Oliver Twist

An orphan named Oliver Twist is forced into robbery, but with the help of kind friends, he escapes into a better future. Oliver Twist, another famous book from Charles Dickens, portrays a young boy named Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse, brought up in a child farm, and returns to the workhouse. There, he almost starves to death, but then he is brought to Mr. Sowerberry; but he escapes because he is mistreated, and walks to London, where he meets Fagin. Fagin gives him a place to stay and food, but he also teaches Oliver how to steal. When other people see Oliver running, they think he’s a thief and brings him to jail. Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin notice that Oliver isn’t that kind of person, and house him kindly. When Oliver finally goes out with expensive books and clothing, Fagin takes him back, for fear that he will tell. Sikes, a burglary partner with Fagin, forces Oliver to go and help them steal, but the owner of the house shoots Oliver in the arm. Sikes runs away without him, so Oliver goes back to the house, and surprisingly, the owners of that house, Rose Maylie, her family, and others, treat him kindly because he did it against his will. With his new patrons, he again meets Mr. Brownlow, who had formed a bad opinion of Oliver after he left so abruptly. Later, Nancy, who works for Fagin, meets Rose and tells them what she knows about Oliver’s past. Later, she gets killed by Sikes for telling them, and he is haunted by this murder. Dialect and different types of characters make Oliver Twist all in all more interesting and striking to read.

Charles Dickens uses dialect to separate the thieves and illiterate people from the educated and wealthy people. Most of the story has improper dialect or slang because thieves and ...

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...n the beginning because he compliments Oliver on being sharp, after he takes Oliver back, he still acts as if Oliver didn’t know anything about their business after he tortured him, and in the end, when he’s in jail, he tells Oliver his little secret because he is still fond of Oliver, “The papers… are in a canvas bag, in a hole a little way up the chimney in the top front room.” (p. 414, para. 9).

I give this book 9 out of 10 because it is strangely interesting, but I had a hard time figuring out what certain sentences meant. Rose is Oliver’s aunt; while after Sikes killed Nancy, he kills himself because he secretly loves her; and Fagin is soon due to be hanged. This book would not be existent without dialect and the different types of characters. The two years that this story takes place in Oliver’s life is perhaps his most exciting moments in his whole lifetime.