Oliver Twist
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''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, after being raised in a
workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...
, escapes to London, where he meets a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal Fagin, discovers the secrets of his parentage, and reconnects with his remaining family. ''Oliver Twist'' unromantically portrays the sordid lives of criminals and exposes the cruel treatment of the many orphans in England in the mid-19th century. The alternative title, ''The Parish Boy's Progress'', alludes to Bunyan's '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' as well as the 18th-century caricature series by painter
William Hogarth William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraving, engraver, pictorial social satire, satirist, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from Realism (visual arts), realistic p ...
, '' A Rake's Progress'' and '' A Harlot's Progress''. In an early example of the
social novel Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...
, Dickens satirises
child labour Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation w ...
,
domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
, the recruitment of children as criminals, and the presence of street children. The novel may have been inspired by the story of Robert Blincoe, an orphan whose account of working as a child labourer in a cotton mill was widely read in the 1830s. It is likely that Dickens's own experiences as a youth contributed as well, considering he spent two years of his life in the workhouse at the age of 12 and subsequently missed out on some of his education. ''Oliver Twist'' has been the subject of numerous adaptations, including the 1948 film of the same name, starring
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...
as Fagin; a highly successful musical, '' Oliver!'' (itself adapted into the
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
-winning 1968 film), and Disney's 1988 animated feature film '' Oliver & Company.''


Publications

The novel was first published in monthly instalments, from February 1837 to April 1839, in the magazine '' Bentley's Miscellany''. It was originally intended to form part of Dickens's serial, '' The Mudfog Papers''.''Bentley's Miscellany'', 1837.
George Cruikshank George Cruikshank or Cruickshank ( ; 27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern William Hogarth, Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dicken ...
provided one steel etching per month to illustrate each instalment. The novel first appeared in book form six months before the initial serialisation was completed, in three volumes published by Richard Bentley, the owner of ''Bentley's Miscellany'', under the author's pseudonym, "Boz". It included 24 steel-engraved plates by Cruikshank. The first edition was titled: ''Oliver Twist, or, The Parish Boy's Progress''. Serial publication dates: * I: February 1837 (chapters 1–2) * II: March 1837 (chapters 3–4) * III: April 1837 (chapters 5–6) * IV: May 1837 (chapters 7–8) * V: July 1837 (chapters 9–11) * VI: August 1837 (chapters 12–13) * VII: September 1837 (chapters 14–15) * VIII: November 1837 (chapters 16–17) * IX: December 1837 (chapters 18–19) * X: January 1838 (chapters 20–22) * XI: February 1838 (chapters 23–25) * XII: March 1838 (chapters 26–27) * XIII: April 1838 (chapters 28–30) * XIV: May 1838 (chapters 31–32) * XV: June 1838 (chapters 33–34) * XVI: July 1838 (chapters 35–37) * XVII: August 1838 (chapters 38–part of 39) * XVIII: October 1838 (conclusion of chapters 39–41) * XIX: November 1838 (chapters 42–43) * XX: December 1838 (chapters 44–46) * XXI: January 1839 (chapters 47–49) * XXII: February 1839 (chapter 50) * XXIII: March 1839 (chapter 51) * XXIV: April 1839 (chapters 52–53)


Plot

Oliver Twist is born into a life of poverty and misfortune, raised in a
workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...
in a town some 70 miles from London. The children working there receive very little food; after six months, they draw lots, with the loser asking for another portion of gruel. Oliver is designated, and so he approaches the master of the workhouse, basin and spoon in hand, and says : 'Please, sir, I want some more'. A great uproar ensues at this perceived act of rebellion. Oliver is removed from the workhouse and put in solitary confinement; he is flogged every day by the beadle, Mr Bumble, of which three times a week in front of the other boys. After some time Oliver is offered at a premium as an
apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...
; he is taken on by Mr Sowerberry, an
undertaker A funeral director, also known as an undertaker or mortician (American English), is a professional who has licenses in funeral arranging and embalming (or preparation of the deceased) involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks o ...
. One day, his jealous co-apprentice, Noah Claypole, insults Oliver's mother and an enraged Oliver attacks him. When he is punished by Mr Bumble and Mr Sowerberry, Oliver runs away to London to seek a better life. Oliver meets a young man named Jack Dawkins who calls himself "the Artful Dodger", offers him food and lodging and takes him to meet an infamous criminal known as Fagin, who trains orphan boys as pickpockets. Oliver innocently begins Fagin's training, but when he goes out with the Dodger and another boy and sees them stealing a handkerchief from an old gentleman named Mr Brownlow, he realizes the truth. While the Dodger and the other boy escape, Oliver is pursued, apprehended, formally arrested and tried before Magistrate Fang. Interceding for Oliver, Brownlow takes him home and cares for him. As Oliver recovers, Brownlow and his housekeeper notice that Oliver resembles a woman depicted in a portrait hanging in Brownlow's home. Worried that Oliver might incriminate him and his gang, Fagin sends a young woman named Nancy and her abusive lover, the robber
Bill Sikes William Sikes is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists (alongside Monks) in the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. Sikes is a malicious criminal in Fagin's gang, and a vicious robber and murderer. Throughout much o ...
, to abduct Oliver and bring him back to Fagin's lair. Fagin forces him to participate in a burglary planned by Sikes. The robbery goes wrong; while Sikes escapes, Oliver, after having been wounded, ends up in the care of the people he was supposed to rob: Miss Rose and her guardian Mrs Maylie. A mysterious man, known only as "Monks", teams up with Fagin, to prevent Oliver from learning of his past. Monks bribes Mr Bumble and his new wife, the former Widow Corney, for information on Oliver. Together, they dispose of a ring and medallion that had once belonged to Oliver's mother and had been stolen from her after she died. Nancy, racked with guilt for her role in Oliver's kidnapping, secretly spies on them and passes the information on to Rose Maylie, who tells Mr Brownlow. Meanwhile, the Artful Dodger is arrested for pickpocketing, tried and sentenced to transportation to Australia. Noah Claypole, who had fled to London with the Sowerberrys' maid Charlotte after robbing Mr Sowerberry, joins Fagin's gang. Following Fagin's orders, he follows Nancy and discovers that she meets with Mr Brownlow and Rose for the sake of Oliver's welfare. Fearing that Nancy has betrayed him and Sikes (which, unknown to him, she has refused to do), Fagin passes the information on to Sikes, who beats Nancy to death in a fit of rage and goes into hiding. He is recognised by an angry mob and attempts to flee. Going to Toby Crackit's hideout, he learns that Fagin has been arrested. When the mob catches up to him, he tries to escape over the rooftops by swinging on a rope, but while he is about to loop the rope about himself a vision of the dead Nancy's staring eyes terrorises him into losing his balance; in the fall, the looped rope catches him around the neck and hangs him. Mr Brownlow has Monks arrested and forces him to divulge his secrets: he is actually Oliver's half-brother and had hoped to steal Oliver's half of their rightful inheritance. Brownlow begs Oliver to give half his inheritance to Monks and grant him a second chance, to which Oliver happily agrees. Monks emigrates to America, but squanders his money, relapses into crime and dies in prison. Fagin is arrested and sentenced to the gallows. The day before his execution, Oliver and Mr Brownlow visit him in Newgate Prison and learn the location of the documents proving Oliver's identity. Bumble and his wife lose their jobs and are forced to become inmates of the workhouse. Rose Maylie, who turns out to be Oliver's maternal aunt, marries and enjoys a long life. Oliver lives happily as Mr Brownlow's adopted son.


Characters

* Oliver Twist – an orphan child whose mother died at his birth * Mr Bumble – the
beadle A beadle, sometimes spelled bedel, is an official who may usher, keep order, make reports, and assist in religious functions; or a minor official who carries out various civil, educational or ceremonial duties on the manor. The term has pre- ...
of the parish where Oliver was born * Mrs Mann – the self-centred and greedy superintendent where the infant Oliver is placed until age 9 * Mr Sowerberry – an
undertaker A funeral director, also known as an undertaker or mortician (American English), is a professional who has licenses in funeral arranging and embalming (or preparation of the deceased) involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks o ...
who took Oliver as apprentice * Mrs Sowerberry – Mr Sowerberry's wife * Noah Claypole – a cowardly bully, Sowerberry's apprentice * Charlotte – the Sowerberrys' maid, lover of Noah * Mr Gamfield – a brutal chimney sweep in the town where Oliver was born * Mr Brownlow – a kind gentleman who takes Oliver in, his first benefactor * Mr Grimwig – a friend of Mr Brownlow, outwardly cynical, but really empathetic at heart * Mrs Bedwin – Mr Brownlow's motherly housekeeper * Rose Maylie – Oliver's second benefactor, later found to be his aunt * Mrs Lindsay Maylie – Harry Maylie's mother, Rose Maylie's adoptive aunt * Harry Maylie – Mrs Maylie's son, in love with Rose * Mr Losberne – Mrs Maylie's family doctor * Mr Giles – Mrs Maylie's butler * Mr Brittles – Mrs Maylie's handyman * Duff and Blathers – two incompetent policemen * Fagin – fence and boss of a criminal gang of young boys and girls *
Bill Sikes William Sikes is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists (alongside Monks) in the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. Sikes is a malicious criminal in Fagin's gang, and a vicious robber and murderer. Throughout much o ...
– a professional
burglar Burglary, also called breaking and entering (B&E) or housebreaking, is a property crime involving trespass to land, the illegal entry into a building or other area without permission, typically with the intention of committing a further criminal ...
* Bull's Eye – Bill Sikes's vicious dog * Jack Dawkins,
The Artful Dodger ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''Th ...
– Fagin's most adept pickpocket * Charley Bates – a pickpocket in Fagin's gang and the Artful Dodger's trusted sidekick * Toby Crackit – an associate of Fagin and Sikes, a house-breaker * Nancy – one of Fagin's gang, now living with Bill Sikes * Bet – a girl in Fagin's gang, sometime friend to Nancy * Barney – a Jewish criminal cohort of Fagin and Toby Crackit who speaks with a nasal intonation * Agnes Fleming – Oliver's mother and Rose Maylie's elder sister * Mr Edwin Leeford – father of Oliver and Monks * Old Sally – a nurse who attended Oliver's birth * Mrs Corney (later Mrs Bumble) – matron for the women's workhouse who marries Bumble but despises and dominates him * Monks – a sickly criminal, an associate of Fagin's, and long-lost half-brother of Oliver * Monks's mother – an heiress who did not love her husband * Mr Fang – a magistrate * Tom Chitling – one of Fagin's gang members, returned from prison


Major themes and symbols

In ''Oliver Twist'', Dickens mixes grim realism with merciless satire to describe the effects of industrialism on 19th-century England and to criticise the harsh new
Poor Laws The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief in England and Wales that developed out of the codification of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws in 1587–1598. The system continued until the modern welfare state emerged in the late 1940s. E ...
. Oliver, an innocent child, is trapped in a world where his only options seem to be the workhouse, a life of crime symbolised by Fagin's gang, a prison, or an early grave. From this unpromising industrial/institutional setting, however, a
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...
also emerges. In the midst of corruption and degradation, the essentially passive Oliver remains pure-hearted; he steers away from evil when those around him give in to it, and in proper fairy-tale fashion, he eventually receives his reward – leaving for a peaceful life in the country, surrounded by kind friends. On the way to this happy ending, Dickens explores the kind of life an outcast, orphan boy could expect to lead in 1830s London.


Poverty and social class

Poverty is a prominent concern in ''Oliver Twist''. Throughout the novel, Dickens enlarged on this theme, describing slums so decrepit that whole rows of houses are on the point of ruin. In an early chapter, Oliver attends a pauper's funeral with Mr Sowerberry and sees a whole family crowded together in one miserable room. This prevalent misery makes Oliver's encounters with charity and love more poignant. Oliver owes his life several times over to kindness both large and small.


Symbolism

Dickens makes considerable use of symbolism. The "merry old gentleman" Fagin, for example, has satanic characteristics: he is a veteran corrupter of young boys who presides over his own corner of the criminal world; he makes his first appearance standing over a fire holding a toasting fork, and he refuses to pray on the night before his execution.


Characters

In the tradition of Restoration Comedy and
Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English writer and magistrate known for the use of humour and satire in his works. His 1749 comic novel ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'' was a seminal work in the genre. Along wi ...
, Dickens fits his characters with appropriate names. Oliver himself, though "badged and ticketed" as a lowly orphan and named according to an alphabetical system, is, in fact, "all of a twist." However, Oliver and his name may have been based on a young workhouse boy named Peter Tolliver whom Dickens knew while growing up. Bill Sikes's dog, Bull's-eye, has "faults of temper in common with his owner" and is an emblem of his owner's character. The dog's viciousness represents Sikes's animal-like brutality while Sikes's self-destructiveness is evident in the dog's many scars. The dog, with its willingness to harm anyone on Sikes's whim, shows the mindless brutality of the master. This is also illustrated when Bull's-eye dies immediately after his master. Nancy, by contrast, redeems herself at the cost of her own life and dies in a prayerful pose. She is one of the few characters in ''Oliver Twist'' to display much ambivalence. Her storyline in the novel strongly reflects themes of
domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
and
psychological abuse Psychological abuse, often known as emotional abuse or mental abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another person to a behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including Anxiety disorder, anxiety, c ...
at the hands of Bill. Although Nancy is a full-fledged criminal, indoctrinated and trained by Fagin since childhood, she retains enough empathy to repent her role in Oliver's kidnapping, and to take steps to try to atone. As one of Fagin's victims, corrupted but not yet morally dead, she gives eloquent voice to the horrors of the old man's little criminal empire. She wants to save Oliver from a similar fate; at the same time, she recoils from the idea of turning traitor, especially to Bill Sikes, whom she loves. When Dickens was later criticised for giving to a "thieving, whoring slut of the streets" such an unaccountable reversal of character, he ascribed her change of heart to "the last fair drop of water at the bottom of a dried-up, weed-choked well".


Allegations of antisemitism

Dickens has been accused of portraying antisemitic stereotypes because of his portrayal of the Jewish character Fagin in ''Oliver Twist''. Paul Vallely writes that Fagin is widely seen as one of the most grotesque Jews in English literature, and one of the most vivid of Dickens's 989 characters. Nadia Valman, in ''Antisemitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution'', argues that Fagin's representation was drawn from the image of the Jew as inherently evil, that the imagery associated him with the Devil, and with beasts. The novel refers to Fagin 274 times in the first 38 chapters as "the Jew", while the ethnicity or religion of the other characters is rarely mentioned. In 1854, '' The Jewish Chronicle'' asked why "Jews alone should be excluded from the 'sympathizing heart' of this great author and powerful friend of the oppressed." Dickens (who had extensive knowledge of London street life and child exploitation) explained that he had made Fagin Jewish because "it unfortunately was true, of the time to which the story refers, that that class of criminal almost invariably was a Jew." It is widely believed that Fagin was based on a specific Jewish criminal of the era, Ikey Solomon. Dickens commented that by calling Fagin a Jew he had meant no imputation against the Jewish people, saying in a letter, "I have no feeling towards the Jews but a friendly one. I always speak well of them, whether in public or private, and bear my testimony (as I ought to do) to their perfect good faith in such transactions as I have ever had with them." Eliza Davis, whose husband had purchased Dickens's home in 1860 when he had put it up for sale, wrote to Dickens in protest at his portrayal of Fagin, arguing that he had "encouraged a vile prejudice against the despised Hebrew", and that he had done a great wrong to the Jewish people. While Dickens first reacted defensively upon receiving Davis's letter, he then halted the printing of ''Oliver Twist'', and changed the text for the parts of the book that had not been set, which explains why after the first 38 chapters Fagin is barely called "the Jew" at all in the next 179 references to him. A shift in his perspective is seen in his later novel '' Our Mutual Friend'', as he redeems the image of Jews.


Reception

Contemporary reviewers including John Forster and the '' Literary Gazette'' praised the book for its realistic depiction of social conditions. However others such as
Richard Ford Richard Ford (born February 16, 1944) is an American novelist and short story author, and writer of a series of novels featuring the character Frank Bascombe. Ford's first collection of short stories, ''Rock Springs (short stories), Rock Springs ...
considered it an exaggeration of poverty.


Audio recordings

Dickens's novel has been recorded many times as an audiobook. Notable recordings include: *An audio dramatization titled ''The Adventures of Oliver Twist And Fagin'' starring Basil Rathbone as both The Narrator and Fagin was released by Columbia Masterworks Records (MM-700) in a 3-disc 75rpm set in 1947. This was later re-released by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
in 33rpm format in 1955 (CL 674) and again in 1977 (P13902). *
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
released an abridged recording of the novel narrated by James Mason (DL 9107) in 1962. * Anthony Quayle narrated Chapters One, Two, Eight and Nine of the novel on a Caedmon Records recording (TC 1484) released in 1976. * Paul Scofield narrated an abridged version in 1987 for Dove Audio. *An abridged version narrated by Martin Jarvis was released on audio cassette in 1994, later on CD, as part of the ''Talking Classics'' series (TC NCC 004) by Orbis. Mr. Jarvis later narrated an unabridged version in 2006 for Audible Studios. * Alex Jennings narrated an abridged version in 1995 for Penguin Audiobooks. *
Miriam Margolyes Miriam Margolyes ( ; born 18 May 1941) is a British and Australian actress. Known for her work as a character actor across film, television, and stage, she received the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Mingott in Marti ...
narrated an unabridged version in 2005 for Blackstone Audio. *Gerald Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, narrated an unabridged version in 2011. *
Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nom ...
narrated an unabridged version in 2019 for Audible Studios as part of ''The Audible Dickens Collection''.


Film, television, radio and theatrical adaptations


Film

* '' Oliver Twist'' (1909), the first adaptation of Dickens's novel, a silent film starring Edith Storey and Elita Proctor Otis. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1912), a British silent film adaptation, directed by
Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley may refer to: * Thomas Bentley (director) Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sou ...
. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1912), an American silent film adaptation starring Nat C. Goodwin. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1916), a silent film adaptation, starring Marie Doro and Tully Marshall. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1919), a silent Hungarian film adaptation. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1922), a silent film adaptation featuring Lon Chaney and Jackie Coogan. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1933), the first sound production of the novel. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1948), directed by
David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...
and starring
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...
as Fagin. * '' Manik'' (1961), a Bengali film directed by Bijalibaran Sen, and starring Pahari Sanyal, Chhabi Biswas, Sombhu Mitra and Tripti Mitra. * '' Oliver!'' (1968), a British musical adaptation, winner in the Best Picture category at the
41st Academy Awards The 41st Academy Awards were presented on April 14, 1969, to honor the films of 1968. They were the first Oscars to be staged at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, and the first with no host since the 20th Academy Awards. '' Oliver!'' ...
. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1974), an animated film co-written by Ben Starr. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1982), an Australian animated film. * '' Las Aventuras de Oliver Twist'' (1987), a Mexican animated film. * '' Oliver & Company'' (1988), a Disney full-length animated feature which resets the tale to modern-day New York City, with Oliver (voiced by Joey Lawrence) portrayed as an orphaned kitten, the Dodger as a street-wise
terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, game, and fearless. There are fi ...
mongrel (voiced by
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
), and Fagin (voiced by Dom DeLuise) as a homeless tramp who lives on the docks with his pack of stray dogs that he trains to steal so he can survive and repay his debt to loan shark Sykes (voiced by Robert Loggia). * '' Twisted'' (1996), an independent film directed by Seth Michael Donsky, starring Billy Porter and William Hickey, which sets the story to the gay underground subculture of New York City in the 1990s. * '' Oliver Twist'' (1997), directed by Tony Bill and starring
Richard Dreyfuss Richard Stephen Dreyfuss ( ; Dreyfus; born October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He emerged from the New Hollywood wave of American cinema, finding fame with a succession of leading man parts in the 1970s. He has received an Academy Award, a ...
as Fagin and
Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. Wood made his film debut with a minor part in ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989) at the age of eight and achieved recognition in the early 1990s as a child acto ...
as the Dodger. * '' Twist'' (2003), an independent film loosely based on the novel, as it tells the tale not from Oliver's point of view, but from the Dodger. * '' Boy Called Twist'' (2004), a
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
n movie which resets the story to modern-day
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
and turns Fagin into an
Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...
Rastafari Rastafari is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion. There is no central authori ...
an. * '' Oliver Twist'' (2005), directed by
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
and starring Barney Clark as Oliver and
Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley, various accolades throughout Ben Kingsley on screen and stage, his career spanning fi ...
as Fagin. * '' Twist'' (2021), a modern-day version directed by Martin Owen, and starring
Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...
as Fagin, with Lena Headey and
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...
cast as female renditions of Bill Sikes and the Dodger respectively.


Television

* 1962: '' Oliver Twist'', a 13-episode
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
serial directed by Eric Tayler, starring Max Adrian as Fagin, Willoughby Goddard as Mr Bumble and Peter Vaughan as Bill Sikes. * 1980: ''The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist'', a British television series set as a sequel, with Daniel Murray as Oliver, John Fowler as The Artful Dodger and David Swift as Fagin. * 1982: '' Oliver Twist'', a TV movie directed by Clive Donner, starring George C. Scott as Fagin and Tim Curry as Bill Sikes. * 1985: '' Oliver Twist'', a 12-episode
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
drama directed by Gareth Davies, starring
Eric Porter Eric Richard Porter (8 April 192815 May 1995) was an English actor of stage, film and television. Early life Porter was born in Shepherd's Bush, London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdo ...
and Michael Attwell. * 1999: ''Oliver Twist'', an ITV drama adaptation starring Andy Serkis and
Keira Knightley Keira Christina Knightley ( ; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters, particularly Historical drama, period dramas, she has received List of awards and no ...
. * 2007: '' Oliver Twist'', a 5-episode
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
drama directed by Coky Giedroyc, starring Timothy Spall, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Edward Fox,
Anna Massey Anna Raymond Massey (11 August 19373 July 2011) was an English actress. She won a British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Best Actress Award for the role of Edith Hope in the Hotel du Lac (film), 1986 TV adaptation of Anita Brookner's novel ''Hotel ...
and Tom Hardy. * 1996–97: '' Saban's Adventures of Oliver Twist'', a 52-episode animated American-French co-production where the story is downplayed for younger viewers, in which Oliver loses his mother in a crowd rather than being dead and the characters are represented by anthropomorphic animals. Oliver in this version is a young dog. * 2001: '' Escape of the Artful Dodger'', an Australian TV series set as a sequel, where Dodger and Oliver are sent to the colony of Australia. * 2020: The ''
Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American Animated series, animated Comedy television, comedy Musical film, musical television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation. It originally aired on Fox Broadcasting Company ...
'' 2020 revival featured a two-part parody of the story titled "Wakkiver Twist" in season 2, featuring Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner playing the roles of a trio version of Oliver while Fagin is played by the Warners' usual
foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
, Dr. Otto von Scratchansniff. * 2022: '' Dodger,'' a British TV series produced for
CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...
, set as a prequel, where Dodger joins Fagin's gang. * 2023: ''
The Artful Dodger ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''Th ...
,'' an Australian TV series produced for
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, a sequel where Dodger is sent to the colony of Australia, starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster.


Radio

* 1928, BBC Liverpool, with Olive Worthington (Oliver Twist), J.P. Lambe (Fagin), Walter Shore (The Artful Dodger), Mrs Fred Wilkinson (Nancy) and Philip H. Harper (Bill Sikes) * 1934, BBC Regional Programme, adapted by J. Comyns Carr, with Desmond Tester (Oliver Twist), Harcourt Williams (Fagin), Frederick Peisley (The Artful Dodger), Barbara Couper (Nancy) and Matthew Boulton (Bill Sikes) * 1941–42,
BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...
in 8 parts, adapted by Audrey Lucas, with David Baxter (Oliver Twist), Malcolm Keen (Fagin), Leonard Thorne (The Artful Dodger), Belle Chrystall (Nancy) and Allan Jeaves (Bill Sikes) * 1947, NBC Radio, '' Favorite Story'', broadcast 29 April 1947, hosted by
Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor who started his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then emigrated to the United States where he had a highly successful Cinema of the United ...
with Henry Blair, Arthur Q. Bryan, Gloria Gordon, Edmund MacDonald, Peter Rankin and Virginia Gregg * 1952,
BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...
in 12 parts, adapted by Giles Cooper, with Wilfrid Downing (Oliver Twist), John Gabriel (Fagin), Brian Smith (The Artful Dodger), Helen Shingler (Nancy) and Ralph Truman (Bill Sikes) * 1970,
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
in 12 parts, adapted Giles Cooper, with Stephen Bone (Oliver Twist), Peter Woodthorpe (Fagin), Dennis Conoley (The Artful Dodger), Patricia Leventon (Nancy) and John Hollis (Bill Sikes) * 1994,
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
in 6 parts, adapted and directed by Nigel Bryant, with Edward Long (Oliver Twist), John Grillo (Fagin), Richard Pearce (The Artful Dodger), Adjoa Andoh (Nancy) and Tim McInnerny (Bill Sikes) * 2012,
Focus on the Family Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is an American Christian fundamentalism, Evangelical Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of Evangel ...
Radio Theatre produced a dramatized version of the story with Joseph Holgate (Oliver Twist), Henry Goodman (Fagin), Lee Boardman (Bil Sikes), Honeysuckle Weeks (Nancy), and Geoffrey Palmer (Mr. Brownlow)


Theatre

* In 1838 Charles Zachary Barnett's adaptation, the three-act burletta ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'' opened at the Marylebone Theatre in London. * '' Oliver!'', a 1960
West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...
stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
adaptation by
Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was an English writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work ...
. The original cast featured Ron Moody as Fagin (he would reprise the role for the film adaptation), and boys who alternated in the juvenile lead of the Artful Dodger included
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
and Davy Jones. Many songs are well known to the public, such as " Food, Glorious Food", " Consider Yourself" and " I'd Do Anything". * ''Oliver Twist'' is a 2017 stage adaptation of the novel written by Anya Reiss which premiered at the Regent's Park Theatre. The show was directed by Caroline Byrne.


See also

* * * Charles Dickens bibliography *
Child labour Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation w ...


References


External links

; Online versions
Oliver Twist to read online at Bookwise
*
Manuscript material and articles relating to ''Oliver Twist''
from the British Library's Discovering Literature website.
''Oliver Twist''
at
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
*
''Oliver Twist''
in PDF, epub, Kindle formats at Global Grey ebooks *
''Oliver Twist, or, The Parish Boy's Progress''
Typeset PDF version, including the illustrations of James Mahoney (1871 Household Edition by
Chapman & Hall Chapman & Hall is an imprint owned by CRC Press, originally founded as a British publishing house in London in the first half of the 19th century by Edward Chapman and William Hall. Chapman & Hall were publishers for Charles Dickens (from 1840 ...
). ; Critical analysis
When Is a Book Not a Book? ''Oliver Twist'' in Context, a seminar by Robert Patten
from the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

Background information and plot summary for ''Oliver Twist'', with links to other resources

Article in ''British Medical Journal'' on Oliver Twist's diet
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