Chapter Summaries of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

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Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

Chapter 1 - Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse. The doctor did not know if he would survive, but he did. His mother, unfortunately was not so lucky, and died soon after giving birth. His mother had been brought the night before by the overseer, found lying on the street. The nurse knew “she had walked some distance,” because her shoes were worn, but nobody knew to and from where she was coming and going.
Chapter 2 - There weren’t any women to take care of Oliver, so the parish authorities decided that he should be “farmed” (put into a branch-workhouse for juvenile delinquents), where they are taken care of (poorly) by a woman, where they are fed bad, cheap food. When the parish authorities went to Oliver on his ninth birthday when he was too old for the parish to keep him there, he was really pale, thin, small, and sickly, but he had a good spirit. At nine, pauper children had to start working. The parish authority explained that they had never discovered his father or anything about him. One kind word or look had never been given to him at the home, but still it had the only friends he had ever known. When he is brought in front of the parish authorities, they exclaim that he was a fool, just as they had suspected. He didn’t even know how to pray, simply because no one had taught him. A whole group of the children decided that one of them should ask the master for some more food, and it ended up being Oliver. The master was outraged, and as punishment, he put Oliver up for sale, five pounds for anyone who wanted him for any reason at all.
Chapter 3 - At the parish, Oliver was punished for speaking out. Mr. Gamfield, a British chimney sweep, wants to buy Oliver and take him as an apprentice, but m...

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...e had not done anything illegal, and if he had, Monks would get the inheritance. Pregnant Agnes ran away so her family wouldn’t have to endure the humiliation. Her sister was given to a family who died, so Mrs. Maylie raised her. The Bumbles admit that they helped cover up Oliver’s past, and Mr. Brownlow makes sure Mr. Bumble will never be in office again. Harry settles to be a clergyman, so he and Rose get married.
Chapter 52 - Fagin goes to trial and receives the death penalty. Before he is executed, Mr. Brownlow goes to his jail cell to find Oliver’s identification papers.
Chapter 53 - Charley becomes a cattle herder. Noah is let free for testifying. Monks’ property is split equally between him and Oliver, but Monks goes to America, where he wastes his inheritance then turns to crime, and dies in jail. Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver in and they live happily ever after.

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