Oliver Twist: Birth and Childhood

Oliver Twist is Born

• Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse.
• There was doubt whether he would live after his birth.
• His mother was a young woman who was brought to the workhouse the night before, found lying in the street with torn shoes.
• She died after the doctor placed the child in her arms.
• The doctor noted she had no wedding ring.

Early Years

• Oliver was bottle-fed for eight to ten months, then sent to a smaller workhouse.
• Twenty to thirty orphans lived there cared for by Mrs. Mann.
• Mrs. Mann received seven and a half pence weekly from the government for each child, but kept most of it for herself.
• On his ninth birthday, Oliver was pale, weak, thin, and below average height, but full of spirit.
• He spent his ninth birthday in the coal cellar with two other children for saying they were hungry.
• Mr. Bumble, a workhouse official, visited and took Oliver back to the large workhouse because he was too old to remain with Mrs. Mann.
• Oliver was led into the room by Mrs. Mann, where he was instructed to bow to Mr. Bumble.
• Oliver was about to say he would go with Mr. Bumble, but Mrs. Mann made threatening gestures to him.
• Oliver pretended to be sad to leave, crying easily because of hunger and ill-treatment.
• Mrs. Mann gave him a piece of bread and butter so he would not seem too hungry at the workhouse.
• Life in the workhouse was severe, with children working to earn their living.
• They received three meals of thin soup a day, with an onion twice a week and half a cake on Sundays.
• The boys ate in a large stone hall, polishing their bowls with their spoons after meals.
• They continued to suffer hunger for three months.

Asking for More

• The boys became desperate, with one boy threatening to eat the one next to him if they did not receive another bowl of soup every day
• Oliver Twist was chosen to ask the master for more food.
• He approached the master after supper and asked "Please, sir, I want some more."
• The master was shocked and shouted for Mr Bumble, who told Mr. Limbkins that Oliver dared ask for more
• Oliver was locked up immediately, and a notice was posted offering five pounds to anyone who would take Oliver away from the workhouse.

A Chimney Sweep

• After asking for more, Oliver was kept prisoner in a dark, lonely room.
• He still had to wash himself every morning under the pump, and was beaten as a warning to others.
• Mr Gamfield, a chimney sweep, saw the notice and offered to take Oliver.
• Arrangements were made for Oliver's apprenticeship to Mr Gamfield.
• Before being taken before the magistrate for approval, Mr. Bumble instructed Oliver to look happy and say he wanted to be apprenticed.
• Before the magistrate, Oliver begged to be sent back to the dark room rather than be sent away with such an awful man.
• The magistrate refused to sign the papers and ordered Oliver to be taken back to the workhouse and treated kindly

Apprentice to an Undertaker

• Mr Bumble met Mr Sowerberry (an undertaker), who said he would take Oliver
• It was quickly arranged that Oliver move to Mr. Sowerberry's that evening.
• Mr. Bumble made sure that Oliver looked clean before taking him to his new master.
• Mr. Sowerberry's wife, a short, thin, bad-tempered woman, was not impressed by Oliver's small size calling him a "little bag of bones".
• Oliver was sent to a dark room used as a kitchen, where Charlotte gave him scraps of meat meant for the dog.
• Oliver slept under the counter among the coffins.

Noah Claypole

• Oliver worked at the shop where he trembled every time his eyes wandered in its direction.
• The next morning, another slightly older boy, Noah Claypole was kicking down the shop door.
• Noah was a charity-boy who was supported by public money.
• He gave Oliver a kick and entered the shop, later, Mr and Mrs Sowerberry came down to the shop.
• He and Charlotte taunted Oliver relentlessly.
• Oliver suffered this for months, until Noah insulted his dead mother.
• Oliver attacked Noah, knocking him to the ground, Mrs Sowerberry and Charlotte intervened, beating Oliver.
• They dragged him to the cellar and then locked him up.
• Mrs Sowerberry told Noah to go fetch Mr Bumble, who returned to the undertaker's shop.
• Mr. Bumble returned the kicks from the outside and then, instructed Oliver to come out from the keyhole
• Mr Bumble remarked, "He comes from a bad family, Mrs Sowerberry!"
• Sowerberry returned and dragged Oliver out by the collar and proceed to beat him.

Running Away

• Oliver was shut up for the rest of the day in in the back kitchen
• That evening he released himself from the downstairs room and looked outside.
• Oliver tied up few articles of clothing waited until the the first light, before running off in the open street.
• At eight o'clock Oliver was nearly five miles away from the town, but he ran for a time and then hid for a while in case he was being pursued.
• Then he sat down to rest beside a milestone and began to think, for the first time, where he could go.
• The milestone told him, in big letters, that he was now seventy miles from London.

The Artful Dodger

• Oliver walked twenty miles that day, and when night came, he turned into a field.
• The sun was rising in all its beauty when on the doorstep, he noticed that a boy was looking at him closely from the opposite side of the street.
• The boy who addressed Oliver was Jack Dawkins (AKA Artful Dodger) who seemed to have the manners of a man.
• Artful Dodger took Oliver to a neighbouring shop, where he bought him some meat and a big loaf of bread.
• Dodger Objected to the to entering London before nightfall.
• At last they reached the bottom of a hill when Dodger pushed it open the door of a house and, pulling him into the passage, closed it behind them.
• A man emerged from the dark and Dodger introduced Oliver as "a new friend", and then climbed up the dark broken stairs
• The boys entered a completely black room, where sausages were cooking over a fire, and a very old Jew, was standing over them.
• In the room were four or five boys smoking long clay pipes and drinking spirits
• Dodged whispered spoke to old man and turned round looked at Oliver "This is him, Fagin," said the Dodger. 'My friend, Oliver Twist.'
• And hoped he would have the honour of his friendship.

Fagin and his Band

• There was no other person in the room but the old man when Oliver awoken.
• Fagin began to make himself coffee for breakfast and whistling softly to himself.
• The old man now stepped gently to the door and locked it.
• Fagin pulled out from some secret hole in the floor a small box, which he placed carefully on the table.
• His eyes shone as he raised the lid and took out of the box an expensive-looking gold watch, shining with jewels.
• 'We are very glad to see you, Oliver,' said the old man. 'Dodger, take off the sausages, and pull a chair near the fire for Oliver
• The old man remarking, 'Ah, you're looking at the handkerchiefs
• The last part of his speech was greeted with a loud shout of laughter from all the pupils of the cheerful old gentleman, and then they all sat down again to eat supper.