Oliver Twist · Chapter
XLVIII: The Flight of Sikes explained
After murdering Nancy, Bill Sikes is consumed by guilt and paranoia.
What happens
After murdering Nancy, Bill Sikes is consumed by guilt and paranoia. He attempts to flee London, wandering aimlessly through Islington, Highgate, Hampstead Heath, and Hatfield. Haunted by the vision of Nancy's corpse, he struggles to find food or rest. In a public-house, a peddler's jest about a stain on his hat nearly exposes him, and he overhears news of the murder spreading. Sikes continues his flight, tormented by the phantom of his victim.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this passage, the dramatic climax occurs when Rose Maylie, previously depicted as cheerful and in high spir…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Crime and Punishment
Sikes' psychological torment and failed escape illustrate the theme that murderers cannot escape justice, whether legal or divine.
- Compassion and Redemption
The absence of compassion in Sikes' flight—his inability to find solace or aid—underscores his complete moral degradation and lack of redemption.
Characters to notice
- Bill Sikes
Overwhelmed by guilt and paranoia after murdering Nancy, Sikes flees London, wandering aimlessly and tormented by visions of his victim.
- Nancy
Though deceased, Nancy's corpse and ghostly presence haunt Sikes throughout his flight, symbolizing his inescapable guilt.
Key passages
“Of all bad deeds that, under cover of the darkness, had been committed within wide London’s bounds since night hung over it, that was the worst.”
Nancy's murder is portrayed as the most heinous crime committed in London that night.
The narrator emphasizes the severity of Sikes' act.
“He tried to shut it out, but it would stream in.”
Sikes cannot block out the sunlight that illuminates Nancy's body.
The sun symbolizes inescapable truth and guilt.
“Let no man talk of murderers escaping justice, and hint that Providence must sleep.”
No one should claim that murderers can evade punishment or that divine justice is inactive.
The narrator asserts that Sikes' torment is a form of divine retribution.
