Oliver Twist and the Bowl of Gruel: Dickens's Orphan Story, Fagin's Gang and Victorian London

Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is Charles Dickens's second novel, published as a monthly serial from 1837 to 1839, about an orphan boy who is mistreated in a workhouse, runs away to London, falls into a gang of child pickpockets run by the criminal Fagin, and finally discovers the truth about his family. It is an early example of the social novel: Dickens used the story to attack child labour, domestic violence, the recruitment of children as criminals and the cruel treatment of poor orphans in England.

A story in monthly parts

The novel first appeared in instalments in the magazine Bentley's Miscellany, from February 1837 to April 1839, and came out as a three-volume book in 1838. Readers followed Oliver's fate month by month, much as people today follow a television series. Dickens was only in his mid-twenties, and the success of this book helped make him the most famous novelist of his age.

"Please, sir, I want some more"

Oliver is born in a workhouse in a town about seventy miles from London. The children there are given very little food. After months of hunger, the boys draw lots, and the loser must ask for another portion; Oliver loses. When he walks up and asks for more gruel, the adults are horrified. He is locked away, beaten by the beadle, Mr Bumble, and offered to anyone who will take him as an apprentice. This short scene is one of the most famous in English literature and still stands for the courage to ask for what you need.

Into Fagin's world

After a miserable time as an apprentice to an undertaker, Oliver runs away to London. There he meets a sharp young boy who calls himself "the Artful Dodger", who offers him food and a place to sleep and takes him to Fagin, a criminal who trains orphan boys as pickpockets. Oliver does not understand what is going on until he sees the boys steal a gentleman's handkerchief. He is caught and accused, but the victim, the kind Mr Brownlow, takes pity on him and brings him home.

Nancy, Sikes and the truth

Fagin fears Oliver will betray the gang, so he sends Nancy, a young woman connected to the gang, and her violent lover, the burglar Bill Sikes, to drag him back. Oliver is forced to take part in a burglary, is shot and wounded, and is taken in by the kind Maylie family. Meanwhile a mysterious man called Monks works with Fagin to keep Oliver from learning about his past. Nancy, who cares about Oliver, secretly meets Mr Brownlow and Rose Maylie to help him; when the gang finds out, Sikes murders her. In the end Monks is revealed as Oliver's half-brother, who wanted to steal his inheritance; Fagin is arrested and hanged, Sikes dies while fleeing, and Oliver is adopted by Mr Brownlow.

Social anger

The workhouse scenes were aimed at the New Poor Law of 1834, which sent poor people into harsh institutions. Dickens shows the officials who run the system as greedy and self-important, eating well while children starve. At the same time, he shows London's criminal underworld without romance: it is dirty, frightening and deadly. The book helped make readers see poverty as a social problem rather than a personal failing.

A difficult character

Fagin has long been criticised as an antisemitic stereotype. Dickens refers to him as "the Jew" 274 times in the first 38 chapters of the novel, and the critic Paul Vallely has called him one of the most grotesque Jews in English literature. Modern readers and adaptations often discuss this openly, as part of understanding both the book and its time.

Adaptations

Oliver Twist has been adapted many times, including the 1948 film with Alec Guinness as Fagin and the hit musical Oliver!, which became an Oscar-winning film in 1968. Songs like "Food, Glorious Food" and "Consider Yourself" introduced the story to new generations.

Learn with Oliver Twist: English phrases

Phrase	Meaning	Example
please, sir, I want some more	(jokingly) asking for a second helping	Please, sir, I want some more cake!
an artful dodger	a clever trickster who avoids trouble	He's an artful dodger with taxes.
a workhouse	a harsh institution for the poor (historic)	Many orphans grew up in a workhouse.
to fall in with a bad crowd	to become friends with troublemakers	He fell in with a bad crowd at school.
rags to riches	from poverty to wealth	Oliver's story is rags to riches.

Try this: Write three English sentences about a time you asked for "some more" of something, using "to fall in with" or "rags to riches".