the cunning Fagin. Throughout the novel, Dickens sheds light on the cruel treatment of orphans and the exploitation of children in 19th-century England.

Oliver's journey begins when he is expelled from the workhouse for daring to ask for more food. He is then apprenticed to an undertaker, but after enduring mistreatment, he runs away to London. There, he meets the Artful Dodger, a charismatic member of Fagin's gang of child thieves. Fagin takes Oliver under his wing, training him to be a pickpocket. However, Oliver's inherent goodness prevents him from fully embracing a life of crime.

As the story progresses, Oliver finds himself caught up in a web of secrets and deception involving his mysterious parentage. He is pursued by the menacing Bill Sikes and his lover Nancy, who are determined to prevent Oliver from discovering the truth about his past. Despite the obstacles he faces, Oliver ultimately finds salvation and is reunited with his family, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the harsh realities of Victorian society.

Themes

• Poverty and social injustice

• Criminality and moral corruption

• Innocence vs. experience

• Redemption and salvation

• Good vs. evil

• Family and belonging

• Fate and free will

Setting

Oliver Twist takes place primarily in London, England, in the early 19th century. The story begins in the town of Mudfog and its adjacent parish workhouse, where Oliver is born. Oliver's experiences reflect the harsh conditions faced by orphans and the poor in the workhouses and slums of that time period.

Much of the story is set in the squalid streets and criminal underworld of London. Oliver encounters Fagin's gang of child pickpockets and is taken into their nefarious world in Saffron Hill, a notorious slum area. Other key locations include the residential areas where Oliver's benefactors Mr. Brownlow and the Maylies reside, representing the middle and upper classes of London society.

The novel vividly depicts the stark divide between the living conditions of the wealthy and the destitute in 19th-century London and its suburbs. Oliver's journey takes him from the misery of the workhouse to the violence of Fagin's criminal ring in the slums and, finally, to salvation and a true home.

Characters

• Oliver Twist: the titular orphan child protagonist

• Mr. Bumble: a beadle in the parish workhouse where Oliver was born

• Mrs. Mann: the self-centered and greedy superintendent where the infant Oliver is placed

• Mr. Sowerberry: an undertaker who took Oliver as apprentice

• Mrs. Sowerberry: Mr. Sowerberry's wife

• Noah Claypole: a cowardly bully, Sowerberry's apprentice

• Charlotte: the Sowerberrys' maid, lover of Noah

• Mr. Brownlow: a kind gentleman who takes Oliver in, his first benefactor

• Rose Maylie: Oliver's second benefactor, later found to be his aunt

• Fagin: fence and boss of a criminal gang of young boys and girls

• Bill Sikes: a professional burglar

• Bull's Eye: Bill Sikes's vicious dog

• The Artful Dodger: Fagin's most adept pickpocket

• Nancy: one of Fagin's gang, living with Bill Sikes

• Monks: a sickly criminal, and Oliver's long-lost half-brother

Quick facts

• Oliver Twist was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 before being published as a book in 1838.

• The story was illustrated by George Cruikshank, who provided one steel etching per monthly installment.

• Oliver Twist was Dickens's second novel, following The Pickwick Papers.

• Recognized as one of the earliest social novels, Oliver Twist exposed the cruel treatment of orphans and child labor in 19th-century England.

• The character of Oliver Twist was inspired by the real-life story of Robert Blincoe, an orphan who worked as a child laborer in a cotton mill.

• Dickens himself worked as a child laborer in a factory, an experience that likely influenced the novel's themes.

• Dickens based the character of Fagin, the leader of a gang of child pickpockets, on a real-life criminal named Ikey Solomon, who was Jewish. His portrayal of Fagin has been accused of promoting antisemitic stereotypes.

• The novel's full title, Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress, is a reference to John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Adaptations

Oliver Twist has been adapted numerous times for film, television, radio, and stage. One of the most widely known and beloved adaptations is the 1968 musical film Oliver!

About the author

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an acclaimed English novelist, trailblazing social critic, and popular entertainer of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and his genius continues to be recognized by critics and scholars around the world.

Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, Dickens was raised in a family beset by financial hardship. His father was sent to debtor's prison, and, while still a child, Charles was forced to work in a bottling factory. His early experiences of poverty and injustice deeply influenced his writing, propelling him to champion social reforms through his vivid narratives and unforgettable characters. Beginning his career as a journalist in the early 1830s, Dickens soon ventured into fiction, achieving early success with The Pickwick Papers (1836). He went on to write several influential novels, including Oliver Twist (1838), A Christmas Carol (1843), David Copperfield (1850), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), and Great Expectations (1861).

In addition to writing fiction, Dickens was an active social commentator, who used his sharp wit and mastery of satire to critique the injustices of his time, particularly the plight of the poor and the corruption endemic within the legal and social systems of Victorian England. His ability to intertwine humor with grim social realities, creating stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking, confirmed his status as one of the greatest storytellers in the English language. He was a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic, undertaking successful reading tours to public acclaim. His influence extended to the revival of the Christmas holiday and popular culture, with terms like "Scrooge" and "Bah! Humbug!" entering the mainstream vocabulary.

Dickens's legacy is preserved through numerous adaptations of his novels in film, television, and theater, reflecting the timeless appeal of his stories and characters. Dedications to his life and work, such as The Charles Dickens Museum in London and The Charles Dickens’ Birthplace Museum in Portsmouth, along with worldwide celebrations of his contributions to literature, continue to reinforce the indelible mark he has left on the literary world.