Oliver Twist vs Noah Claypole: Comparing their Depictions, Birth and Early Life

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Questions and Answers

Where was Oliver Twist born?

A workhouse in 1830s England (correct)

A home for young orphans

A local undertaker's house

A brutish chimney sweep's shop

What leads to Oliver's transfer from the home for young orphans to the workhouse for adults?

He gets into a fight with the other boys

He is adopted by a local family

He reaches the age of nine (correct)

He asks for more gruel

Who offers five pounds to take Oliver away from the workhouse?

Fagin, the career criminal

Noah Claypole, the undertaker's apprentice

Mr. Sowerberry, the local undertaker

Mr. Bumble, the parish beadle (correct)

Why does Oliver attack Noah Claypole?

Noah makes disparaging comments about Oliver's mother Signup and view all the answers

Where does Oliver meet Jack Dawkins?

Outside London, while traveling Signup and view all the answers

What does Fagin train the orphan boys to do?

To pick pockets Signup and view all the answers

What happens to Oliver when he is caught by the authorities after the pickpocketing mission?

He narrowly escapes being convicted of the theft Signup and view all the answers

Who takes the feverish Oliver to his home and nurses him back to health?

Mr. Brownlow, the man whose handkerchief was stolen Signup and view all the answers

What is the item that the two boys steal from the elderly gentleman during the pickpocketing mission?

A handkerchief Signup and view all the answers

What is the occupation of Mr. Sowerberry, the man who apprentices Oliver?

A local undertaker Signup and view all the answers

What does Brownlow notice about Oliver?

Oliver's resemblance to a portrait of a young woman Signup and view all the answers

Where does Oliver spend an idyllic summer?

In the countryside with Mrs. Maylie and her niece Rose Signup and view all the answers

What does Monks obtain and destroy?

A gold locket left by Oliver's mother Signup and view all the answers

What is the reason behind Monks' pursuit of Oliver?

Because Monks wants to ensure Oliver is deprived of his share of the family inheritance Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between Rose and Oliver?

Rose is Oliver's aunt Signup and view all the answers

What happens to Fagin at the end of the story?

Fagin is hung for his crimes Signup and view all the answers

Who adopts Oliver at the end of the story?

Mr. Brownlow Signup and view all the answers

What happens to Sikes?

Sikes hangs himself inadvertently while trying to escape Signup and view all the answers

What does Nancy do secretly?

Nancy secretly meets with Rose to inform her of Fagin's designs Signup and view all the answers

Who brings Oliver to Fagin's gang?

Bill Sikes and his lover Nancy Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of the government workhouses under the Poor Law of 1834?

To inspire the poor to better their circumstances through harsh conditions Signup and view all the answers

What was the consequence of the economic dislocation of the Industrial Revolution on the poor?

It made it impossible for many to improve their circumstances Signup and view all the answers

What was the attitude of the charitable workers like Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Mann towards the poor?

They were greedy, lazy, and arrogant Signup and view all the answers

What was the effect of the workhouses on the poor?

They reproduced the awful conditions in which the poor lived anyway Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of the labor required in the workhouses?

To inspire the poor to better their circumstances Signup and view all the answers

What was the consequence of the Poor Law of 1834 for families in the workhouses?

They were separated and received meager rations Signup and view all the answers

What was the attitude of the government towards the poor during Dickens' time?

They believed poverty was a consequence of laziness Signup and view all the answers

What was the main criticism of the charitable institutions in Dickens' time?

They reproduced the awful conditions in which the poor lived anyway Signup and view all the answers

What was the role of the officials who ran the workhouses?

They were greedy and corrupt, violating the values they preached Signup and view all the answers

What was the main challenge faced by the poor in the workhouses?

They were not able to improve their circumstances due to the economic dislocation Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of individualism in the Victorian era, according to Fagin?

To prioritize personal interests and self-gain Signup and view all the answers

What is the contrast between Fagin's family and the group formed by Oliver and his friends?

One values selflessness, while the other is built on self-interest Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of the urban environment on the characters in the novel, according to Dickens?

It has a corrupting influence on their moral sensibilities Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the countryside in Oliver Twist?

It represents a place of idealized rural life and purity Signup and view all the answers

What is Nancy's ultimate sacrifice, according to the novel?

She sacrifices her own life to save a child she hardly knows Signup and view all the answers

What is the comparison between the two groups in terms of their relationships?

One is based on strong affection, while the other is based on self-interest Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of individualism, as demonstrated by the characters in the novel?

It leads to a sense of moral decay and corruption Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the rural environment in the novel's portrayal of social class?

It idealizes rural life as a place of purity and simplicity Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of Dickens's portrayal of urban life in Oliver Twist?

It suggests that urban life is inherently corrupting and morally decaying Signup and view all the answers

What is the contrast between Sikes and Charley Bates in terms of their moral development?

One is morally corrupted, while the other has a sense of decency Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Oliver Twist's Life

Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse in 1830s England, and his mother, whose name is unknown, dies soon after his birth.
He spends the first nine years of his life in a badly run home for young orphans and then is transferred to a workhouse for adults.
Oliver is apprenticed to a local undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry, but runs away after a fight with another apprentice, Noah Claypole.

Meeting Fagin and Getting Entangled in Crime

Oliver meets Jack Dawkins, a boy his own age, who takes him to Fagin's house in London.
Fagin is a career criminal who trains orphan boys to pick pockets for him.
Oliver is sent on a pickpocketing mission with two other boys but is caught and narrowly escapes being convicted of the theft.

Meeting Mr. Brownlow and the Maylies

Oliver is taken in by Mr. Brownlow, who nurses him back to health and is struck by Oliver's resemblance to a portrait of a young woman.
Oliver thrives in Mr. Brownlow's home but is eventually captured by Fagin's gang and returned to Fagin.
Oliver is sent to assist Bill Sikes in a burglary, but is shot and taken in by the women who live there, Mrs. Maylie and her beautiful adopted niece Rose.

The Pursuit and Arrest of Fagin and Monks

Fagin and Monks are set on recapturing Oliver, and Monks obtains and destroys a gold locket that Oliver's mother left behind.
Nancy, a member of Fagin's gang, meets secretly with Rose and informs her of Fagin's designs, but is overheard by another member of the gang.
Sikes brutally murders Nancy and flees London, but is eventually caught and hangs himself while trying to escape.
Mr. Brownlow confronts Monks and learns the truth about Oliver's parentage, and Monks is forced to sign over Oliver's share of the family inheritance to Oliver.

The Failure of Charity

The novel challenges the organizations of charity run by the church and government in Dickens's time.
The workhouses operated on the principle that poverty was the consequence of laziness and that the dreadful conditions would inspire the poor to better their circumstances.
Dickens describes the greed, laziness, and arrogance of charitable workers like Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Mann.

The Folly of Individualism

The novel critiques the philosophy of individualism, which was prevalent during the Industrial Revolution.
Fagin's philosophy is that a regard for "number one" holds people together, but this is shown to be a flawed philosophy.

Purity in a Corrupt City

The novel explores the question of whether the terrible environments it depicts have the power to corrupt individuals permanently.
Dickens suggests that even in a corrupt city, characters like Nancy can maintain a sense of decency and make sacrifices for others.

The Countryside Idealized

The novel portrays the countryside as a place of purity and idealized rural life.
Dickens suggests that the countryside has the potential to "purify our thoughts" and erase some of the vices that develop in the city.

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Test your knowledge of the early life of Oliver Twist, from his birth in a workhouse to his struggles as an orphan. Learn about the challenges he faced and the characters that played a significant role in his life. Explore the world of Charles Dickens' classic novel and see how well you know Oliver's story.

Oliver Twist: Early Life and Struggles

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