- In full:
- Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boyās Progress
Oliver Twist
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What is Oliver Twist?
Oliver Twist, a novel by Charles Dickens, was published serially from 1837 to 1839 and as a book in 1838. It was the first of Dickens's works to realistically depict the impoverished London underworld and to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime.
The novel follows Oliver Twist, an orphan, who after asking for a second helping of food at the orphanage, is sent to work as an apprentice to an undertaker. After suffering mistreatment, Oliver runs away to London, where he joins a group of young pickpockets led by Fagin. The novel is a social commentary aimed directly at the problem of poverty in 19th-century London.
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Who wrote Oliver Twist and when was it published?
Oliver Twist was written by Charles Dickens and is a novel that reflects Dickens's personal experiences with poverty in London. Dickens began writing Oliver Twist after the adoption of the Poor Law of 1834, and the novel became a form of social criticism aimed at poverty in 19th-century London.
Oliver Twist was published serially. Dickens's self-assurance appeared in Oliver Twist, where he rejected repeating the successful Pickwick formula. Although still containing comedy, Oliver Twist centrally addresses social and moral evil.
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Who is Oliver Twist in the story?
Oliver Twist is the main character in Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist (1837ā39). He is depicted as a young orphan who faces numerous hardships in 19th-century London.
After being mistreated as an apprentice, Oliver runs away to London, where he encounters the Artful Dodger, who leads him to Fagin, an old man who trains young boys to be pickpockets. Oliver is wrongly accused of theft and taken in by Mr. Brownlow, but is soon brought back to Fagin's criminal world. Eventually, after a series of events, Oliver is reunited with Mr. Brownlow, and the truth about his parentage is revealed.
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What challenges does Oliver face in his life?
Oliver Twist, the main character in Charles Dickens' novel of the same name, faces numerous challenges throughout his life. As an orphan, he spends his early years in a workhouse, suffering from mistreatment and a lack of food. After running away to London, Oliver falls in with a gang of pickpockets led by Fagin, exposing him to the criminal underworld. He is later wrongly arrested and forced into a burglary, during which he is shot and wounded. Despite these hardships, Oliver's life takes a turn when he is taken in by the Maylie family and eventually reunited with Mr. Brownlow, who helps him discover his true identity and inheritance. Dickens uses Oliver's experiences to critique the social issues of poverty and crime in 19th-century London.
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Who are some important characters Oliver meets on his journey?
Oliver Twist encounters several significant characters during his journey. He meets the Artful Dodger, who introduces him to Fagin, an old man who teaches homeless boys to be pickpockets. Oliver is taken in by Mr. Brownlow, but is later brought back to Fagin by Nancy, who is associated with Bill Sikes, a violent thief. After a failed robbery attempt, Oliver is taken in by the Maylie family. Later, the Maylies reunite Oliver with Mr. Brownlow, who makes Monks, Oliverās half-brother, reveal that Oliver is entitled to a large fortune.
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What social issues does Charles Dickens explore in Oliver Twist?
In Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens explores social issues, including poverty and crime, aiming his social criticism directly at the problem of poverty in 19th-century London. Dickens was familiar with London's poverty, as he was a child worker when his father was in debtorsā prison. The novel illustrates how poverty nurtures crime through the journey of the young orphan, Oliver Twist, who spends his childhood in a workhouse. Dickens depicts crime and murder without holding back, which caused Oliver Twist to be classed as a "Newgate novel".
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Oliver Twist, novel by Charles Dickens, published serially under the pseudonym āBozā from 1837 to 1839 in Bentleyās Miscellany and in a three-volume book in 1838. The novel was the first of the authorās works to realistically depict the impoverished London underworld and to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime.
Plot summary
The novel follows the journey of the titular character, Oliver Twist. Oliver, an orphan since birth, spends much of his childhood at a āchild farmā (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 āold gentlemanā (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 Oliverās 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 Faginās 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 Oliverās 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.
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Context and reception
Charles Dickens was well versed in the poverty of London, as he himself was a child worker after his father was sent to debtorsā 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 backācausing it, in Victorian London, to be classed as a āNewgate novelā (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).