Summary Oliver Twist

Oliver twist summary

Oliver was born in a workhouse in a small town about 70 miles from London, England in the early part of the 19th century. His mother dies almost immediately after his birth.Nobody knows who she was, but the doctor notices that she wasn't wearing a wedding ring (scandalous!).

Oliver is brought up at a child farm in the country until he is about eight years old. At thispoint, the parish officials running the child farm decide it’s time for him to start working, and they send him back to the workhouse. But Oliver commits the unpardonable offense of asking for morefood when he is close to starving, so the parish officials offer five pounds (a pretty good amount of money) to anyone who’s willing to take Oliver on as an apprentice. The parish officials eventuallysend Oliver off with a coffin-maker.

At the coffin-maker’s shop, Oliver isn’t treated much better than he was at the workhouse or the child farm. The coffin-maker, Mr. Sowerberry, isn’t so bad, buthis wife, Mrs. Sowerberry, and the other apprentice, Noah Claypole, have it in for Oliver from the start. Oliver gets in trouble for knocking Noah down (he totally had it coming). After being abusedsome more, Oliver decides to set out for London on foot.

When he’s almost there, he runs into an odd-looking young man named Jack Dawkins (better known as The Artful Dodger). The Dodger buys himlunch and offers to introduce him to a "gentleman" in London who will give him a place to stay.

Once in London, it quickly becomes clear to the reader (but not to Oliver) that the Dodger and hisfriends are an unsavory bunch. The old "gentleman," Fagin, trains kids to be pickpockets, and then he sells off what they steal. But Oliver doesn’t realize what’s up until he’s actually out with theDodger and another one of the boys, named Charley Bates. Oliver sees the pair steal the pocket handkerchief out of a nice-looking old man's pocket. When Oliver turns to run away, the nice-looking old man...