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Oliver Twist is an 1838 novel by Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial. Like most of Dickens' work, the book is used to call the public's attention to various contemporary social evils, including the workhouse, child labour and the recruitment of children as criminals. The novel is full of sarcasm and dark humour, even as it treats its serious subject, revealing the hypocrisies of the time. It has been the subject of numerous film and television adaptations, and the basis for a highly successful British musical, Oliver!.
Plot summary Oliver Twist is born into a life of hardship and misfortune. Orphaned from the onset of his life due to his mother’s death in child-birth and his father’s conspicuous absence, Oliver is meagerly provided for under the terms of the Poor Law. Thus, Oliver spends the first nine years of his life within a branch-workhouse of the one in which he had the misfortune to be born. Along with other juvenile offenders against the poor-laws, Oliver is brought up with little food and few comforts. Around the time of the orphan’s ninth birthday, Mr. Bumble, a parish beadle, removes Oliver from the branch-workhouse and puts him to work in the main facility. Oliver, who toils with very little food, remains in the workhouse for six months. After that period, Oliver breeches regulations by requesting, on behalf of another boy, that he receive another portion of gruel. The board of gentlemen who administer the workhouse are outraged by Oliver’s request, perceiving him as ungrateful. Desiring to get rid of Oliver, the board offers a sum of money to any person wishing to take on the boy as an apprentice. Mr. Sowerberry, an undertaker employed by the parish, eventually takes Oliver into his service. While in the service of the undertaker, Oliver is abused by Noah Claypole, a charity boy and apprentice of Mr. Sowerberry. On one particularly occasion, in an attempt to bait a reaction out of Oliver, Noah insults the orphan’s late mother. Oliver takes great offense to Noah’s words and proceeds to attack the boy. The disagreement between the two is heightened when Mrs. Sowerberry, who dislikes Oliver, is summoned. Following an administration of punishment for attacking Noah, for the charity boy twists the circumstances of the fight to make Oliver seem like an unprovoked murderer, the orphan decides to flee from the undertaker. Leaving during the night, he wanders aimlessly at first. However, he soon sets his destination as London. During his journey to London, Oliver encounters Jack Dawkins, who is also known as the Artful Dodger. Dawkins provides Oliver with a free meal and tells him of a gentleman in London who will aid him in becoming established. Grateful for the assistance he has been given, Oliver follows Dawkins to the gentleman’s residence. Thus, Oliver unwittingly stumbles into the association of a Jewish criminal named Fagin, the gentleman of whom Dawkins spoke. Oliver resides with Fagin and his criminal associates for some time, unaware that of their unlawful occupations. With time, Oliver goes out upon a pick-pocketing expedition with two of Fagin’s underlings: Dawkins and a boy named Charlie Bates. Though he is unaware of the criminal intentions of the other boys until a robbery actual takes place and does not participate, Oliver finds himself accused of stealing. He is eventually freed from accusation and put under the nurturing custody of an old gentleman named Mr. Brownlow, who he was previously thought to have robbed, after falling ill in court. Oliver resides with Mr. Brownlow for a while, living in great happiness as a result of being treated well. His bliss, however, is interrupted when Fagin orchestrates the kidnapping of Oliver back to his haven of thieves. This is done for Fagin fears that Oliver will tell the authories of his criminal operations. After being captured by Fagin and abused for some time, Oliver is again employed in an illegal operation. Bill Sikes, a violent thief who had helped kidnap Oliver away from Mr. Brownlow, uses the boy to break into a house via a small window. The robbery goes wrong, however, and Oliver is shot. After being abandoned by Sikes, a wounded Oliver ends up under the care of the people he had attempted to rob: Rose Maylie and the elderly Mrs. Maylie. Convinced of Oliver’s innocence, Rose Maylie take the boy in and nurses him back to health. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named Monks has found Fagin and is plotting with him to destroy Oliver's reputation. Nancy, fearing their intentions, goes to Rose Maylie and Mr. Brownlow to reveal their plot. She manages to keep her meetings secret until Noah Claypole (he had fallen out with the undertaker and moved to London to seek his fortune) agrees to spy on Nancy and then tells Fagin. Angry at the notion of his plot being foiled, Fagin passes it on to Sikes, twisting the story just enough to make it sound as if Nancy had informed on him. (In actuality, she had shielded Sikes, whom she loves despite his occasional ill-treatment, as much as possible.) Believing that she has betrayed him, Sikes murders Nancy in a fit of rage, and is himself killed when he accidentally hangs himself while being pursued by an angry mob. Monks is forced by Mr. Brownlow (an old friend of Oliver's father) to divulge his secrets and give half of his inheritance to Oliver. Then Monks moves to America, where he quickly spends his money, reverts to crime, and ultimately dies in prison. Fagin is arrested and hanged for his misdeeds. Rose Maylie turns out to be the long-lost sister of Oliver's mother Agnes; she is therefore Oliver's aunt. She marries her long-time sweetheart Harry, and Oliver lives happily with his saviour, Mr. Brownlow. Characters in "Oliver Twist" Major themes The novel is characterized by the use of various motifs. Charity and love are motifs because even though Oliver is treated horribly by various people, he is shown love by a few good people – Mr. Brownlow, Mrs. Maylie, and even Nancy. Greed and corruption are also motifs because of how people take advantage of Oliver. He is taken advantage of by Mr. Bumble at the workhouse and the thieves. Mr. Fagin tries to control Oliver, to use him for his own wealth. Monks tries to steal his identity and his inheritance. Another main themes is that of the Class system. As the Poor Laws were introduced in 1834, Dickens shows how these poor laws affected society: a middle class was developed and this class abused the lower class extremely badly. Mrs. Mann, Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Sowerberry are examples of middle class people who abuse those of the lower class. Film, TV or theatrical adaptations There have been many theatrical, film and television adaptations of Dickens' novel: Adaptations of the novel tend to simplify the original story. The way the book is normally interpreted on screen causes modern readers to focus on Bill Sikes as the villain. They thus fail to recognise how Fagin has trained Sikes and made him what he is; part of Dickens' message is that he might have done the same with Oliver had chance not intervened. The renowned comic book creator, Will Eisner, disturbed by the anti-semitism in the typical depiction of Fagin, created a graphic novel in 2003 titled Fagin the Jew. In this book, the back story of the character and events of Oliver Twist are depicted from his point of view. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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