Themes & patterns

Treats of the Place Where Oliver Twist Was Born and of the Circumstances Attending His Birth

Oliver's birth in a workhouse and immediate designation as a parish child highlight the systemic poverty and lack of compassion for the poor.

II: Treats of Oliver Twist’s Growth, Education, and Board

The workhouse system is depicted as cruel and exploitative, with children starved and neglected for profit, and the board more concerned with economy than welfare.

Relates How Oliver Twist Was Very Near Getting a Place Which Would Not Have Been a Sinecure

Oliver is treated as a commodity to be sold for a premium, with no regard for his welfare.

IV: Oliver, Being Offered Another Place, Makes His First Entry Into Public Life

Oliver is treated as a burden, given dog scraps, and forced to sleep among coffins, highlighting the dehumanization of the poor.

Oliver Mingles with New Associates. Going to a Funeral for the First Time, He Forms an Unfavourable Notion of His Master’s Business

The squalid tenement and the starving family illustrate the brutal poverty that leads to death, while Oliver's mistreatment reflects systemic neglect of the poor.

Oliver, Being Goaded by the Taunts of Noah, Rouses Into Action, and Rather Astonishes Him

Oliver's mistreatment by Noah, Charlotte, and Mrs. Sowerberry exemplifies the systemic abuse of poor orphans in Victorian society.

Treats of the Place Where Oliver Twist Was Born and of the Circumstances Attending His Birth

Oliver's innocent arrival is contrasted with the corrupt and indifferent treatment by the parish surgeon and nurse, and the stigma of illegitimacy.

II: Treats of Oliver Twist’s Growth, Education, and Board

Oliver's innocent request for more food is met with horror and punishment, highlighting the corruption of the parish authorities who view poverty as a crime.

Relates How Oliver Twist Was Very Near Getting a Place Which Would Not Have Been a Sinecure

Oliver's childish innocence is contrasted with the corrupt, self-serving parish authorities and Gamfield's brutality.

IV: Oliver, Being Offered Another Place, Makes His First Entry Into Public Life

Oliver's innocent plea of loneliness is met with harshness and indifference, as the adult world corrupts and exploits his vulnerability.

Oliver Mingles with New Associates. Going to a Funeral for the First Time, He Forms an Unfavourable Notion of His Master’s Business

Oliver's innocent fear of the coffin shop contrasts with Noah's corrupt delight in bullying a weaker orphan, showing how innocence is corrupted by a harsh environment.

Oliver, Being Goaded by the Taunts of Noah, Rouses Into Action, and Rather Astonishes Him

Oliver's violent reaction to the insult against his mother marks a turning point where his innate innocence is challenged by the corruption around him.

Treats of the Place Where Oliver Twist Was Born and of the Circumstances Attending His Birth

Oliver's mother is unknown and dies without revealing her story, leaving Oliver's origins a mystery that will later unfold.

XII: In Which Oliver Is Taken Better Care of Than He Ever Was Before. And in Which the Narrative Reverts to the Merry Old Gentleman and His Youthful Friends

The resemblance between Oliver and the portrait hints at his hidden family connections, a key mystery in the story.

Treats on a Very Poor Subject. But Is a Short One, and May Be Found of Importance in This History

Old Sally's deathbed confession begins to unravel the mystery of Oliver's parentage, including the gold and his mother's name.

XXXV: Containing the Unsatisfactory Result of Oliver’s Adventure; and a Conversation of Some Importance Between Harry Maylie and Rose

Rose's hidden past—the 'stain' on her name—drives her decision and foreshadows the revelation of her true lineage.

Chapter XXXVI: Is a Very Short One, and May Appear of No Great Importance in Its Place, but It Should Be Read Notwithstanding, as a Sequel to the Last, and a Key to One That Will Follow When Its Time Arrives

Harry's hidden feelings and the secret correspondence with Oliver hint at concealed motives and personal mysteries.

XXXVII: In Which the Reader May Perceive a Contrast, Not Uncommon in Matrimonial Cases

Monks' secret inquiry about Oliver's birth and the nurse's disclosure hints at hidden truths about Oliver's parentage.

IX: Containing Further Particulars Concerning the Pleasant Old Gentleman, and His Hopeful Pupils

Fagin's discussion of capital punishment and his hidden treasure highlight the criminal underworld and the constant threat of legal consequences.

Oliver Becomes Better Acquainted with the Characters of His New Associates; and Purchases Experience at a High Price. Being a Short, but Very Important Chapter, in This History

The chapter explores the swift and brutal response to crime in London: Oliver is chased, beaten, and arrested despite being innocent, while the real thieves escape.

XIII: Some New Acquaintances Are Introduced to the Intelligent Reader, Connected with Whom Various Pleasant Matters Are Related, Appertaining to This History

The chapter focuses on the criminal gang's efforts to recapture Oliver and the threat of punishment if he reveals their activities, highlighting the constant tension between crime and the law.

XV: Showing How Very Fond of Oliver Twist the Merry Old Jew and Miss Nancy Were

The chapter focuses on criminal activities: Sikes's violent behavior, Fagin's scheming, and the recapture of Oliver, highlighting the cycle of crime and punishment.

XVI: Relates What Became of Oliver Twist, After He Had Been Claimed by Nancy

The chapter depicts the criminal activities of Fagin's gang, including theft and kidnapping, and references the threat of execution, underscoring the theme of crime and its consequences.

How Oliver Passed His Time in the Improving Society of His Reputable Friends

The chapter explores the criminal underworld's code and the constant threat of hanging as punishment for betrayal.

XIV: Comprising Further Particulars of Oliver’s Stay at Mr. Brownlow’s, with the Remarkable Prediction Which One Mr. Grimwig Uttered Concerning Him, When He Went Out on an Errand

Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin show kindness and trust toward Oliver, offering him a chance at a new life away from crime.

XVI: Relates What Became of Oliver Twist, After He Had Been Claimed by Nancy

Nancy's fierce defense of Oliver against Fagin's beating and Sikes's dog shows a spark of compassion and a desire to protect the boy, hinting at her potential for redemption.

XIX: In Which a Notable Plan Is Discussed and Determined On

Nancy's earlier interference on Oliver's behalf is referenced, though she now participates in the plot, showing her conflicted nature.

XX: Wherein Oliver Is Delivered Over to Mr. William Sikes

Nancy shows conflicted compassion for Oliver, warning him and revealing her own suffering.

The Burglary

Oliver's desperate appeal for mercy highlights his inherent goodness, contrasting with the lack of compassion from Sikes and Crackit.

XXVIII: Looks After Oliver, and Proceeds with His Adventures

Rose Maylie's compassionate order to care for Oliver, despite his apparent involvement in the burglary, suggests the possibility of redemption.

II: Treats of Oliver Twist’s Growth, Education, and Board

The board members, who live comfortably, hypocritically claim the poor enjoy the workhouse, while they enforce starvation and forced labor.

Relates How Oliver Twist Was Very Near Getting a Place Which Would Not Have Been a Sinecure

The board members profess religious piety while subjecting Oliver to cruel punishments and near-indentured servitude.

IV: Oliver, Being Offered Another Place, Makes His First Entry Into Public Life

Mr. Bumble and Mr. Sowerberry joke about coffin profits while Oliver suffers, exposing the hypocrisy of those in authority.

Oliver Mingles with New Associates. Going to a Funeral for the First Time, He Forms an Unfavourable Notion of His Master’s Business

Noah, himself a charity-boy, scorns Oliver to elevate his own status, revealing the hypocritical class hierarchies even among the poor.

Oliver, Being Goaded by the Taunts of Noah, Rouses Into Action, and Rather Astonishes Him

The Sowerberrys and Noah display class-based hypocrisy, treating Oliver as inferior while themselves being of low social standing.

IX: Containing Further Particulars Concerning the Pleasant Old Gentleman, and His Hopeful Pupils

Fagin presents himself as a miserly old man while secretly running a pickpocket ring, exposing the hypocrisy of those who exploit the poor.

Of the Happy Life Oliver Began to Lead with His Kind Friends

Oliver finds a true sense of home and belonging with the Maylies, replacing his earlier isolation.

XXXIV: Contains Some Introductory Particulars Relative to a Young Gentleman Who Now Arrives Upon the Scene; and a New Adventure Which Happened to Oliver

Harry Maylie's return to his mother and his declaration of love for Rose underscore the themes of familial bonds and the desire for a lasting connection, despite social obstacles.

Chapter XXXVI: Is a Very Short One, and May Appear of No Great Importance in Its Place, but It Should Be Read Notwithstanding, as a Sequel to the Last, and a Key to One That Will Follow When Its Time Arrives

Harry's concern for his mother and Rose, and his secret request to Oliver, underscore his deep familial ties and longing for connection.

Monks and Mr. Brownlow at Length Meet. Their Conversation, and the Intelligence That Interrupts It

The revelation of Oliver's brother and father's history underscores themes of familial bonds and betrayal.

Affording an Explanation of More Mysteries Than One, and Comprehending a Proposal of Marriage with No Word of Settlement or Pin-Money

Oliver learns he has a half-brother and is embraced by Mr. Brownlow and the Maylies, solidifying his place in a loving family.

LIII: And Last

Oliver finds a true family with Mr. Brownlow and the Maylies.

Wherein the Happiness of Oliver and His Friends Experiences a Sudden Check

Rose's sudden illness and the uncertainty of her fate highlight the tension between human hopes and the unpredictable course of life.