Bright Summaries - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

Charles Dickens explains his intentions: he wishes the novel to be a service to society and to tell the stern and plain truth: in showing the horror of the life of a thief, he wants to bypass appearances and show that this kind of existence is not the result of the peoples nature, but rather of the way society treats the weakest people.

The novel is divided into 53 chapters, which have been regrouped in this summary according to the stages of Olivers life, in order to be as clear as possible.

N.B.: Each chapter is introduced by a short sentence which describes the action that will be told in it, a tradition inherited from the English novelists of the 18th century.

Oliver Twists birth is described. He is left an orphan. He spends an unhappy childhood, first at Mrs. Manns, then at Mr. Sowerberrys. He ends up running away after a fight provoked by Noah Claypole. Upon his arrival in London, he meets Jack Dawkins, also known as the Artful Dodger, who introduces him to Fagin.

Oliver makes the acquaintance of Fagin and his group. Naively, he wishes to work with them, and ends up being caught by a policeman for a theft he didnt commit. For the first time in his life, Oliver is well-taken care of at Mr. Brownlows, as the gentleman took him in after the theft. Fagin and his gang want to get him back and send Nancy to kidnap him. Oliver reluctantly re-enters the gang of pickpockets. Fagin sends him to Sikes. They meet with Toby Crackit and Barney who have the boy enter a big house to burgle it. The attempt is short-lived: two men fire at Oliver. Bumble speaks with Mrs. Corney, the elderly matron of the workhouse, and discusses why they should marry; she accepts. Mrs. Corney stands by the side of a dying employee of the workhouse, who confesses having stolen a locket from a young woman who was giving birth.

As for Sikes and Toby, they tell Fagin about the failure of their operation: while fleeing, they abandoned Oliver in a ditch. Fagin tries to find him again: he asks Monks, another criminal, for information.

Oliver wakes up in a ditch the next morning. He arrives in front of the house he had to enter the day before and is taken in by a young woman, Rose Maylie. While Oliver is put to bed and tended to, the inhabitants wonder what they should do with him and call the police. But Oliver is cleared and slowly gets better.

He is brought to the countryside with Rose to get better, and stays there for three months, for his utter happiness. Rose, who is seriously ill, finally triumphs over her illness.

Harry Maylie, Mrs. Maylies son, wishes to marry Rose, but his mother reminds him of the fact that her name is tarnished and that their marriage might suffer because of it. Harry declares his love to Rose, who loves him too but refuses to marry him because of her past and her lack of dowry.

As for Oliver, he believes he has been spotted by Fagin and one of his men.

Bumble, who has become the master Beadle of the workhouse, receives a visit from a strange man (Monks) who wishes to obtain information about the birth of a child at the workhouse. Monks buys back the medallion which belonged to Olivers mother from Bumble, which bears the name Agnes, and gets rid of it. He tells this to Fagin and Nancy goes looking for Rose Maylie.

Nancy reveals to Rose the plans of Monks, who would be Olivers brother and planning to deprive him of his inheritance. Rose goes to find Mr. Brownlow; with him, Doctor Losberne and Mrs. Maylie, they decide to do all they can to help Oliver.

Noah Claypole and Charlotte arrive in London. Noah is in charge of getting news of the Dodger, who has been arrested, then to follow Nancy. He attends the nighttime meeting between Nancy, Brownlow and Rose: Nancy describes Monks, which rekindles some of Brownlows memories.

Feeling betrayed, Sikes kills Nancy and flees after the murder.

Brownlow has Monks captured: his real name is Edward Leeford, he is Oliver Twists half-brother. Their father was Brownlows friend.

Oliver learns that he is the son of Edwin Leeford and his young mistress Agnes Fleming. Monks had been tasked by his dying mother to find Leefords illegitimate descendant and to make sure that he would never come asking for his part of the inheritance. As for Rose, she is Agnes younger sister. All these revelations lead to Rose and Harrys marriage. This good news is interrupted by the news of Dicks death, Olivers childhood friend.

The culprits are punished: Sikes dies as he tries to flee and Fagin is sent to prison.

This epilogue shows the situation of the characters after the resolution: the inheritance, which is not very large, is divided between Oliver and Monks, the latter of whom quickly squanders it and dies somewhere in America. Oliver is adopted by Mr. Brownlow; Grimwig and Losberne become friends, Noah Claypole becomes an informant for the police and the Bumbles lose their jobs.