Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens | Chapters 49–50

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Chapters 49–50 of Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist.

Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan boy in early Victorian England, when the poor were treated like criminals.

After escaping the confines of a workhouse, orphan Oliver is almost immediately ensnared by the devious Fagin. Fagin seeks to employ him and other children as pickpockets. Oliver is aided by several of his well-intentioned victims and ultimately escapes a life of crime when he comes into an inheritance.

His path to fulfillment is rife with topical impediments: the Victorian era was one of class strife and the exploitation of children was far from rare. Nearly thwarted by his enemies, he exhibits the spritely intelligence and resourcefulness typical of Dickens's beloved protagonists and perseveres against the odds.

Oliver Twist was first published in 1837-39. Charles Dickens, a prolific Victorian author, loved a rags to riches story. Perhaps most emblematic of this fixation is the titular hero of Oliver Twist. Rife with quirky villains, saintly saviors, and ingenious urchins, Oliver Twist embodies the timelessly enchanting sagas for which the premier novelist of the Victorian age is known.

The novel Oliver Twist contains many powerful themes, including poverty, as society punishes rather than helps the poor. Virtue versus evil is another important theme, as Oliver’s virtuous heart proves incorruptible and the evildoers are punished. Criminality is also explored, as the poor are often forced into a life of crime. Important symbols include obesity, the countryside, and darkness.

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