oliver twist book review in 500 words

Oliver Twist Book by Charles Dickens: Review And Summary

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When it comes to the discussion of the most celebrated works of Charles Dickens, the name Oliver Twist is bound to pop up. Having been the subject of several adaptations and literature references, it continues to be one of the most well-written and beloved novels of the prolific author.

Also known as The Parish Boy’s Progress, Oliver Twist was the second novel by the brilliant mind of Dickens. It was published serially between the years 1837 to 1839 and released as a book in 1838.

The other title of the novel was a connection to The Pilgrim’s Progress, written by John Bunyan. It also served as a reference to the caricature series, A Rake’s Progress, and A Harlot’s Progress, developed in the 18 th century by William Hogarth, a famous English painter.

Oliver Twist is one of the earliest examples of Dickens using his novels to provide a social commentary on the Victorian era. Through this story, he explores subjects such as domestic violence and child labor.

In fact, it’s said that bits of the novel was inspired by the story of Robert Blincoe, whose accounts of being employed as a child laborer were extremely popular during the 1830s.

If you wish to learn further about the novel, keep reading to explore the many facets that make this story relevant to this day.

Table of Contents

Summary of Oliver Twist

Book review of oliver twist, 1. oliver twist, 2. agnes fleming, 3. mr. bumble, 4. mr. sowerberry, 5. mr. brownlow, 6. rose maylie, 7. mrs. lindsay maylie, 9. bill sikes, 12. mr. leeford, famous quotes from the novel, movies and tv adaptations, neha jhunjhunwala.

The story begins by introducing the readers to Oliver Twist, the protagonist who was born in a workhouse in England, during the 1830s. We get to know that Oliver’s mother died shortly after giving birth to him and he was found on the street. Thereby making him an orphan from a tender age.

Oliver spends a major chunk of his childhood at a child farm, which is a poorly run orphanage, before being moved to a workhouse where all the other boys bully him badly.

One day, the bullying leads to him asking for a second helping of his portion of the gruel, which is unacceptable to Mr. Bumble, who is the manager of the workhouse. Bumble is willing to pay a small amount to anyone willing to take Oliver away from the workhouse.

After escaping the fate of having to work for a chimney sweep, Oliver ends up with an apprenticeship with Mr. Sowerberry, a local undertaker. One day, Oliver hears derogatory comments about his mother from Noah Claypole, which causes him to attack Noah.

Aware of Sowerberry’s anger, Oliver flees from the place and makes his way towards London. While he is roaming around feeling exhausted and hungry, Oliver comes across a boy named Jack Dawkins.

Jack provides a roof over Oliver’s head at the house of Fagin, who is Jack’s benefactor. However, it is revealed that Fagin is actually a criminal who trains orphan boys to become pickpockets.

Oliver is sent on his first pickpocketing mission along with two other boys after receiving training for a couple of days. Once he witnesses the boys stealing a handkerchief from an older man, Oliver feels scared and runs away. Although he gets caught, he manages to escape being taken to prison for the act.

He is taken in by Mr. Brownlow, the man whose handkerchief was stolen by the other boys in Oliver’s group. Brownlow looks after Oliver as he recovers from his feverish state and notices the uncanny resemblance between Oliver’s face and that of the young woman whose portrait hangs in his home.

Although Oliver receives a lot of warmth and nourishment under Brownlow’s care, he is captured by a man named Bill Sikes and his girlfriend, Nancy. They are members of Fagin’s gang and bring Oliver to Fagin after capturing him.

Fagin orders Oliver to join Sikes for a burglary they are planning. While Oliver gets shot by a servant at the home they intended to rob, Sikes escapes. Oliver is then accepted into the home by a woman named Mrs. Maylie and Rose, who is her adopted niece.

Oliver spends a beautiful summer with the two ladies, but his happiness is short-lived, as Fagin and someone named Monks are determined to capture him. Meanwhile, it is revealed to the readers that a gold locket was left behind by Oliver’s mother, which is eventually obtained and destroyed by Monks.

Rose and her aunt arrive in London, which is when Nancy meets Rose and discloses Fagin’s plans, but this conversation gets overhead by someone belonging to Fagin’s group. When Sikes learns about Nancy’s betrayal, he kills her and escapes from London.

Feelings of guilt follow Sikes and he is also pursued by an angry mob. As a result of this, Sikes accidentally hangs himself, which seems like he has committed suicide. Oliver ends up reuniting with Brownlow, owing to the efforts of the Maylies. He then confronts Monks about the truth of his heritage.

Monks reveal to him that he is actually Oliver’s half-brother. Mr. Leeford, their father, was unhappy in his marriage and had an affair with Agnes Fleming, who was Oliver’s mother. Monks had been pursuing Oliver so as to prevent him from getting a share of their family’s wealth.

Monks are then made to hand over Oliver’s share of the wealth, thanks to the pressure from Brownlow. Another revelation states that Rose is actually Oliver’s aunt and his mother’s younger sister.

Brownlow adopts Oliver, Fagin is punished for his evil deeds, and the novel ends with all of them happily retiring to a place in the countryside.

Charles Dickens was a keen observer of society and never shied away from expressing his feelings towards social oppression, which forms the foundation of Oliver Twist.

The novel is delightful due to several factors, including interesting characters, engaging interactions, colliding plotlines, and shocking revelations that are a part of Dickens’ signature style.

The twists and turns keep the readers at the edge of their seats, wondering what’s coming next. Social inequality and class distinctions were some of the elements of 19 th -century London that Dickens explored very intricately and sensitively through this story, a trend which he continued in his later works as well.

The author shows the connection between crime and poverty, reiterating that a person’s financial state leads them to commit malicious crimes. He also reminds the readers that while some crimes are committed to fill one’s tummy, others are committed purely for evil purposes.

Dickens used the distinctions between the upper class and the working class to display how the crimes that are committed due to poverty cause a dehumanization of society.

While on the one hand, he paints a picture of the gruesome reality of Victorian society, on the other hand, he symbolizes hope and the power of benevolence through the characters of Brownlow, Rose, and Mrs. Maylie.

The plight of orphans and the roots of a character being traced back to a difficult childhood are displayed through Oliver, very much reminiscent of Dickens’ own hardships as a child and the hurdles he had to endure due to financial impediments.

Fate plays an essential role in the journey of the characters created by the author, which is evident through Oliver’s experiences while he goes from being a penniless orphan to a boy with familial connections that fetch him a small fortune towards the end of the story.

Characters in Oliver Twist

Being able to create characters that remain imprinted in one’s mind for generations truly is an art, and Dickens was an expert in this department. Oliver Twist is brimming with numerous characters, and some of them are as follows:

The protagonist of the novel. He goes through a wonderful journey in the novel, filled with several hardships. Ultimately, though, he finds people who love him, leading to a happy life.

Agnes was Oliver’s mother. She died after giving birth to Oliver.

Bumble was employed at the workhouse where Oliver was born. His nature was quite unpleasant.

Sowerberry was an undertaker by profession. He employed Oliver as his apprentice, and later Oliver escaped to get away from his wrath.

Brownlow and Oliver met under unusual circumstances. However, he was one of the few people who ever showed kindness to Oliver.

Rose is Mrs. Maylie’s niece. She was later revealed to be Oliver’s aunt.

Mrs. Maylie is Rose’s aunt. She took Oliver under her care when he truly needed love and shelter.

Fagin is one of the main villains of the novel. He is the leader of a criminal gang and employs people to commit crimes.

Bill is a member of Fagin’s gang and does a lot of his dirty work. He hangs himself by the end of the book.

Nancy is Bill’s romantic interest. She is murdered by him later on in the story.

Monks is a cruel person with unknown motives. It is later revealed that he is Oliver’s half-brother, wishing to keep Oliver away from their family inheritance.

Mr. Leeford was Oliver’s father. Towards the end of the story, we get to know that he was also Monks’ father.

As we all know, Dickens was a magician with words. His dialogues and phrases echo in the minds of readers even now, remaining beloved and relevant. A couple of the famous quotes from Oliver Twist include:

“There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts.”

“Some people are nobody’s enemies but their own, yer know.”

“Women can always put things in fewest words. Except when it’s blowing up; and then they lengthens it out.”

“There is a kind of sleep that steals upon us sometimes, which, while it holds the body prisoner, does not free the mind from a sense of things about it, and enable it to ramble at its pleasure.”

“Let the tears which fell, and the broken words which were exchanged in the long close embrace between the orphans, be sacred.”

“It is because I think so much of warm and sensitive hearts, that I would spare them from being wounded.”

The works of Charles Dickens have been adapted in various formats for eons now, and the same holds true for Oliver Twist. While there have been multiple fantastic adaptations of the story, listed below are a few of them that readers can explore:

• A 1948 movie by David Lean
• A 1968 musical adaptation which won at the 41 st Academy Awards
• A 1974 animated movie was co-written by Ben Starr
• A 1997 film which was directed by Tony Bill
• A 2005 movie with Roman Polanski as the director
• A 1962 BBC show with 13 episodes
• A 1985 drama on BBC One which was directed by Gareth Davies

Dickens was not only a master storyteller, but he also possessed the unique ability to combine real-life elements with strings of fiction. This is evident in how Oliver Twist has been crafted, combining the author’s experiences and observations with fictional accounts.

Whether you’re an ardent fan of Dickensian stories or are someone who is hoping to explore some of his most well-rated works, Oliver Twist is a great novel to start with. The minute you’re done closing the book, the discussions will prompt you to pick up the rest of his stories immediately.

This is Neha Jhunjhunwala, one of the writers for this book review website. Her interest in this field is driven by her exposure to a plethora of books from a very early age. By sharing her observations and insights on different books with others on this website, she hopes to motivate and inspire people to read more and more books and help them better their knowledge of different genres and enrich their lives.

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Oliver Twist Book Review: Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist is a book written by the massively talented Charles Dickens back in the late 1830s and still remains one of the most famous books till date. With the Phrase “Oliver Twist” becoming a metaphor to describe someone who shows lack of disrespect or is someone who requests more than what was given to them. The book focuses on an orphan who went through a lot of hardship following his mother’s death at childbirth and the mysterious absence of his father. He is forced to go through a lot of challenges and has lots of experience that a boy of his age, personality, and character shouldn’t have to go through. In the end, after everything he faces, the main character (Oliver Twist) ultimately finds light at the end of tunnel and lives the rest of his life as a happy and well taken care of lad. Let’s dive into my book review of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and go on the rough and almost unbearable journey through life with Young Oliver.

You might also enjoy this list of 35 Oliver Twist quotes about poverty, crime, love and friendship.

Part 1: The Beginning

Young Oliver Twist was brought into the world, and is immediately touched down on earth, lady luck took one look at him and wished him hardship and suffering. His father disappeared under mysterious circumstances and his mother died after giving birth to him thus making him an orphan at birth and forced to be raised with fellow orphans in an orphanage.

At the age of nine, Oliver was taken to a workhouse where he toiled for hours with little food. Although it didn’t take long before he was sent off to go work for Mr Sowerberry, an undertaker. He then built up the courage to request for more food than originally given with the famous words, “Please sir, I want some more.”

Oliver’s troubles seem to continue as Mrs Sowerberry loathed, maltreated, and underfed him whenever Mr Sowerberry wasn’t around. One day, Oliver got in a fight with the much bigger Noah Claypole, his fellow apprentice after he (Noah) insulted Oliver’s mother, but Mrs Sowerberry intervened and helped Noah beat Oliver. Oliver would later be beaten by Mr Sowerberry after being told lies and asked to do so by his wife.

Once it was day break, Oliver snuck out and ran away on foot to London to look for a better life. This is the point that marks the growth and maturity in Oliver as he realises how people are wicked and how they shouldn’t be trusted.

Part 2: The Tunnel

When he was approaching London, Oliver encountered two boys, the Artful Dodger and Charley Bates. Now, as one who has been through a whole lot of hardship, you would expect Oliver to be more sceptical about forming relationships with people, but our hero was easily swayed by the free meal dodger offered him and the promises of being provided a place to rest rent free by an old gentleman in London. In fairness, anyone in Oliver’s shoes would have fallen for the sweet words spoken by dodger.

The generous old gentleman turned out to be Fagin, a notorious criminal who picked young boys up from the streets and turned them to pickpockets. While with them, Oliver believed they all made an honest living making handkerchiefs and wallets till he went on a ‘handkerchief making’ adventure with Dodger and Bates. Things hit the fan when Dodger and Bates stole the handkerchief of a suspecting gentleman who caught the obviously confused Oliver after his pals already fled the scene.

Part 3: The Light

Mr Brownlow, the gentleman whose handkerchief was stolen later took in Oliver Twist after finding out the boy has a good and innocent heart, and showered him with the love he has lacked all his life. However, like all great movies and books, the twist is introduced, the story takes a U-turn and our hero is kidnapped by Fagin and his bands and his cohorts.

In the end, the mystery surrounding Oliver’s life was uncovered and it was revealed that he has a whole lot of inheritance that Fagin and his cohorts were trying to steal. Justice was served to each and every one of them and Oliver Twist lived his life happily ever after.

Overall, the book is a lovely read and it has a lot of teachings. It covers the way orphans are mistreated in orphanages, it also prepares people and teaches them not to expect kindness from everyone they meet as there are some really terrible people out there in the real world. The only thing off putting about the book is the fact that Oliver didn’t seem to learn from all his experiences and for all the courage he showed when he requested for more food, he never really stood up for himself in the face of oppression.

Overall Book Ratings: 9/10

You can get a copy of Oliver Twist from Amazon (This is an affiliate link).

Alice Yoon is an educator who has experience in dealing with kids. Being a Certified Early Childhood Development professional, she writes books and content about kids. She is a member of " paper writers " community which helps students with their college work.

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Book Reviews on...

Oliver twist, by charles dickens, recommendations from our site.

“Oliver is a boy who has escaped the workhouse and is adopted by a family of pickpockets. He’s the exception – because he’s being manipulated by the grownups…” Read more...

The best books on Childhood Innocence

Ann Widdecombe , Novelist

“One day he had this radical idea that, if you want something, you can actually make a demand on life.” Read more...

The best books on Boyhood and Growing Up

Chigozie Obioma , Literary Scholar

Other books by Charles Dickens

The mystery of edwin drood by charles dickens, the pickwick papers by charles dickens, what christmas is as we grow older by charles dickens, a christmas carol: and other stories by charles dickens, a christmas carol by charles dickens, nicholas nickleby by charles dickens, our most recommended books, war and peace by leo tolstoy, on liberty by john stuart mill, middlemarch by george eliot, nineteen eighty-four by george orwell, the odyssey by homer and translated by emily wilson, the confessions by augustine (translated by maria boulding).

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Elin's Reading Corner

Rating and Reading books

• Book Review: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Set in 1800s England the young boy, Oliver Twist, tries to navigate through life without parents, in a world full of homelessness, criminals and unempathetic people.

Please, sir, I want some more.

Oliver Twist is supposedly a children’s book, which shocked me since there are explicit scenes in this novel that revolves around death and cruelty. Dickens wrote in a way that makes the reader anxious. As soon as something good happened to Oliver it was impossible to not think ‘Oh no’ because you just waited for the badness to happen. In this way, Dickens was incredibly successful when creating the narrative for Oliver. However, I couldn’t help but find the novel a little bit boring because sometimes the novel would feel repetitive. One good thing happens and soon after a bad thing happens. Other times Dickens would switch point of view and mention that it might be boring for the reader but that it could have significance later. If you know that it’s going to be boring to the point where you have to warn the reader, then why keep it in? Keep in mind, Oliver Twist is not a novel I would gravitate towards, it was a novel I had to read for my English module in order to prepare for an exam.

It is written through multiple point of views, for example Mr Bumble (the beadle) and Mrs Bumble, or Fagin’s (the Jew) perspective. If this is something that bothers you then you will be annoyed reading this novel. Whenever the reader is most curious about Oliver Twist, Dickens would switch the narrative to another character.

The language is, of course, old school. In my Penguin Edition the meaning of some words are in the end of the novel. I was too lazy to check the explanations and it worked incredibly well for me. This could mean that I missed out on some important aspect or a joke, but I’m okay with that. It would have been better if the explanations were on the same page as the footnote because then it would be easier to read rather than going back and forth and spending more time finding the right page for the explanation than reading. This is my laziness talking, so if this doesn’t bother you then I salute you.

Some people felt bad for me that I was reading Oliver Twist because they heard it’s difficult to get through but I felt the opposite. It was pretty easy. It is supposed to be a children’s book, so maybe that is why? Sometimes it felt unenjoyable to read but that’s because I had to read 60+ pages everyday to have it finished before the exam (that’s my fault, not the novel’s).

I really enjoyed the pictures in the novel, but I felt like the illustrator made the characters look too old. It was a nice break from all the death. Imagine my shock when I see a picture of Bill Sikes on the roof and then reading what happened after. I gasped.

I did enjoy it, but it’s definitely not my favourite.

Happy Reading ❤

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Hi, and welcome to my book blog! I read books for fun and for good grades. I’m a college student studying English Lit, which means what? That I have too much to read :S I love most genres but find non-fiction a bit of a snore. I also don’t understand poetry, but I try my best! In short – I read pretty much everything. Welcome to chaos. Here I’ll review literature and movie adaptations and post what I’m reading and want to read. Thank you for stopping by <3

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Book review: Oliver Twist

• Post published: December 4, 2019
• Post category: General / Reviews
• Post author: By: Muhammed Al Ali

Oliver Twist is a classic book by Charles Dickens that most of us have read. It tugs at our heartstrings during the beginning and middle and gets us anxious at the end. It’s no wonder why this book is a popular classic and a must-read worldwide.

The plot of the book is simple: it revolves around a boy named Oliver who is an orphan. He escapes the workhouse he lived in, joins a gang of thieves and manages to escape them until they take him back, he then runs away and lives happily ever after . But it’s not the plot that makes this book amazing; it’s the characters.

Oliver is a young orphan who always tries his best to persevere even when he’s in a tough situation. He is the epitome of always trying to escape a bad situation. Seeing his failures makes readers angry at his surroundings- but when he succeeds, you can’t help but regain a bit of hope for humanity.

Dodger seems like Oliver’s friend at the beginning of the novel, but it turns out he’s just trying to trick him into becoming a pawn of Fagin. Fagin (the antagonist) has no redeeming character traits, which is usually a bad thing, however, in this case, the author doesn’t allow him any traits that are redeemable because then, you’d sympathise with this monster.

All the other characters help put together the story and interact very realistically with each other. Nancy is shown from the get-go to dislike Fagin, which gives more time for her to develop her character arc of trying to destroy him. Bill is a mysterious character as we don’t know much about him except that he’s the true antagonist and that Fagin is one of his pawns.

If you haven’t read this book, do give it a read, especially if you like classics. Words cannot express how amazing this book is and I’d personally easily place it in my top 5 books of all time. In fact, this book is so well-loved that the lower school production this year is based on it!

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Oliver Twist

Charles Dicken | 4.13 | 320,726 ratings and reviews

Ranked #8 in London , Ranked #8 in Victorian — see more rankings .

Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of Oliver Twist from the world's leading experts.

Audrey Penn I’m going to go with Oliver Twist. I was raised on all of these books, but I loved Oliver Twist. I have always believed that people, no matter how bad they are, when they see a really good kid in trouble, they’re going to help. (Source)

Chigozie Obioma One day he had this radical idea that, if you want something, you can actually make a demand on life. (Source)

Ann Widdecombe Oliver is a boy who has escaped the workhouse and is adopted by a family of pickpockets. He’s the exception – because he’s being manipulated by the grownups… (Source)

Rankings by Category

Oliver Twist is ranked in the following categories:

• #39 in Broadway
• #91 in Bucket List
• #56 in Classic
• #72 in Classical
• #16 in English Writer
• #14 in Free e-Book
• #84 in Gift
• #99 in High School Reading
• #82 in Holiday Reading
• #43 in Leather
• #74 in Leather Bound
• #73 in Literature
• #98 in Novel
• #67 in Online
• #21 in Penguin Classics
• #97 in Poster
• #28 in Poverty
• #25 in Project Gutenberg
• #29 in Public Domain
• #20 in Twist
• #71 in Twisted
• #90 in University
• #68 in Used

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Dickens' 'Oliver Twist': Summary and Analysis

A Gritty, Crusading Work of Art

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Oliver Twist is a well-known story, but the book is not quite as widely read as you might imagine. In fact, Time Magazine's list of the top 10 most popular Dickens' novels put Oliver Twist in 10th place, even though it was a sensational success in 1837 when it was first serialized and contributed the treacherous villain Fagin to English literature .  The novel has the vivid storytelling and unimpeachable literary skill that Dickens brings to all his novels, but it also has a raw, gritty quality that may drive some readers away.

Oliver Twist was also influential in bringing to light the cruel treatment of paupers and orphans in Dickens' time. The novel is not only a brilliant work of art but an important social document.

'Oliver Twist': Indictment of the 19th-Century Workhouse

Oliver, the protagonist, is born in a workhouse in the first half of the nineteenth century. His mother dies during his birth, and he is sent to an orphanage, where he is treated badly, beaten regularly, and poorly fed. In a famous episode, he walks up to the stern authoritarian, Mr. Bumble, and asks for a second helping of gruel. For this impertinence, he is put out of the workhouse.

Please, Sir, Can I Have Some More?

He then runs away from the family that takes him in. He wants to find his fortune in London. Instead, he falls in with a boy called Jack Dawkins, who is part of a child gang of thieves run by a man called Fagin.

Oliver is brought into the gang and trained as a pickpocket. When he goes out on his first job, he runs away and is nearly sent to prison. However, the kind person he tries to rob saves him from the terrors of the city gaol (jail) and the boy is, instead, taken into the man's home. He believes he has escaped Fagin and his crafty gang, but Bill Sikes and Nancy, two members of the gang, force him back in. Oliver is sent out on another job—this time assisting Sikes on a burglary.

Kindness Almost Saves Oliver Time and Again

The job goes wrong and Oliver is shot and left behind. Once more he is taken in, this time by the Maylies, the family he was sent to rob; with them, his life changes dramatically for the better. But Fagin's gang comes after him again. Nancy, who is worried about Oliver, tells the Maylies what's happening. When the gang finds out about Nancy's treachery, they murder her.

Meanwhile, the Maylies reunite Oliver with the gentleman who helped him out earlier and who—with the kind of coincidental plot turn typical of many Victorian novels—turns out to be Oliver's uncle. Fagin is arrested and hanged for his crimes; and Oliver settles down to a normal life, reunited with his family.

The Terrors Awaiting Children in London's Underclass

Oliver Twist is probably not the most psychologically complex of Dickens' novels. Instead, Dickens uses the novel to give readers of the time a dramatic understanding of the deplorable social situation for England's underclass and particularly its children . In this sense, it is more closely linked to Hogarthian satire than Dickens' more romantic novels. Mr. Bumble, the beadle, is an excellent example of Dickens' broad characterization at work. Bumble is a large, terrifying figure: a tin-pot Hitler, who is both frightening to the boys under his control, and also slightly pathetic in his need to maintain his power over them.

Fagin: A Controversial Villain

Fagin, too, is a wonderful example of Dickens ability to draw a caricature and still place it in a convincingly realistic story. There is a streak of cruelty in Dickens' Fagin, but also a sly charisma that has made him one of literature's most compelling villains. Among many film and television productions of the novel, Alec Guinness's portrayal of Fagin remains, perhaps, the most admired. Unfortunately, Guiness's makeup incorporated stereotypical aspects of portrayals of Jewish villains. Along with Shakespeare's Shylock, Fagin remains one of the most controversial and arguably antisemitic creations in the English literary canon.

The Importance of 'Oliver Twist'

Oliver Twist is important as a crusading work of art, although it did not result in the dramatic changes in the English workhouse system that Dickens may have hoped. Nevertheless, Dickens researched that system extensively before writing the novel and his views undoubtedly had a cumulative effect. Two English reform acts addressing the system actually preceded the publication of Oliver Twist , but several more followed, including the influential reforms of 1870.  Oliver Twist  remains a powerful indictment of English society in the early 19th Century. 

• The Most Important Quotes From Charles Dickens's 'Oliver Twist'
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• Biography of Charles Dickens, English Novelist
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Oliver Twist

Charles dickens, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Oliver Twist: Introduction

Oliver twist: plot summary, oliver twist: detailed summary & analysis, oliver twist: themes, oliver twist: quotes, oliver twist: characters, oliver twist: symbols, oliver twist: literary devices, oliver twist: theme wheel, brief biography of charles dickens.

Historical Context of Oliver Twist

Other books related to oliver twist.

• Full Title: Oliver Twist, or, The Parish Boy's Progress
• When Written: Written serially, February 1837 to April 1839
• Where Written: London, England
• When Published: February 1837 to April 1839; revised 1847
• Literary Period: Victorian
• Genre: Victorian social novel; Bildungsroman (novel of education); novel of morality
• Setting: London, England, and the countryside surrounding, 1830s
• Climax: Oliver is shot by a servant of the Maylies; he recovers under their care, and begins the process of learning his true parentage
• Antagonist: Monks and Fagin
• Point of View: third-person omniscient

Extra Credit for Oliver Twist

Musical adaptation. Many have come to know the general story of Oliver Twist via the musical Oliver! , which premiered in 1960 in London, and which was made into a successful motion picture in 1968. The musical retains many of the characters made most famous in the novel, including Fagin and the Artful Dodger.

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Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens | Review, Summary & Analysis

Exploring the World of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens: A Comprehensive Review, Summary, and Analysis .

Delve into the timeless classic of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist with our comprehensive review, summary, and analysis.  

Charles Dickens, the most famous British realistic writer of the 19th century, wrote more than ten novels in his life. When he wrote Oliver Twist, he was only twenty-five years old. 

This novel has been adapted, filmed, screened, and broadcasted into many kinds of movies and TV shows, and has a wide and far-reaching influence. 

He has written more than ten novels in his life and is known as an outstanding language master. He is good at using irony, humor, and exaggeration. 

The characters and language style in his works is full of strong romantic characteristics. "Oliver Twist" (namely "Oliver Twist") is a great social novel by Dickens, which occupies an important position in the history of world literature.

Oliver Twist is Dickens's first novel of social criticism. Oliver, an abandoned baby of the rich, struggled in the orphanage for nine years and was sent to the coffin shop owner as an apprentice. 

Unbearable hunger, poverty, and humiliation forced Oliver to flee to London, where he was forced to become a pickpocket. 

He was once taken in by the wealthy Mr. Blair, but unfortunately, he was discovered by a pickpocket and entered the den of thieves again. 

In order to rescue Oliver, the kind-hearted female pickpocket Nancy reports to Bradlow that Oliver is the grandson he has been looking for, regardless of the thief's surveillance and threats. 

Nancy was killed by the leader of the den of thieves, and the police immediately surrounded and suppressed the den of thieves. Oliver was finally reunited with his loved ones.

Book:  Oliver Twist by Charles  Dickens

Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress, is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. --- Wikipedia

• Originally published: 1838
• Author: Charles Dickens
• Characters: Fagin, Artful Dodger, Bill Sikes, Mr. Bumble, Nancy
• Genres: Novel, Fiction, Social novel
• Followed by: Nicholas Nickleby
• Illustrator: George Cruikshank
• Original title: Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress

Author's Preface/ Catalog  

• Chapter 1  Concerning the Place and Situations of Oliver Twist's  Birth
• Chapter 2 Concerning Oliver Twist's Growth, Education, and Dining  Ster almost got a job, but it was by no means an idle job.
• Chapter 3 Oliver Twist Twist almost got a job, but it is by no means an idle job.
• Chapter 4 Oliver, who has other careers, steps into society for the first time.
• In Chapter 5, Oliver deals with new acquaintances. The first time he attended the funeral, he had a bad impression of his master's industry.
• Chapter 6 Oliver's ridicule of Noah provoked him to stand up and resist, which surprised Noah.
• Chapter 7 Oliver still did not give in.
• Chapter 8 Oliver Liver walked up to London. On the way, he met a curious little gentleman.
• Chapter 9. This chapter gives some further details about the dear old gentleman and his promising students.
• Chapter 10. What Oliver did to his new companions. He gained a deeper understanding; he gained experience at a high price. This chapter is short, but it is of the utmost importance in the book.
• Chapter 11 introduces Mr. Finn, the Justice of the Peace, and gives a glimpse of the way he enforces the law.
• Chapter 12 Oliver is taken care of like never before. The author returns to the account of the merry old gentleman and his apprentice.
• Chapter 13 introduces some newcomers to the intelligent reader, with a few interesting incidents connected with  life. 
• Chapter 14 further relates Oliver's stay at Mr. Brownlow's, and while he was away on errands Mr. Greenwig made a remarkable prophecy for him. 
• Chapter 15  This chapter shows how fond the jolly old Jew and Miss Nancy were of Oliver Twist
• Chapter 16 shows the state of Oliver Twist after Nancy took him back
• Chapter 17 Fate continues to oppose Oliver and brings a great man to London to discredit him
• Chapter 18 How Oliver passed his days among those good teachers and good friends
• Chapter 19 A marvelous plan was discussed and settled in this chapter
• Chapter 20 Oliver was handed over to Mr. Bill Sikes
• Chapter 21  Chapter 22 Burglars  Chapter 23  This Chapter Contains the Gist of a Pleasant Conversation Between Mr. Bumble and a Lady, Showing Even a Rector's Passion at Certain Points. 
• Chapter 24 This Chapter Contains A very good exterminator, but not too long, perhaps of some importance in this book. 
• Chapter 25 The author goes back to explain the situation of Mr. Fagan and his party.
• Chapter 26 In this chapter there is a mysterious character enters the scene and many events that are inseparable from the biography. What happened to Foo, and what happened to him,
• Chapter 27 Amends a previous chapter for leaving a lady aside with great impoliteness
• Chapter 28 See what has become of Oliver and continue his story
• Chapter 29. The family to which Oliver went for help.
• Chapter 30. The impression Oliver made on new visitors.
• Chapter 31. Chapter 32 : Oliver begins a happy life with good friends
• Chapter 33 The Happiness of Oliver and His Friends Is Unexpectedly Frustrated 
• Chapter 34  This chapter contains an account of a young gentleman who is about to appear and another of Oliver's adventures 
• Chapter 35 This chapter contains the inconclusive results of Oliver's adventure and Harry's ·An important conversation between Meri and Luzi 
• Chapter 36 This chapter is extremely short, and it may seem irrelevant here, but it should be read, because it is the continuation of the previous chapter, and it is also the time when readers will read it.  
• Chapter 37 In which the reader may observe the unusual phenomenon of pre-marriage and post-marriage conditions 
• Chapter 38 tells the story of the evening meeting between the Bumbles and the Monks.  
• Chapter 39 re-enters some respectable characters already known to the reader, and then sees how Monks and the old Jew conspired. 
• Chapter 40 A Strange Meeting Continuing Closely with the Previous 
• Chapter 41. This chapter contains several new discoveries and shows that the unexpected often follow one another, just as misfortunes never come singly. 
• Chapter 42. An old acquaintance of Oliver shows Unmistakable traits of genius and suddenly became an important person in the capital. 
• Chapter 43 This chapter is about how the elusive clever ghost got into trouble. 
• Chapter 44 When Nancy was due to meet Louie Merry, she couldn't make it 
• Chapter 45 Noah Crepole Hired to Carry Out a Secret Mission for Fagan Chapter 46 Appointment 
• Chapter 46 Appointment
• Chapter 47 Fatal Consequences 
• Chapter 48 Thicke Escaping
• Chapter 49 Monks and Mr. Brownlow finally meet. Their conversation and the news that interrupted it
• Chapter 50 The Pursuit and Escape
• Chapter 51 This chapter will solve many mysteries and negotiate a marriage without mentioning the money
• Chapter 52 The Old Jew is Alive The last night of
• Chapter 53 and the last chapter . 

About the Author:  Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffham Dickens, British writer. Born on February 7, 1812, in the suburbs of Portsmouth, died on June 9, 1870, at Gates Hill near Rochester. 19th-century British critical realist novelist. 

Dickens paid special attention to describing the life experiences of the "little people" living at the bottom of British society, which profoundly reflected the complicated social reality in Britain at that time, and made outstanding contributions to the pioneering and development of British critical realism literature. 

His works are still popular today and have had a profound impact on the development of English literature. 

His main works are The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist,  The Old Curio Shop, Hard Times, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and Our Mutual Friend.

Charles Dickens's father lived an intemperate life and was heavily in debt. The young Dickens was forced to be sent to a leather shoe polish shop as an apprentice and suffered a lot of hardships. 

When Dickens was 16, his father was imprisoned for debt. Since then, their lives have become more miserable. 

On the one hand, the Industrial Revolution brought prosperity to the British metropolises in the early nineteenth century, and on the other hand, it brought about the extreme poverty of the common people and the cruel exploitation of child labor. 

The sharp social contradictions and unfair social system made Dickens determined to change his life. At the age of 15, Dickens worked as a scribe in a law firm and learned shorthand. 

After that, he worked as a journalist in a newspaper. When he was a reporter at the "Morning Chronicle", Dickens began to publish some satirical and humorous short plays, mainly reflecting life in London and gradually gained fame. 

He understands the life and customs of the people at the bottom of the city, which are reflected in his passionate writing. 

Since then, he has served as editor, editor-in-chief, and publisher of different magazines, during which he has published dozens of novels and short stories. 

His main works include Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and David Copperfield. and "Great Expectations".

Most of Dickens' works are based on events related to his own personal experience or what he saw and heard. 

In the book, he exposed the appalling living system in the workhouse, uncovered the terrible secrets of the bottom of British society, and vividly described the darkness and evil of the society. 

From the beginning of the book, the protagonist Oliver was born as an orphan and lived a miserable life in a poor house. 

Later, he was forced to work as an apprentice in a funeral parlor and ran away from home because of the unbearable abuse. After coming to London alone, he fell into the hands of thieves again. 

In his works, Dickens described a lot of dark social reality, placed deep affection on the common people, and ruthlessly criticized the social system at that time. 

He has outstanding achievements in the reality of novel description and the personalization of characters. After Shakespeare, he created the most characters in his works.

Oliver Twist's Book Summary

   Oliver Twist is Dickens' second novel and one of his best works in the early stage of creation. 

"It wasn't fashionable to write novels that reflected the sad realities of life, but Dickens set out to shock his readers." 

The novel shows us Oliver Twist Jr., an orphan in a world of poverty and crime, how to be devastated by the horror and violence hidden in the small, dirty back streets of London, and how to get the warm care of some well-meaning people like spring. 

All the characters appearing here represent a profound humanity. The flower of goodness and the flower of evil bloom at the same time, which makes us readers plunge into endless thinking about life while weeping.

    Regarding little Oliver, "the writer poured his infinite sympathy and deep love for the millions of lonely and weak people in the society into this child protagonist." Pure goodness, a desire to do good, and a spirit that strives to resist the dark reality.

    Little Oliver was born in a workhouse, and his mother died of hatred after giving birth to him. The author writes, 

"The two men who were present at his birth gave him little help, which left Oliver to bear his first battle alone." 

The reason was that an old woman was drunk and the doctor was not paid enough, So they don't care about the life or death of this new life. In such an environment of indifference and insensitivity, the child survived tenaciously. 

It is not difficult to see that while exposing the hypocrisy and cruelty of the bourgeois charitable institution "workhouse", the author hints and emphasizes that little Oliver has an innate strong spirit of resistance, struggling in pain is the key to his life. of all. 

If he succumbs to this dark world, he is doomed to be swallowed by the cruel reality. Little Oliver's spirit of rebellion did not arise without a reason. 

It should be said that it was the inevitable result of repeated misfortunes: Once, little Oliver asked the steward for more food, but the steward was very surprised and called this a "dare to be the first in the world" The bitter child was tortured. 

Readers will feel sad for little Oliver's hunger, cold and unfair beating after reading this, but I personally think that this is another strengthening of little Oliver's rebellious spirit-he is different from other people who dare not violate the workhouse steward. 

The children, not only instinctively, but also courageously tried "anti-conventional" behaviors. Those managers who symbolized cruelty were awed by this kind of behavior. 

Their rampant and unrestrained typical dark psychology of the society at that time was for the first time A discordant tone was encountered. Even if this discordant tone is still in its infancy, it is destined to stay and continue to struggle. 

Afterward, little Oliver, who was an apprentice in the coffin shop, was slandered by Noah's vicious words. In his strong anger, he punched the big boy hard, so that the proprietress and other villains were terrified and beat the thin little orphan violently. 

This fact shows that little Oliver's rebellious spirit grows with the gradual maturity of his inner world. After being humiliated and beaten again and again, little Oliver did not bow his head to this dirty and ugly society but still fought bravely and honed his pure heart under his thin body.

    Fleeing to London alone, the poor little Oliver lived in the den of thieves headed by Fagin under the leadership of The Winged Thief. Readers will more likely think that it is little Oliver's bad luck to fall into a den of thieves, but this is not the case. 

"According to Henry Mayhew's statistics in "Those Who Don't Want to Work" (1862)... only one-third of the British labor force People can find jobs... Due to the high unemployment rate, the crime rate is also high. According to statistics, there are 12,000 criminals in London alone."

In other words, it was the British society at that time that created so many thieves Ladies and gentlemen, what happened to little Oliver was not accidental, just like The Winged Thief said, "If you don't steal, someone else will. 

There is no doubt about it!" But what I want to emphasize here is that even in such a Despite harsh environment, little Oliver is still poor and ambitious. 

He has a kind and simple heart, even if Fagin and others try to instigate him to steal, little Oliver will not really do that. 

And when he was rescued twice by kind-hearted people (the first time by Mr. Brownlow, the second time by Mrs. Merry and Rose), he ignored his frail health and was eager to tell those kind-hearted people about his life. His tragic life experience and painful experience. 

In this regard, little Oliver wants to let others know that his inner world has not been polluted by the dark and dirty real life, he still guards the pure land of the soul and wants to be with those kind and caring good people who live together. Little Oliver's kind nature runs through the whole novel. 

In the final part of the novel, when he finds out his parentage and is told that he will get all the remaining property in his father's will, Mr. Brownlow proposes to give half of it to his half-brother Monks, Little Oliver "very gladly accepted the offer". 

According to common sense, there is absolutely no need for little Oliver to give favors to those who always want to kill him, but in fact, he just regards Monks simply as his half-brother, without the slightest hostility. What surged in his heart was only family affection. 

The two diametrically opposite human natures between him and the Monks formed a strong contrast, which heightened the kind image of little Oliver; and as far as the whole novel is concerned, the kindness of little Oliver's nature was in line with the so-called "Victorian prosperity" period in England at that time. 

The decadent and dark society, where the majority of people turn to evil, forms a sharp and vivid comparison, promotes moral thoughts and precious humanistic thoughts, and purifies the spiritual world of readers.

    If little Oliver represents the brightest side of human nature, then the role of Nancy deduces the contradictory side of human nature. 

Nancy, who grew up in a den of thieves, was controlled by Fagin and others on the one hand—for example, once she pretended to be little Oliver’s sister and kidnapped little Oliver who had just escaped from the clutches of the street with her accomplices; but on the other hand, when Fagin When King and Sykes beat little Oliver who was trying to escape, Nancy stepped forward again, "Now that you've got the kid, isn't that enough that you're going to turn him into a thief and a liar? Kill him?" She protected poor little Oliver with an almost crazy act. 

From this pair of contradictory actions, we can clearly see that Nancy still treasures a humanity that has not been completely wiped out in her heart. 

It's just that the ruthless and cruel reality kept torturing her last little kindness, and she was struggling in a deprived environment. 

Maybe little Oliver ignited the bright fire in Nancy's heart, making Nancy rescue him from distress again and again.

    When Nancy overheard the conversation between Monks and Fagin and learned the secret that Monks asked Fagin to try his best to turn little Oliver into a thief and put him to death in order to monopolize all the inheritance, she went Risking his life, he told the kind Rose the secret. 

However, readers have noticed that in the two secret conversations between Nancy and Rose and others, it was mentioned such as "You have to promise me another thing - not to do any harm to this man I can never leave ", she has been trying her best to protect Sykes, who is of the same breed as Fagin. Why? 

Although Sykes is also a villainous guy like Fagin, Nancy's love for him is like the pure love in the heart that every kind woman expresses for her husband. Said to be social factors. 

If a person is entangled with thousands of social factors, others will naturally make value judgments on him, and treat him with different emotions and attitudes from the original. 

Although the world in which Nancy lives is intertwined with pain and darkness, she is pitiful, miserable, and miserable, but she is faithful to the person she loves without complaint or regret.

Therefore, Nancy's love does not become filthy because she has fallen to the bottom of real society, but the instinctive and pure emotion shared by all people. It can even be said that Nancy's love instinct guards her from being completely wiped out. That is part of good humanity. 

Although readers and Nancy both know that her own fate cannot escape the word "death", and although Nancy eventually died at the hands of the man she loved, we can say that Nancy, with her instinctive love and The goodness of that part of human nature frees one's soul from this miserable world and flies to the heaven without darkness and death.

    Fagin and Sussex, the Bumble couple, Monks, and others destroy the two flowers of the goodness of human nature that bloom in the world of ghosts and demons, goodness and love, with their respective evils of human nature.

    Fagin and Sykes are the embodiment of evil, cruelty, and deceit. Readers may have noticed that the English meaning of the name Fagin refers to the abettor (who instigates children to commit crimes), so we can see the author's intention. 

In the preface to "Orphan in the Mist", Dickens clearly pointed out: "It seems to me that it is very necessary to describe such a group of criminals as they actually exist; in all their defects and all their misfortunes. 

To describe them; to describe them in the poverty of their lives; to show them as they really are, stalking uneasily on the dirtiest paths of life, and finally, still not escaping the death of their lives by the black, ghastly gallows. 

"So, in the author's pen, he not only wrote about the cold, damp, dirty, and disordered streets of London-the place where filth is hidden but also used little Oliver as a medium to compare Fagin and Sykes again and again. 

The descriptions of coercion, temptation, and sticks portray their ferocious faces, evil hearts, and depraved lives. 

Thousands of evil souls like them are lurking in every corner of London, using their means to make darkness continue to breed and spread in the entire society-this is a terrifying and serious reality.

    What is even more infuriating is that there were more people who did not belong to the bottom of society at that time, such as the Bumbles, who stink of vitriol and mercenary. 

They don't take a lonely child like little Oliver as a human being at all. Not only did they not feed and clothe the orphans, but they often beat and scolded them, which caused great psychological trauma to these children. 

This kind of devastation is no less than that of villains like Fagin; it is these people who live a relatively comfortable life, who naturally and vividly paint us portraits of money worshipers: For example, Bumble because he does not want to miss Brownlow’s house in a hurry to tell him about little Oliver’s “situation” (as long as there is no conflict of interest with himself, speak ill of little Oliver, etc.).

    When it comes to the character of Monks, what impresses people the most is his frightening jealousy and hatred. 

Monks ignited intense resentment and jealousy towards his half-brother in order to monopolize all the inheritance income - if little Oliver lived well, his greed would never be satisfied. 

So, driven by this perverted psychology, he let little Oliver "experience" the cruelty and horror of reality. 

When he finally confessed the truth to everyone, he was still "cursing secretly" too little Oliver. This kind of abnormal psychology also reflects the moral decline of British society at that time.

    Although many critics believe that this novel has many deficiencies, "the author was in his youth during this period, his career was flourishing, and his understanding of society was still relatively superficial... Especially in terms of novel structure and characterization, the author has not yet fully grasped it. You can live." 

"Dickens only wrote about some of the ugly manifestations of society but failed to see that the root cause of these evils lies in the capitalist system itself. Contradictions." 

In my opinion, this work delicately depicts and profoundly reveals many aspects of human nature, such as kindness, love, benevolence, evil, fraud, jealousy, and hatred, and their contradictions. 

The flower of goodness and the flower of evil bloom together in the wonderful flowers of human nature, so that readers can understand the various aspects of life while clarifying their hearts, and striving to make their lives bloom with flowers of kindness. This is the deep thinking and enlightenment that only good work can bring us.

    Just like the last sentence of this novel says.

    "Throughout their lives, they showed compassion and kindness to others as God shows to all living beings."

Oliver Twist's Book Reviews

Leo Tolstoy wrote at the beginning of "Anna Karenina" that all happy families are alike, and every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Charles Dickens has a similar line in Oliver Twist: A sad, true story full of tribulations and sorrows is usually very long, and a story of pure joy and happiness is very short.

"Oliver Twist" seems to be somewhere in between, it is not only full of suffering and sorrow, but also brings happiness and joy to people.

In 1837, at the age of 25, Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, his second novel and also his first social novel.

As an early work of Dickens, "Oliver Twist" is a bit thin in terms of plot and character design. If we ignore the age when the story is told, it will be even more difficult to appreciate the beauty of this book.

But as Dickens himself said in the preface of this book, "I don't expect their (referring to the readers) approval, nor do I write for their amusement."

Dickens just told a story he wanted to tell, and what we readers get out of it is no longer his concern.

01. Oliver Crusoe

In England at the beginning of the 19th century, affected by the French Revolution and the Napoleon era, the society was turbulent and the economy was extremely depressed. The work of helping the poor was the main problem in British society at that time.

In 1834, the British government promulgated the "Poor Law", requiring able-bodied poor people to live in workhouses.

While this decree was effective, it also caused countless tragedies. Instead of receiving proper care, the poor living in the workhouse became the target of public shame.

"Oliver Twist," tells a tragedy in this historical background. According to Mr. Huang Shuiqi, the translator of this book, " Dickens in "Oliver Twist" used the "Poor Law" of 1834 as an object of condemnation."

At the beginning of the novel, a baby is born in the workhouse - "a world full of sorrow and distress", and the baby is the protagonist of this book, Oliver Twist.

Oliver's mother died as soon as he was born, and his father is not explained at all at the beginning of the novel. The helpless Oliver is logically included in the ranks of orphans, and the novel calls him "a character who is handcuffed, beaten, despised by everyone but sympathized by no one in the world."

Although "Oliver Twist" is a novel, Dickens referred to it more than once in the book as "the most concise and most credible biographical sample" of Oliver.

This statement undoubtedly strengthens the authenticity of the book. Oliver may be a fictional character of Dickens, but the tragedy written in the book is a true reflection of British society at that time.

In the follow-up episodes, Dickens' description of Oliver's encounter is indeed extremely true.

Although it is called a workhouse, Oliver received no relief at all in his childhood life. The board of directors of the workhouse formulated a specification: let the poor either starve to death slowly in the workhouse or starve to death immediately outside the workhouse.

Oliver, who was too hungry, asked the chef for more porridge under the instigation of his companions.

Oliver's move caused an uproar in the workhouse. The board of directors believed that Oliver's request was outrageous and should be severely punished. Some people even predicted that "the child will be hanged in the future."

Oliver, who made a mistake, was sent out of the workhouse to work as an apprentice in a coffin shop. Not long after he was abused, he fled to London alone.

Oliver was just a kid in his early teens at the time. But the child's life has gone through many ups and downs, and he finally went to London to start another tribulation and adventure.

02. Adventure and adventure

Oliver walked 65 miles to London in winter, in a strange place, cold and hungry, Oliver seemed to be at the end of the road.

At this time, a strange "young gentleman" reached out to Oliver. He treated Oliver to a meal and took Oliver home.

Oliver, who was indifferent, didn't even realize that he had just escaped from a fire pit, and he was tricked into the den of thieves again.

The leader of the den of thieves, Eugene, wanted to train Oliver to join their ranks of deception. Oliver had an accident during his first theft. He was mistaken for a thief and caught, but it was a blessing in disguise that he met the nobleman of his life. Mr. Brownlow.

Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin took good care of Oliver, which gave the child a rare warmth in the world.

But not long after, Oliver was brought back to the den of thieves again by the female liar Miss Nancy and returned to Eugene's palm.

As a result, Oliver fell into the most dangerous disaster in his life without realizing it.

A gang led by the liar Eugene, Sykes, and Monks the Mysterious want to train Oliver to be a liar like them; an alliance of Mr. Brownlow, Mrs. Bedwin and Miss Ross, and foster mother Mrs. Merry Do everything possible to rescue Oliver from the clutches. 

When the two forces competed, the mystery of Oliver's life experience gradually surfaced.

In this process, some confusing stories of Miss Nancy are interspersed. She is the female liar who helps Sykes catch Oliver back and is also the core figure who helps Miss Rose rescue Oliver. Miss Nancy's tragedy leaves a layer of tragedy that is difficult to ignore in this comic ending story.

03. Beautiful jade sinks into the ditch

In "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" , there is a chapter called "Sink in the mud", which means that the innocent Tess was defiled by the shameless Yalei, and the beautiful jade fell into the ditch, which caused the tragedy of her life.

Tess's story has nothing to do with Miss Nancy's story in terms of plot, but their encounters are so similar.

Miss Nancy is a female liar, she has been following the liar Sayles for more than ten years, and it was she who brought Oliver back to the den of thieves.

However, Miss Nancy is fundamentally different from Eugene, Searles, and others. Even if she is trapped in the mud, she still cannot change her essence of beauty.

Therefore, when she learned of the plan of the Monks and others to harm Oliver, Miss Nancy suppressed her fear and secretly notified Miss Rose to help Oliver escape from the Monks' clutches.

Oliver was saved, but Miss Nancy died at the hands of Sykes because of the leak. This is probably one of the saddest plots in the novel.

Many readers think that Miss Nancy described by Dickens is more embarrassing than Oliver. This is true, in my opinion, Miss Nancy is the most successful character in this book.

Dickens brings happiness to Oliver at the end of the novel but makes Nancy go to death. As a story of truth, goodness, and beauty, in fact, Dickens can completely redeem Nancy. In the novel, Miss Ross has offered to rescue Nancy.

But Nancy refused, she chose to return to Sykes, it can also be said that she took the initiative to her own death.

Nancy's seemingly unreasonable choice is the truest and most painful truth of her life.

In the novel, Nancy took the initiative to say to Ross, "I am the notorious guy you have heard of, living among thieves, since the moment I wandered on the streets of London, except what they (referring to Sykes and others) gave me I never knew a better life or kinder words than my own."

Nancy, living in the darkness of humanity, has long lost the ability to feel love and the chance to be redeemed. Sykes and others are the initiators of the tragedy of her life, but also the only meaning of her life. Nancy's life is all based on Sykes and others, so even though "I hate this kind of life, I hate this kind of life, but I can't leave this kind of life."

I'm hopeless, Nancy used the word to seal the coffin of her life.

Perhaps when she bid farewell to Miss Rose, she had already anticipated her own end, so she said, "Alleys and ditches are my cradles, and they will also be my deathbed."

Miss Nancy finally fell into the ditch, blown by the north wind.

This is not the most embarrassing part of the novel. Miss Nancy described by Dickens does not believe that she can be redeemed, but resolutely gives Oliver the chance of being redeemed, at the cost of her life.

This is the most moving and brilliant part of this book.

04. Do you still believe that what is good is rewarded with good?

Now many readers do not have a high evaluation of "Oliver Twist", and there are probably two reasons for this.

On the one hand, "Oliver Twist" was Dickens's work when he was 25 years old, and it was also his second work. Both the plot and the characters are somewhat simple.

Oliver Twist, on the other hand, ends with comedy. For us readers, we want comedy more in reality, but in the process of reading, tragedy is more impressive and more real.

Therefore, the happy reunion story of "Orphan in the Twist" will make people feel unreal.

Good is rewarded with good, and evil is rewarded with evil. This is what Dickens wanted to tell us, so later generations called it "the light that calls people back to laughter and benevolence."

But now many people no longer believe such words. Compared with truth, goodness, and beauty, people think that poisonous chicken soup is more real.

It is undeniable that in reality, justice does not always come, and light does not always drive out darkness. In the novel "Pan's Labyrinth", it is said that the side of justice will not always win the real victory, they are just holding on.

In this view, Oliver's comedy ending seems to be a failure.

But in fact, in the happy ending of "Orphan Twist", there are also hidden tragedies and regrets that cannot be ignored. Miss Nancy mentioned above is an example.

Another example is Dick. Dick is Oliver's partner in the foster home. Before Oliver fled to London, he went to meet Dick. Dick told Oliver to go forward bravely, " But don't stop, honey, don't stop!"

Dick was the first person to give Oliver a blessing. Even though this blessing only came from a child, it was remembered by Oliver for a lifetime.

But when Oliver was rescued, he went to find Dick but only got the news of Dick's death.

The novel doesn't play up Dick's death in detail, but it's no less sad. Dick's death is matched by Oliver's rescue, and Miss Nancy's death is matched by Miss Rose's luck.

Dickens does not blindly make us believe in truth, goodness, and beauty. As Nancy said to Rose, "Kneel down and thank God, because when you were a child, many friends took care of you and raised you; because you were never hungry or cold."

Nancy wasn't quite right, she didn't know anything about Rose's twisted fate. But indeed, whether it is Rose or Oliver, they should thank God most for not letting them be in the fate of Nancy and Dick.

It can be seen that "Orphan in the Twist" is not unreal, but too real. Life is sometimes a passive multiple-choice question, is it, Nancy or Ross? Is it Oliver or Dick?

We cannot decide the environment we are in, nor can we completely get rid of the imprint of the environment. A good life depends on luck, and personal efforts are sometimes vulnerable.

But even so, we cannot completely deny the existence of light just because we are in darkness. "Orphan in the Twist" is a story of "a beacon that calls people back to laughter and benevolence".

Muhiuddin Alam is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of GeekBookReviews.com. He serves as a consistent contributor to various websites and publications, including Medium , Quora , Reddit , Linkedin , Substack , Vocal , Flipboard , and Amazon KDP. Alam personally read numerous books and, for the past 10 years, has been providing book recommendations and reviews. Find Me: About Me & Google Knowledge Panel.

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Review: ‘Oliver Twist’ – Charles Dickens 1838

Set in the darkest corners of London Oliver Twist is a scathing critique of class divisions and the inhuman treatment of England’s poorest individuals.

Overall I enjoyed Oliver Twist. It was not what I expected. All I knew of it was the famous ‘please Sir can I have some more?’ line, and from that I assumed it was going to be a story set in an orphanage, which was true of the beginning but not of the majority of the tale. Instead the focus was on the people and conflicts around Oliver, an orphan with a mysterious past. There was robbery, arson, murder, betrayal and lies abound, and the story was far darker than I anticipated.

When reading classic novels I am always interested in examining representations of women. Throughout Oliver Twist women were presented as agents of temperance and guidance, and as life givers and manipulators. They were repeatedly referred to as being smarter or more clever than men, and yet none had any real power within the story. I found this deeply frustrating, as a modern reader, to see that women had so little agency.

One thing that I had a love/hate relationship with was the chapter titles. Many chapter titles are exceedingly long and gave details about what is to come in the chapter ahead. Sometimes they made me laugh, other times I was annoyed that they spoiled what was to come. For example one especially long one was:

“In which Oliver is taken better care of, than he ever was before, and in which the narrative reverts to the merry old gentleman and his youthful friends.”

Dickens’ habit of long reflective or recapping paragraphs at the beginning of chapters was also painful to read at times. However when you realise that it was written and published as a serial in a newspaper the style of chapter titles and introduction sections makes a lot more sense. It just doesn’t read like a typical novel in structure, and I did wonder if Dickens had even plotted out the entire thing when it was first published, as some characters seemed to shift their attitudes (perhaps in response to readers’ opinions) and the story really stagnates in the middle for quite a few chapters.

Dickens’ writing can be quite wordy in places, but there are some exquisite quotes to be pulled out that are so beautifully crafted I had to read them over and over. My two favourite examples are:

“[People] such as I, who have no certain roof but the coffin lid”

“…and, flying from memory and himself, plunged into the thickest of the throng.”

They both express complex situations – a prostitute with no hope for her future, and a murderer in the throes of guilt – and have stuck with me as markers of the emotional layers of this book.

There is also a lot of humour woven throughout the story. Dickens pokes fun at the clergy and administrators of the workhouses, along with corrupt police officers and judges, and an assortment of other characters who grace the pages. There is also plenty of humour in the little moments, such as this literary dig:

“There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts”

Despite its flaws I enjoyed Oliver Twist. It’s an important novel in the evolution of social justice ‘campaigning’ via fiction, as well as a timely reminder that all human are just that, human, and worthy of both kindness and respect.

And remember, if you are ever tempted to utter a phrase like this: “he went away; and he did die in the streets. There’s an obstinate pauper for you!” it’s probably time to read Dickens again.

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Charles Dickens draw a realistic situation of women of the time. Mainly speaking about prostitutes and others living miserable lives. I really love how deep are the women as characters in this book. Like Nancy (such a complex character). The contrast between Nancy (a wretched girl since birth) and Miss Maylie (who was rescued from misery in childhood and had a total different life). You see how absurd was the line that devided riches and poors, men and women.

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Oliver Twist

By charles dickens.

• Oliver Twist Summary

Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan, Oliver, and his attempts to stay good in a society that refuses to help. Oliver is born in a workhouse, to a mother not known to anyone in the town. She dies right after giving birth to him, and he is sent to the parochial orphanage, where he and the other orphans are treated terribly and fed very little. When he turns nine, he is sent to the workhouse, where again he and the others are treated badly and practically starved. The other boys, unable to stand their hunger any longer, decide to draw straws to choose who will have to go up and ask for more food. Oliver loses. On the appointed day, after finishing his first serving of gruel, he goes up and asks for more. Mr. Bumble , the beadle, and the board are outraged, and decide they must get rid of Oliver, apprenticing him to the parochial undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry . It is not great there either, and after an attack on his mother’s memory, Oliver runs away.

Oliver walks towards London. When he is close, he is so weak he can barely continue, and he meets another boy named Jack Dawkins , or the artful Dodger. The Dodger tells Oliver he can come with him to a place where a gentleman will give him a place to sleep and food, for no rent. Oliver follows, and the Dodger takes him to an apartment in London where he meets Fagin , the aforementioned gentleman, and Oliver is offered a place to stay. Oliver eventually learns that Fagin’s boys are all pickpockets and thieves, but not until he is wrongfully accused of their crime of stealing an old gentleman’s handkerchief. He is arrested, but the bookseller comes just in time to the court and says that he saw that Oliver did not do it. The gentleman whose handkerchief was taken, Mr. Brownlow , feels bad for Oliver, and takes him in.

Oliver is very happy with Mr. Brownlow, but Fagin and his co-conspirators are not happy to have lost Oliver, who may give away their hiding place. So one day, when Mr. Brownlow entrusts Oliver to return some books to the bookseller for him, Nancy spots Oliver, and kidnaps him, taking him back to Fagin.

Oliver is forced to go on a house-breaking excursion with the intimidating Bill Sikes . At gun point Oliver enters the house, with the plan to wake those within, but before he can, he is shot by one of the servants. Sikes and his partner escape, leaving Oliver in a ditch. The next morning Oliver makes it back to the house, where the kind owner, Mrs. Maylie , and her beautiful niece Rose, decide to protect him from the police and nurse him back to health.

Oliver slowly recovers, and is extremely happy and grateful to be with such kind and generous people, who in turn are ecstatic to find that Oliver is such a good-natured boy. When he is well enough, they take him to see Mr. Brownlow, but they find his house empty—he has moved to the West Indies. Meanwhile, Fagin and his mysterious partner Monks have not given up on finding Oliver, and one day Oliver wakens from a nightmare to find them staring at him through his window. He raises the alarm, but they escape.

Nancy, overhearing Fagin and Monks, decides that she must go to Rose Maylie to tell her what she knows. She does so, telling Rose that Monks is Oliver’s half-brother, who has been trying to destroy Oliver so that he can keep his whole inheritance, but that she will not betray Fagin or Sikes. Rose tells Mr. Brownlow, who tells Oliver’s other caretakers, and they decide that they must meet Nancy again to find out how to find Monks.

They meet her on London Bridge at a prearranged time, but Fagin has become suspicious, and has sent his new boy, Noah Claypole , to spy on Nancy. Nancy tells Rose and Mr. Brownlow how to find Monks, but still refuses to betray Fagin and Sikes, or to go with them. Noah reports everything to Fagin, who tells Sikes, knowing full well that Sikes will kill Nancy. He does. Mr. Brownlow has in the mean time found Monks, who finally admits everything that he has done, and the true case of Oliver’s birth.

Sikes is on the run, but all of London is in an uproar, and he eventually hangs himself accidentally in falling off a roof, while trying to escape from the mob surrounding him. Fagin is arrested and tried, and, after a visit from Oliver, is executed. Oliver, Mr. Brownlow, and the Maylies end up living in peace and comfort in a small village in the English countryside.

Oliver Twist Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Oliver Twist is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Oliver twist story comprehension

Please submit your questions one at a time. Thanks!

What was bill sikes asking from Fagin?

What chapter are you referring to?

what does Mr bumble say about Olivers behaviour with Noah in

Mr. Bumble tells Mrs. Sowerberry that feeding meat to Oliver gives him more self-esteem than is appropriate to his station in life.

Study Guide for Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist study guide contains a biography of Charles Dickens, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Oliver Twist
• Oliver Twist Video
• Character List

Essays for Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

• Bumbling Figures, Blundering Society: Fagin, Bumble, and the Problem of Evil in Dickens' Oliver Twist
• Dickens’s Criticisms of Commerce
• Oliver Twist: Fact through Fiction
• Gender Inequality In Oliver Twist
• Anti-Semitism as Personified in Fagin from Oliver Twist

Lesson Plan for Oliver Twist

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Oliver Twist
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Oliver Twist Bibliography

E-Text of Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist e-text contains the full text of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

• Chapters 1-5
• Chapters 6-10
• Chapters 11-15
• Chapters 16-20
• Chapters 21-25

Wikipedia Entries for Oliver Twist

• Introduction
• Publications
• Major themes and symbols

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens | Best Book Review Ever

Oliver Twist Book Review  

Like most of Dickens’s works, Oliver Twist is a novel that encompasses many genres. It is a novel that talks about serious issues, it is a mystery story, and some chapters can even seem to belong to horror-fiction. The plot of the story, extremely famous and familiar to many, revolves around the life of a young orphan boy named Oliver, who embodies saint-like purity and incorruptibility. He falls into the hands of an evil thief-trainer called Fagin and his gang of petty criminals. Oliver faces many obstacles and lives through many horrors throughout the novel.

Dickens’s writings are always political and social commentaries. They provide a powerful insight into the social injustices and the political oppressions that the poor people were subjected to in the England of the nineteenth century. Oliver Twist began to be published in a magazine in the year 1837 under Dickens’s pseudonym, Boz. It was the author’s second novel. It is a vehement protest against the Poor Law of 1834 – the main function of this law was to punish the poor for being poor and ensure that they never could rise out of their poverty.

Also Read: 

• Character Sketch of Oliver
• Oliver Twist Book Review
• Oliver Twist : 85 Important Short Questions and Answers
• Oliver Twist as a Social Satire

Oliver Twist is a ruthless satire; it effectively pierces the middle class’s veil of complacency and snobbery and reveals the hypocrisies that plague society. Though the novel deals with the England of them Industrial Revolution , it is as valuable a political critique today as it was during Dickens’s own lifetime.

Oliver does not always come across as a very real person, but at certain points one can identify with him completely. Every day we see young children, orphans or otherwise, being exploited and ill-treated. But we are mostly immune to pangs of guilt or pain. Oliver Twist gives voice to the people who are perpetually ignored and forgotten. For the space of the novel we can see society from their perspective.

Related posts:

• Oliver Twist as a Social Satire | Oliver Twist as a Social Novel
• Character Analysis of Fagin in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• Character Analysis of Pip in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• Character Sketch of David in the Novel David Copperfield
• David Copperfield as an Autobiographical Novel

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Book Review: Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

After Oliver Twist asks nasty Mr Bumble for more food, he has to flee the workhouse for the streets of London. Here he meets the Artful Dodger, who leads him to Fagin and his gang of pickpockets. When a thieving mission goes wrong, Oliver narrowly avoids prison and finds himself in the care of kind Mr Brownlow. But Fagin and the brutal Bill Sikes go in search of the young orphan, determined to drag him back. . .

Some people are nobody’s enemies but their own.

I know Oliver Twist , of course I do. Doesn’t everyone know Oliver Twist ?

Fagin. Sykes. The Artful Dodger.

“Please sir, could I have some more?”

Of course I know Oliver Twist . I teach English Literature. I have an MA from Cambridge University in English Literature. Obviously , I know Oliver Twist.

Turns out, I did not know Oliver Twist . I had never read it. Never.

Also, as it turns out, it is bloody brilliant! I guess it depends on how thick you like your irony – because it is applied thickly in this novel – but I loved it. And it is much darker than I imagined.

Plotwise, yes, I was basically aware of the bones of the plot: orphan boy Oliver is born into the workhouse and, abused by the institution in the shape of Mr Bumble and the board, he flees to London where he meets The Artful Dodger, Fagin and his band of child crooks.

But there is so much more!

What I didn’t remember – or what had not been captured in the film versions I’ve seen – was just how sinister (and uncomfortably, horrifically anti-Semitic) the characterisation of Fagin was. Behind every “my dear” was a sneering manipulation – he came across actually very modern in that manipulation: were it re-set to today, Fagin would be the spider at the heart of a County Lines ring. And much of what he does echoes exactly those strategies used today: vulnerable children, out of education, isolated from support, groomed, trapped by committing petty crimes to having no escape from the bigger demands. He was genuinely chilling.

And the supporting characters in London – Nancy whose instinctual empathy for Oliver conflicted with her love for Bill Sikes; Sikes’ own isolation and self-hatred caused by the violence of his nature; the Artful Dodger’s exuberant, precocious loquacity. These were surprisingly – shockingly – complex and developed characters. And the echoes of the relationships between Sikes and Nancy, and Sikes and his dog – both dependent, fearful, anxious, loving… and both Nancy and Sikes’ and his dog’s deaths were genuinely moving and touching. For me, in fact, they were the some of the best parts of the novel.

And the plotting was exquisite. Every character that we met became significant if not critical to the plot. Yes, it strained credulity a little that every time Oliver was sent out to commit a crime – a pickpocketting or a house breaking – it introduced him to a benevolent character who took him in, and turned out to be a relative. Yet, somehow, the charm of Oliver himself and the wit of Dickens allowed me to swallow that incredulity and put it to one side.

What did irk me a little was, actually, Oliver. He was charming and endearing, yes, but also unremittingly good, to the point of being just a little saccharine. Whilst Nancy was complex and tragic, struggling to do what is right despite every disadvantage of her youth, gender, class, lack of education as well as her own complex emotional ties, Oliver was simply good. It is the same trouble I have with Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol : these characters are anodyne, insipid, two dimensional. And I understand that he is a foil to all the other underworld characters, but even so as a character he did not grip in the same way that, as a literary device, he did mainly work.

I also had issues with the second aspect of the novel, the mystery / detective element as Oliver’s new friends – Mr Brownlow, Rose Maylie and Mr Losberne – seek to discover the truth of his parentage, whilst Sikes and Fagin try to keep it buried. Does his role as this working class paragon despite having no advantage or privilege work, when we discover that he was a gentleman’s son after all…? Does it not detract from what we all know to be Dickens’ deep sympathy with the poor and his dissatisfaction with The Poor Laws that the only ‘good’ characters are those born with advantage, genetic if not pecuniary? No apologies for that spoiler, by the way: this book is nearly 200 years old – even if I hadn’t read it before!

All in all, this was a fantastic read, albeit perhaps a little mired in its own time.

What I Liked

• The humour: thickly ironic, especially of the institituion of the workhouses, the Poor Laws and Mr Bumble and the Board.
• The complexity of many of the characters and their relationships.
• The tragedy of Nancy’s and Sikes’ deaths – and, appallingly, Sikes’ dog’s death.
• Mr Grimwig – a ridiculous, typically Dickensian, buffoon with the tendency to “eat my head”, I did find him oddly endearing.

What Could Have Been Different

• Oliver himself could have been fleshed out, rounded out, made more credible as a character.
• Fagin is hard to read as anything other than a racist stereotype and there is only so much that “a story of its time” can forgive: Shakespeare’s Shylock was less problematic (but still not without his own issues)
• The ‘good’ characters were all rather uninspiring, sweet and trusting, which made their sudden shift into detectives seeking out and interrogating Monks rather unconvincing.

Characters:

Plot / pace:, worldbuilding:, page count:.

Penguin Classics

1837 – 1839

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Oliver Twist

Introduction oliver twist, summary of oliver twist, major themes in oliver twist, major characters in oliver twist, writing style of oliver twist, analysis of literary devices in oliver twist, related posts:, post navigation.

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Oliver Twist

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Oliver Twist , novel by Charles Dickens , published serially under the pseudonym “Boz” from 1837 to 1839 in Bentley’s Miscellany and in a three-volume book in 1838. The novel was the first of the author’s works to realistically depict the impoverished London underworld and to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime.

The novel follows the journey of the titular character, Oliver Twist . Oliver, an orphan since birth, spends much of his childhood at a “child farm” (orphanage) with too many children and too little food. The farm is located roughly 70 miles outside London. One night, after being served his portion of gruel, Oliver asks for a second helping. This is unacceptable, and Oliver is sent to work as an apprentice to an undertaker. Eventually, after suffering repeated mistreatment, Oliver runs away and heads for London. He soon finds himself in the presence of the Artful Dodger, who tells him to stay at the house of an “old gentleman” (named Fagin ) with a number of other boys. Oliver learns that these boys are trained pickpockets. On an outing, Oliver witnesses the boys take a handkerchief from Mr. Brownlow, an elderly man, which prompts Oliver to run away in fear and confusion. The elderly man mistakes Oliver’s behaviour for guilt and has him arrested. However, after learning more about Oliver, Mr. Brownlow realizes his mistake and offers to take care of him at his home.

Oliver assumes that he is now rid of Fagin and the pickpockets, but his knowledge of their crimes causes them to seek Oliver out. Nancy, a prostitute and mistress of one of Fagin’s men, Bill Sikes , is sent to take Oliver from Mr. Brownlow back to Fagin. She does so successfully, and Oliver is sent on a burglary mission with another member of the group to the countryside around London. On this errand, Oliver is shot in the arm and then is taken in by the family (the Maylies) that he attempted to rob. While he is there, Fagin and a man named Monks plot to get him back. Rose Maylie, while on a trip to London with her family, meets with Mr. Brownlow to talk with Nancy, who has slipped away from Sikes to explain the plans made by Monks and Fagin to get Oliver back. She describes Monks and tells them when he might most easily be apprehended . Unfortunately for Nancy, news of her betrayal reaches Sikes, and he beats her to death. Sikes accidentally hangs himself soon after. The Maylies reunite Oliver with Mr. Brownlow, who forces Monks to explain himself. The reader and Oliver are then informed that Monks is Oliver’s half-brother and that Oliver is entitled to a large fortune. He receives his share of the money, Fagin is hung, and the Maylies, Oliver, and Mr. Brownlow move to the countryside where they spend the rest of their days together.

Charles Dickens was well versed in the poverty of London, as he himself was a child worker after his father was sent to debtors’ prison. His appreciation of the hardships endured by impoverished citizens stayed with him for the rest of his life and was evident in his journalistic writings and novels. Dickens began writing Oliver Twist after the adoption of the Poor Law of 1834 , which halted government payments to the able-bodied poor unless they entered workhouses . Thus, Oliver Twist became a vehicle for social criticism aimed directly at the problem of poverty in 19th-century London.

Oliver Twist was very popular when it was first published, partially because of its scandalous subject matter. It depicted crime and murder without holding back—causing it, in Victorian London, to be classed as a “ Newgate novel ” (named after Newgate Prison in London). While critics often condemned such novels as immoral, the public usually enjoyed them. Because the novel was also published serially, the anticipation of waiting for the next installment (and its many cliffhangers) also likely contributed to its popularity. To this day, Oliver Twist is enjoyed by many for its historical social commentary and exciting plotline. It has been adapted for film several times, including in 1948 (directed by David Lean ) and 2005 (directed by Roman Polanski ).

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Book reviews by children – Oliver Twist (Usborne Young Reading) Charles Dickens

OLIVER TWIST – CHARLES DICKENS

REVIEWER: Zain aged 8

This is about a boy called Oliver who was born in a workhouse. He asked for more food. Mr Bumble sold him to an undertaker but he didn’t like his new home so he ran away to London and met a boy called Dodger. To find out whether he lived a good or a bad life you must read this book. I enjoyed the book but I didn’t like the characters Fagin and Bill because they were so mean.

I would recommend this book because Oliver goes on lots of exciting adventures.

I would give it 5/5 stars.

REVIEWER: Yasmin aged 10

The main character in this book is a boy called Oliver. He is a poor orphan who doesn’t have a mum or a dad.

I think it is a good book to read. In this book Oliver meets lots of new people, some of them kind and loving but on the other hand some are cruel and nasty. My favourite part of this book is when Oliver meets The Artful Dodger in the street and takes him to stay with Fagin.

I would recommend this book to people who like drama, but there are some sad parts in the story. I would this book **** out of 5.

REVIEWER: Jordan aged 11

The book is about a poor boy who has no family because his mother dies in childbirth in a Victorian workhouse. The Workhouse owner, Mr Bumble, named the baby Oliver Twist and the book is about his adventures. When he runs away from the workhouse he meets a boy called Dodger who brings him to Fagin’s house. He is an old man.  There he meets some other homeless boys and Fagin offers him a place to stay. He teaches him to steal and things go wrong for Oliver from there. There is a really mean character, one of Fagin’s friends,  called Bill Sikes and a very kind man called Mr Brownlow. They are the complete opposites of each other and they have a big influence on his life and what eventually happens to him.

I really enjoyed this book because there were lots of ups and downs and unexpected things happened. It was full excitement and suspense. It was very well written for a children’s version of Oliver Twist, a Charles Dickens classic.

I would recommend it because it is suitable for children of 8-12 years old

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Book Review of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

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Book Review

Oliver twist.

• Charles Dickens
• Adventure , Drama , Historical

Readability Age Range

• Originally published by Richard Bentley in 1838.

Year Published

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse (a place where the poor and homeless are provided with work and shelter) in a small town in England. Oliver’s mother dies moments after his birth, and since no one knew her name or the identity of Oliver’s father, the baby is considered an orphan and sent to a baby farm.

At the baby farm, Ms. Mann gives minimal care to the boys — underfeeding and mistreating them. When Oliver turns 9 years old, Mr. Bumble, the parish beadle (a lay official of the church who carries out various administrative duties), takes him from the baby farm to live in the workhouse and work picking oakum.

The boys in the workhouse have difficult lives, and after suffering slow starvation for months, they become desperate and draw lots to see who will ask the master for more food. The job falls to Oliver, who nervously requests more food after the next meal. The master and the board, a group of men who oversee the workhouse, are aghast at Oliver’s request. After ordering the boy into immediate confinement, they offer a reward of five pounds to anyone who will take Oliver off the parish’s hands.

An abusive chimney sweep offers to apprentice Oliver, but when Oliver begs the magistrate in charge of making the decision not to send him with the man, the magistrate denies the chimney sweep’s request. Later, an undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry, takes Oliver from the parish as an apprentice and treats him better than anyone has before. Mr. Sowerberry’s wife, however, underfeeds Oliver and treats him poorly, as does Noah Claypole, another of the undertaker’s apprentices, and Charlotte, the Sowerberrys’ maid.

Noah constantly bullies Oliver. After Oliver is promoted by Mr. Sowerberry, Noah is filled with jealously and insults Oliver’s birth mother by calling her names. In a fit of anger, Oliver throttles Noah and beats up the bigger boy. Mrs. Sowerberry and Charlotte come to Noah’s defense, restraining and beating Oliver. They convince both Mr. Sowerberry and Mr. Bumble to beat him when they arrive in the aftermath of the fight. When Oliver is sent to his room that night, he cries and decides to run away.

Oliver escapes the Sowerberry home, but after walking every day for a week, he is exhausted and starving. Oliver then meets a boy named Jack Dawkins, nicknamed the Artful Dodger. Dodger is friendly to Oliver, giving him food and offering him a place to stay in London in the home of an old gentleman. The gentleman turns out to be a man named Fagin, nicknamed the Jew, the leader of a gang of young pickpockets. Oliver naively believes the boys make wallets and handkerchiefs to support themselves.

One day, thinking they are going to make goods in a factory, Oliver asks to go with Dodger and another boy, Charley Bates. It’s only after the two boys have picked a man’s pocket that Oliver realizes what they do. Terrified, Oliver flees the scene.

When the victim, Mr. Brownlow, sees Oliver fleeing, he realizes that he has been robbed. He pursues Oliver, and an angry mob follows. Oliver is caught and taken to the magistrate, but Mr. Brownlow begins to have second thoughts about Oliver’s guilt. Just as Oliver is about to be sentenced to hard labor, a bookstall owner arrives and clears his name by telling the magistrate that he saw the other boys pick Mr. Brownlow’s pocket. By this time, Oliver is sick and passes out in the courtroom.

Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver home, and with the help of his housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin, nurses Oliver back to health. Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin show Oliver more kindness than he has ever experienced. In Mr. Brownlow’s house, Oliver sees a portrait of a woman, and it has a strange effect on him. Even Mr. Brownlow remarks on the resemblance between Oliver and the woman in the portrait.

Fagin is furious when Dodger and Charley return without Oliver. He throws a pot of beer at them, but it misses and hits a visitor, Bill Sikes. Sikes is a brutal thief and an associate of Fagin’s. Both men agree that they must find Oliver before he reveals their criminal operation to the authorities. They send a girl named Nancy, a member of Fagin’s gang, to the police station. She pretends to be Oliver’s distraught sister to get information on his whereabouts. The gang finds out where Oliver has been, and when the boy goes out to pay for some books for Mr. Brownlow, Nancy and Sikes kidnap him. They bring Oliver to Fagin’s hideout. The gang steals his new clothes and takes the five pounds Mr. Brownlow gave to him. Nancy feels bad for Oliver and defends him.

Determined to force Oliver into becoming a criminal, Fagin sends him to help Sikes with a burglary. Sikes tells Oliver to go through the small window of a house and open the front door for them. Sikes threatens to kill Oliver if he does not cooperate. Oliver goes into the house with the intention of warning the sleeping occupants but finds them awake instead. Oliver is shot in the arm.

Sikes helps Oliver get back through the window, but he leaves the boy in a ditch. Oliver wakes up delirious and knocks on the front door of the house he was to help rob. He ends up being taken care of by the wealthy owner, Mrs. Maylie, and her niece, Rose.

After the botched robbery, Monks, a mysterious associate Fagin has been working with, confronts Fagin and admonishes him for his inability to turn Oliver into a criminal. He would like to have Oliver thrown in jail, but he does not want to be involved if the boy is killed.

In a scheme to become master of the workhouse, Mr. Bumble marries the workhouse’s wealthy matron, but the marriage is not a happy one. After having an argument with his wife, Mr. Bumble goes to a local pub where he meets Monks. Monks questions him about Oliver, and Mr. Bumble arranges to exchange information about Oliver for money. Mrs. Bumble, who heard the deathbed confession of the nurse who delivered Oliver, tells Monks what she knows and gives him a locket and a wedding ring with the name “Agnes” engraved on it. Monks throws the jewelry in the river. Monks tells Fagin everything he learned from the Bumbles, unaware that Nancy is eavesdropping.

Feeling guilty about her involvement in Oliver’s kidnapping and determined to help the boy, Nancy goes to Rose and Mr. Brownlow to let them know that Oliver is in danger. Suspicious of Nancy’s behavior, Fagin has Noah, who by this time has stolen from Mr. Sowerberry, fled to London and now works for Fagin’s gang, spy on Nancy. Fagin learns that Nancy has secretly met with Rose and Mr. Brownlow. He tells Sikes but twists the truth to make it seem as if Nancy has informed on Sikes. In a fit of rage, Sikes beats Nancy to death. Sikes tries to hide from the police but is eventually pursued by an angry mob demanding justice. He accidentally hangs himself on a rope that he was using to escape a rooftop.

Based on the information that Nancy provided about Monks, Mr. Brownlow is able to find him and force the man to explain his relationship to Oliver. Monks is really Edward Leeford, Oliver’s half-brother. Mr. Brownlow was a close friend of Monks’ and Oliver’s father, Mr. Leeford, which is why he has a picture of Agnes (Oliver’s mother) in his house. Mr. Leeford and Monks’ mother had an arranged marriage, and although they separated, they never divorced. Mr. Leeford met and fell in love with Agnes. She became pregnant, but he died before the child was born. Mr. Leeford left a stipulation in his will that his unborn child would receive an inheritance only if he did not commit a crime. Monks has been trying to find Oliver and ruin his chances of inheriting.

Mr. Brownlow convinces Oliver to give half his inheritance to Monks, who takes it, moves to the New World, squanders it and ends up in prison where he dies. Fagin is arrested and sentenced to death for his crimes, and Noah is pardoned because he testifies against Fagin. The Bumbles admit their part in hiding Oliver’s identity, and Mr. Brownlow sees to it that they never hold public office again. The couple is disgraced, loses everything and ends up in the workhouse they once ran. Rose turns out to be Agnes’ younger sister, and therefore, Oliver’s aunt. Mr. Brownlow adopts Oliver as his son.

Christian Beliefs

Oliver’s friend Dick tells him that he will be well and happy after he is dead because he dreams of heaven, angels and kind faces that he never sees when he is awake. Dick later tells Bumble that he is happy to die young so he can be a child with his little sister, who is already in heaven.

When Rose gets sick, Mrs. Maylie tells Oliver that heaven is brighter than this world and the passage to it is speedy. She asks that God’s will be done and says that God knows how much she loves Rose. Oliver prays to heaven on several occasions. Right before Nancy is killed, she prays to her Maker for mercy.

Harry, Rose’s suitor, gives up his political ambitions and becomes a clergyman. At the end of the novel, the narrator gives thanks to that Being whose code is mercy and whose great attribute is benevolence, saying that without Him, happiness can never be attained.

Other Belief Systems

Mr. Brownlow mentions that a Turk turns his face to the east when he says his prayers.

Authority Roles

Oliver’s mother begs to see her newborn before she dies. The board of men who administer the workhouse make decisions to benefit themselves and save the church money while the poor people who depend on them starve to death. The board also plots against Oliver and wish the worst for him. One even predicts that Oliver will die by hanging.

Mr. Bumble beats Oliver with his cane. Mr. Bumble and his wife sell Monks information about Oliver and conspire to hide the boy’s true identity from him. Mr. Sowerberry, who genuinely likes Oliver, feels compelled to beat him to satisfy his wife. Fagin runs a gang of underage pickpockets and teaches Oliver how to steal.

While one magistrate listens to Oliver and refuses to turn him over to a brutal chimney sweep, another refuses to believe Oliver is innocent of a crime he did not commit and wants to sentence him to hard labor.

Mr. Brownlow believes that Oliver is innocent, trusts him and takes him into his home. Mr. Brownlow, his housekeeper, Rose and Mrs. Maylie show Oliver immense kindness.

Profanity & Violence

God’s name is taken in vain with Lor, sake, forbid, help, thank, name, so help me and thank . Other words used include d–n, h—- , and a– . Name-calling words, such as stupid and idiot are also used.

Mrs. Mann beats and starves the boys at the baby farm. Oliver is beaten at the workhouse several times, and Mr. Bumble hits him with his cane. Oliver attacks Noah and beats him up, and in turn, Oliver is restrained and beaten by Mrs. Sowerberry, Charlotte and Noah.

After Oliver is kidnapped, he attempts to escape from Fagin, who tries to beat him. Oliver is shot during a botched robbery attempt. When Sikes finds out that Nancy has been talking with Rose and Mr. Brownlow, he beats her to death while she begs for mercy. Sikes accidentally hangs himself as he tries to escape an angry mob.

Sexual Content

Mr. Bumble visits Mrs. Corney, the widowed matron of the workhouse, and kisses her. Mr. Bumble visits Mr. Sowerberry and finds Charlotte feeding Noah oysters and Noah asking for a kiss. After Noah and Charlotte leave Mr. Sowerberry and move to London, it is implied that Charlotte becomes a prostitute. It is implied that Nancy is a prostitute as well and involved in a relationship with Sikes. Oliver’s father, while separated from his first wife, has an affair with Oliver’s mother, resulting in her pregnancy.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Drinking: Many of the characters, both adults and juveniles, consume alcohol. While some of the drinking is medicinal, most of it is recreational. Mrs. Mann admits to putting alcohol in the babies’ milk.

Lying: Nancy lies to the police about being Oliver’s sister so she can find him. Mrs. Maylie’s servants lie to the police, saying that they cannot correctly identify the boy who was involved in the robbery. Several characters lie about Oliver to change people’s perception of him.

Movie tie-in: Producers often use a book as a springboard for a movie idea or to earn a specific rating. Because of this, a movie may differ from the novel. To better understand how this book and the movie differ, compare the book review with Plugged In’s movie review for Oliver Twist .

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