A Full Note on “Oliver Twist”

Introduction
Oliver twist is one of the most famous novels Charles Dickens ever wrote it was
published in instalments between 1837 and 1839.
Charles Dickens is considered to be the greatest English novelist of Victorian era much
in his work could appeal to the simple and the sophisticated to the poor and the queen
the technological developments as well as the qualities of his work enabled his fame to
spread worldwide very quickly.
It is a classic story about an orphan who has to find his way through a city full of
criminals and avoid being corrupted.
People read Oliver twist in Dickens Day and are still reading it now for the gritty realism
with which Dickens portrays working class people and the horrible living conditions of
the London slums.
Oliver twist is Dickens only novel that qualifies as a “Newgate Novel”, though, so it
seems like he just wanted to try his hand at the popular style of writing before turning to
other loftier pursuits.

Characters

Oliver twist: The novel’s protagonist Oliver is an orphan boy born in a workhouse and
Dickens uses his situation to criticise public policy towards the poor in 1830s England
he was treated with cruelty and surrounded by coarseness for most of his life he is a
pious innocent child and his charms draw the attention of several wealthy benefactors
his true identity is thus central mystery of the novel.
Fagin: A conniving career criminal, who doesn’t do crimes himself instead he takes in
homeless children and trains them to pickpocket for him dickens portrait of Fagan
displays the influence of Anti-Semitic stereotypes.
Rose Maylie: A beautiful compassionate and forgiving young woman rose is the novel’s
model of female virtue she establishes a loving relationship with Oliver even before it is
revealed that the two are related.
Monks: A sickly, vicious young man, prone to violent fits and teeming with inexplicable
hated. With Fagin he schemes to give Oliver a bad reputation.
Bill Sikes: A brutal professional burglar brought up in Fagin’s gang. Sikes is Nancy (a
prostitute)’s pimp and lover, and he treats both her and his dog Bull’s eye with an odd
combination of cruelty and grudging affection.
Mr Bumble: Mr Bumble preaches Christian morality; he behaves without compassion
towards the paupers under his care. Dickens mercilessly satirises his
self-righteousness, greed, hypocrisy and folly, of which his name is an obvious symbol.
Bulls Eye: Bill Sikes’ dog, as vicious as his master. Bull’s Eye functions as Sikes alter
ego.

Setting

The major action of Oliver Twist moves back and forth between two worlds. The filthy
slums of London and the clean comfortable house of Brownlow and Maylie’s. The first
world is real and frightening, while the other is idealised almost dreamlike in its safety
and beauty. The world of London is a world of crime.

Summary

The novel was the first of the author’s work to realistically depict the impoverished
London under word and to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime.
The novel follows the journey of the titular character Oliver Twist Oliver and orphan
sense birth.
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 “old gentleman” named Fagin with a number of other boys.
On and outing Oliver Witnesses the boys take a handkerchief from Mr Brownlow an
elderly man who prompts Oliver to run away in fear and confusion.
Oliver is sent on a burglary mission with another member of the group to the
countryside around London.
While he is there, Fagin and a man named Monks plot to get him back.
Unfortunately for Nancy news of her betrayal reaches Sikes, and he beats her to death.
The Maylie’s reunite Oliver with Mr Brownlow who forces monks to explain himself.
He receives his share of the money. Fagin is hung and the Maylis’s, Oliver and Mr
Brownlow moved to the countryside where they spend the rest of their days together.

Themes

Good vs Evil: Oliver is constantly caught between good and evil. Although he is put
through many trials and is tested constantly, he fights off evil and remains one of the
most kind and innocent boys. Both good and evil shape him throughout the novel.
Another example of good vs evil is the love between Rose and Harry and how it
overcomes obstacles. Emphasised in the work are the virtues of sacrifice, charity, and
loyalty.
Poverty: Some novelists like Dickens have revealed the world of the poor class in his
novel, and reinforced his novels with factual details that really shocked the novel
readers. His fiction suggests that poverty can corrupt innocent characters as he shows
in “Oliver Twist”, where children are driven to theft to sustain their living. Poverty and
injustice are shown to lead to acts of violence. Dickens shows how the man is driven to
criminality and theft. Under the pressure of these factors Dickens also was fully aware
of the victimisation of women in Victorian society. Nancy was forced into prostitution by
poverty, hunger, and life in a corrupt environment. The characters who belong to the
poor class are depicted as villains. But “Oliver Twist” illustrates Dickens ideas of the
dehumanised situation of the poor and his disapproval of patch up situation for poverty
as a social disease.
Fate and Free Will: Some characters in this novel are liberated and live happily ever.
Some others are not able to escape the “labyrinth”, of that the city. Their social class
and the system of Justice and religion seems to have created. Why is that? Certain
characters seem to give up their free will at certain points and to abandon themselves to
a kind of bizarre fatalism.
Love vs Hate
Greed and Revenge
Thievery and Crime
Institutions, and Class
Individualism and Social Bonds
Identity and Inheritance.
 Symbols

Darkness: In “Oliver Twist”, darkness is associated with crime and evil doing. The
darkness of the setting reflects the darkness of their thoughts and deeds.
Obesity: Obesity ultimately is a symbol of membership in the prosperous class
indicating a condition in which people have more than enough. As with the poor, the
middle class encompasses both the virtuous and the evil.
Countryside: In contrast to the dark streets of the poor quarters of London the
countryside is bright with sun drenched open spaces and colourful flowers. In “Oliver
Twist”, it is a place of healthy, happiness, and security; while the city is a place of
disease, desperation, and danger.
Dirt and Dilapidation: It represents poverty, the thieves wear dirty clothes and live in
dilapidated surroundings. While other characters in “Oliver Twist” are both poor and
clean. Thus, a character’s level of cleanliness can be seen as a major of that person’s
virtue and strength of a spirit.

Analysis and Conclusion

In this masterpiece Oliver is to represent the principle of good surviving, though
manyfold adversity and trumping at last.
The central concept is of good vs evil. More specifically the writer explores the immense
struggle that goodness must endure before it finally trumps over its oldest and most
bitter enemy.
Poverty, institutions, class-differences and class-theme, analysis are highlighted as
analytic material of this novel.
“Oliver Twist” is a sustained attack on the British poor laws. The research reveals that
among many kinds of social injustice, poverty, social stratification, and child labour are
the most common issues.
Some moral values are shown, such as, steadfastness, sympathetic to others, bravery,
honesty, cooperativeness, thankfulness, and kind-hearted.
This novel gives the lesson to be strong, endure, and pain and you will end up far better
a person at the end.
One should dare to raise voice against the mistreatment of orphans in the infant farm
where orphans would spend several nights without enough food.