Oliver Twist

London in the 1830s was no place to be if you were a hungry ten-year-old boy, an orphan without friends or family, with no home to go to, and only a penny in your pocket to buy a piece of bread.

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C1, Bookworms,Level 6,Charles Dickens,Oxford Publishing,Oliver Twist
Level 6 Charles Dickens Bookworms

London in the 1830s was no place to be if you were a hungry ten-year-old boy, an orphan without friends or family, with no home to go to, and only a penny in your pocket to buy a piece of bread. But Oliver Twist finds some friends - Fagin, the Artful Dodger, and Charley Bates. They give him food and shelter, and play games with him, but it is not until some days later that Oliver finds out what kind of friends they are and what kind of 'games' they play...

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Story Summary

1

A Workhouse Beginning

Oliver Twist is born into a world of hardship and neglect in a bleak workhouse. His mother dies shortly after his birth, leaving him an orphan with no known family. He spends his early years at a "baby farm" run by the neglectful Mrs. Mann, where he endures hunger and frequent beatings. At the age of nine, he is returned to the workhouse, a pale and thin child, yet with a surprisingly strong spirit. This grim introduction to life sets the stage for his relentless struggle against the cruelty and injustice that surround him, shaping his character from his earliest days.

2

The Fateful Request

Life in the workhouse is a daily battle against starvation. The boys are fed a minimal diet of thin soup, and hunger is a constant companion. Driven to desperation, the boys draw lots, and Oliver is chosen to ask for more food. His timid request, "Please, sir, I want some more," sends the workhouse authorities into a state of shock and outrage. This simple plea for sustenance is seen as an act of rebellion, leading to Oliver being punished, locked away, and ultimately offered as an apprentice to anyone who will take him, marking him as a troublesome outcast.

3

Apprenticeship and Abuse

Oliver is apprenticed to Mr. Sowerberry, the local undertaker. He is treated poorly by the Sowerberrys and bullied by another apprentice, Noah Claypole. When Noah cruelly insults Oliver's deceased mother, Oliver reacts with uncharacteristic fury, attacking the larger boy. This act of defiance results in a severe beating and being locked in a cellar. This moment of rebellion against injustice, though punished harshly, signifies a turning point. Realizing he can endure no more, Oliver decides to run away, setting out on the dangerous road to London in search of a better life.

4

The Artful Dodger

Exhausted and starving after a long journey, Oliver arrives at the outskirts of London. There, he meets Jack Dawkins, known as the Artful Dodger, a charismatic and street-smart boy who offers him food and shelter. The Dodger takes Oliver to a squalid London slum and introduces him to Fagin, a seemingly kind old man who runs a gang of young pickpockets. Oliver, innocent and grateful for the refuge, is unaware that he has been led into a den of thieves. He is welcomed into the group, which includes boys like Charley Bates, and is initially fooled by Fagin's fatherly act.

5

Innocence Framed

During his first outing with the Dodger and Charley, Oliver witnesses them stealing a handkerchief from an old gentleman, Mr. Brownlow. Horrified, Oliver runs away, but is mistaken for the thief by the pursuing crowd. He is captured and brought before the harsh Magistrate Fang. Despite Mr. Brownlow's doubts about his guilt, Oliver collapses in court from illness and exhaustion. Mr. Brownlow, taking pity on the sickly boy, intervenes and takes Oliver to his own home to recover. This act of unexpected kindness offers Oliver his first glimpse of compassion and a chance at a different life.

6

A Brief Respite

In Mr. Brownlow's clean and comfortable home, Oliver experiences care and kindness for the first time from the old gentleman and his housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin. As he recovers, a remarkable coincidence occurs: Mr. Brownlow notices a striking resemblance between Oliver and a portrait of a young woman in his house. This discovery hints at a mysterious connection to Oliver's unknown parentage. However, this period of peace is short-lived. Fagin and the violent burglar Bill Sikes, fearing Oliver will inform on them, conspire to kidnap him and drag him back into the criminal underworld.

7

Forced into Crime

Back in Fagin's clutches, Oliver is trapped and miserable. Sikes needs a small boy for a burglary and forces Oliver to participate. During the failed robbery at a house in Chertsey, Oliver is shot and abandoned by Sikes and his accomplice. He is found the next morning by the inhabitants of the house, the Maylies. Rose Maylie and her aunt, Mrs. Maylie, take pity on the wounded boy and, convinced of his innocence despite the circumstances, decide to nurse him back to health. Their compassion provides Oliver with another crucial lifeline away from a life of crime.

8

A Mysterious Figure

While living happily with the Maylies, Oliver has a terrifying encounter: he sees Fagin and a mysterious man named Monks peering at him through a window. This event confirms that his past still haunts him. Meanwhile, Nancy, Sikes's girlfriend, is tormented by guilt over Oliver's plight. Risking her life, she secretly meets Rose Maylie and reveals that Monks is actively trying to destroy Oliver. Monks has paid Fagin to corrupt Oliver and has destroyed evidence of Oliver's true identity to prevent him from claiming his inheritance. Nancy's brave confession sets the stage for the final confrontation.

9

Betrayal and Murder

Nancy's secret meeting is discovered by Noah Claypole, who has become a spy for Fagin. Fagin, feigning concern, informs Sikes of Nancy's "betrayal," deliberately twisting the story to provoke his violent jealousy. In a fit of rage, Sikes brutally murders Nancy, a crime that horrifies even his criminal associates. Wracked with guilt and paranoia, Sikes becomes a haunted man, pursued by visions of his victim. This act of violence marks the beginning of the gang's downfall, as the law closes in and internal loyalties disintegrate under the weight of the atrocity.

10

The Downfall of Evil

The net tightens around the criminals. Mr. Brownlow, now working with the Maylies, tracks down and confronts Monks, forcing him to confess the truth. Meanwhile, a massive manhunt is underway for Sikes. He is eventually cornered by an angry mob in a London slum. In a desperate attempt to escape across the rooftops, he slips and accidentally hangs himself with the rope he was using. Fagin is arrested and, after a swift trial, is sentenced to death. The two most malevolent figures in Oliver's life meet their deserved, dramatic ends.

11

Identity and Inheritance Revealed

Monks's confession unveils the complete mystery. He is actually Oliver's half-brother. Their father, Mr. Leeford, had an unhappy marriage that produced Monks, but he later fell in love with Agnes Fleming, Oliver's mother. A will left his fortune to Agnes and their unborn child, but it was destroyed by Monks's mother. Monks sought to disinherit and corrupt Oliver to keep the entire fortune for himself. Furthermore, it is revealed that Rose Maylie is actually Agnes's younger sister, making her Oliver's aunt. The family connections are finally restored, clarifying Oliver's rightful social standing.

12

A Happy Ending Earned

With the villains defeated and the truth known, Oliver's future is secure. Mr. Brownlow legally adopts him, and they move to a peaceful village near the church where Harry Maylie, who has given up politics for the clergy, lives with his wife, Rose. Oliver receives his rightful inheritance and is raised with love and education. The story concludes with Oliver, Rose, and their benefactors living contentedly, having overcome the darkness of poverty and crime. Their happiness is a testament to the triumph of goodness, compassion, and familial love over the adversity and corruption that once threatened to consume them.

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About the Author

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

The Unrivalled Chronicler of Victorian Life

Charles Dickens was a towering figure of Victorian literature, a social critic, and a prolific novelist whose vivid characters and gripping narratives captured the essence of 19th-century England. Renowned for his masterful storytelling, deep compassion for the poor, and relentless exposure of social injustice, he became one of the most widely read and enduring writers in the English language.

A Childhood Forged in Adversity

Born in Portsmouth in 1812, Dickens's early life was marked by financial insecurity. His father's imprisonment for debt forced the young Charles to leave school and work in a blacking factory, a traumatic experience that profoundly influenced his writing and fueled his lifelong concern for social reform and the plight of children. This period of hardship provided him with a deep well of inspiration for his later novels, which often contrasted the innocence of youth with the harsh realities of the industrial world.

Rise to Literary Fame

Dickens began his career as a journalist, sharpening his skills of observation and satire. His first major literary success came with The Pickwick Papers, published in monthly installments, which captured the public's imagination with its humor and eccentric characters. He quickly became a literary sensation, and novels like Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, and The Old Curiosity Shop solidified his fame. His works were primarily published serially, making them accessible to a mass audience and creating a sense of anticipation that bordered on national events.

A Champion of the Underprivileged

Dickens used his fiction as a powerful tool for social commentary. Novels such as Oliver Twist exposed the cruelties of the workhouse system, while David Copperfield critiqued child labor and debtors' prisons. His later works, like Bleak House, which attacked the labyrinthine legal system, and Hard Times, which critiqued utilitarian philosophy, demonstrated a deepening anger at institutional failure. His writing was instrumental in raising public awareness and fostering debate on critical social issues of his time.

Later Masterpieces and Public Readings

In his mature period, Dickens produced some of his most celebrated and complex novels, including A Tale of Two Cities, a historical novel set during the French Revolution, and Great Expectations, a profound exploration of guilt, aspiration, and redemption. He also became an immensely popular public performer, captivating audiences with dramatic readings of his own work. These exhausting tours, though highly profitable, took a significant toll on his health in his final years.

An Indelible Mark on Literature and Culture

Charles Dickens died in 1870 and was buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. His legacy is immense; he created a world of unforgettable characters, from Ebenezer Scrooge to Miss Havisham, that have become embedded in the cultural consciousness. His innovative narrative techniques, his boundless energy, and his unwavering focus on the human condition ensured that his works would remain timeless, continuously adapted and rediscovered by each new generation.

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