Oliver Twist -outline of the plot.

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Oliver Twist door Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse. There was nobody to assist his mother except for a drunken old woman. His mother died in childbirth and it remained in doubt if he he would survive.

At the age of 10 months he was transferred to a farm where Mrs. Mann was in charge. She received money from the parish authorities for every child she kept. Of course she held the benefits for herself. Unfortunately this meant that the children received almost nothing to eat. When Oliver became 9 years old he was obviously underfed. That was when a beadle from the workhouse came to bring an allowance for Mrs. Mann. This man, called Mr. Bumble, told the lady that he had chosen Oliver’s name because the father had never been known. Mr. Bumble decides to take Oliver back to the workhouse, a house for paupers and orphans, where the children are starved . This means that many of the children die, the result is enormously benefits the undertaker Mr. Sowerberry.

Years go by until Oliver gets the courage to ask a little bit more to eat. The little boy is found ungrateful. He is punished and afterwards he is sold to Mr. Gansfield, a chimney sweeper. But Oliver is lucky because a magistrate decides that he will be educated by Mr. Sowerberry (the undertaker). Of course Oliver has to prove his abilities and succeeds. Things go well until a few days later a fight originates between Noah Claypole (another employee) and Oliver because the young man insults the mother of the loveless child. After the incident he is locked up in a cave but he is very slender and he escapes to London through the window. Mr. Bumble is called to take the boy back to the workhouse.

On his way to London he says goodbye to his only friend, Dick. This boy promises that he will always think of Oliver. Afterwards the hungry boy meets Dodger, who introduces him to the Jew Fagin, a man who takes care of orphans in exchange for stolen goods. That same evening Fagin goes to Bill Sikes. This man is a master of his trade: i.e. stealing. He had gone out to steal and Fagin came to collect the goods. Back at the factory the man counts his benefits. At that moment Oliver awakes and now knows where to find the jewelry and other valuable objects. This fact enrages Fagin but after Oliver pretends that he has not seen anything. Everything calms down.

The morning after the dispute Nancy (who is Sikes’ girlfriend) arrives at the factory because she has to collect the money for the goods that were stolen the other night. Oliver’s task is to remove embroidered initials on handkerchiefs with a needle. Next the ignorant boy is taught to filch those handkerchiefs from Fagin’ s pockets. That is how is prepared to become a real thief. Anyway his first job goes immediately wrong: at a bookshop Dodger tries to steal a handkerchief from a wealthy man. Unfortunately Oliver is blamed and brought to prison. The man who was almost robbed, Mr. Brownlow, doubts if it was really Oliver who intended to steal from him. The innocent boy is still accused but luckily he is saved by the owner of the bookshop. The man declares that it was not Oliver that had stolen from the rich man. This last one takes Oliver to his house. The boy is fascinated by a painting of a young woman.

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Meanwhile Sikes and Fagin got frightened because they fear that Oliver will betray them. At Brownlow’ s enormous house a friend named Mr. Grimwig is invited. This man doubts about Oliver’s genuine good heart: he thinks Oliver still belongs to the street. Mr. Brownlow decides to prove his friend that the boy is honest so he sends Oliver to the bookstore with money and very expensive books. On his way the boy meets Nancy. This is not a coincidence because the child was followed in order to bring him back to the factory. Nancy pretends that Oliver is ...

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