OLIVER TWISTOLIVER TWIST

CHARLES DICKENSCHARLES DICKENS He didn’t go to the school until the age of

nine. He loved reading. At the age of 12, he started to work in a

factory of shoe polish. He get married with Catherine Thompson

Hogarth and they had 10 children. He was a judicial shorthand writer, political

journalist, publisher editor, director and dramatic actor.

He got a divorce from his wife and then he fell in love with María Beadmell

He wrote many books in his live: Bleak House , Hard Times, Dombey and Son …

CHARACTERS CHARACTERS Oliver Twist is the protagonist of the book, he is an

orphan child, he has to live a very hard life, he was poor and he was always hungry. He was a good boy because he chose the way of the good in the life.

The Artful Dodger. He is a bad boy. He was orphan like Oliver and he was helping Fagin to steal. He was the culprit of Nancy’s death because he betrayed her.

Fagin was one of the chiefs of the group of thieves. He had a lot of money. He deceived the small orphan children in order that they stole and he remained with the money and the jewels. He was wicked and he was the antagonist of the book.

Bill Sikes was another thief, he was helping Fagin, he was very cruel and perverse. He killed his girlfriend.

CHARACTERSCHARACTERS

Nancy was Bill Sikes’ girlfriend. Initially she helped his boyfriend to capture Oliver. Finally she helped Oliver to discover his origin. She was a very good woman, she was murdered by her boyfriend.

Monks was Oliver’s step-brother. He was bad. He wanted to prevent Oliver to discover who was his father to have his inheritance.

Mr. Brownlow helped Oliver very much. He was his father’s best friend . Thanks to him he could find who was his father and what happened in the past.

Rose Maylie was a good and humble woman. She also helped Oliver very much, she was in love with Henry (he had a better social class).

SU

MM

AR

Y O

F

SU

MM

AR

Y O

F

OLIV

ER

TW

IST

OLIV

ER

TW

IST

One day a woman gave birth a child in a housework, she died immediately afterwards. This child suffered very much in his live. One day he escaped to London, Artful Dodger put him in his band of thieves organized by Fagin. One day he was taken by the police for stealing Mr Brownlow, he felt pity for Oliver and he offered his house to Oliver. Then Nancy (Bill Sikes’ girlfriend who was a friend of Fagin) and Bill caught him and the following day they went to rob in a house but the owners saw the thieves and they shot Oliver. Oliver asked for help to this house, in the house a doctor cure Oliver, he told them his story and they were fond of Oliver. Nancy heard that Monks knew things of Oliver's past and wanted to hide them, she decided to help Oliver, and she told it to Rose (one of the women who helped Oliver)

Fagin thought that Nancy was rare and he order Arfult that he were spying her. Fagin found out that she was telling Mr Brownlow and Rose the story of Oliver. When Bill found out he got angry and killed her. Mr Brownlow met Monks and his father and he went to speak with him, he didn’t tell him anything but he knew that his father had separated and that he was with another woman, she was pregnant. She went away because it was a dishonor and Oliver’s father changed his will to give money to Oliver and his mum, but before he wrote this, he died. Then Rose told Oliver that she was his aunt. Mr Brownlow adopted Oliver and treated him as a son.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

This century is characterized by big changes in the industry and in the transport that were allowing the evolution of the society to improve. A part of the population had got more money than the other, but in this century many people were improving their standard of living ascending up to the middle class, also in this century emphasized a lot the presence of bourgeoisie that was the group of people that possesses more money. Nonetheless there were many people that were in misery, who were hungry and suffering penuries.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

a. a. The back cover of the reader tells us: “. . . Oliver Twist is the remarkable story of an innocent boy trapped in London’s criminal world . . .”. Describe two incidents when Oliver is involved, against his will, in the criminal world.

Oliver didn’t want to rob a house but Fain forced him. Oliver wanted to return the old books to Mr Brownlow but Fagin took them away so that he was considered a thief.

b. b. Oliver was helped in various ways by different people. Name two people who were kind to him and explain how they helped him.

Mr Brownlow and Rose gave refuge to Oliver in their houses and they helped Oliver to descuber his origin.

Fagin is a dangerous man of 1,60 of stature. He has got beard and moustache, his eyebrows are big. The last time that he was seen he was wearing an old blue suit. This man was forcing children to steal the people and he maltreated the children. If someone finds him alive he o she will have a reward of 2000 Euros.

WANTED FAGINWANTED FAGIN

THE WORKHOUSESTHE WORKHOUSES

The workhouses were places where many children without house lived in bad conditions, hungry and without adequate clothes; because there wasn’t any control in this aspects. The children didn’t receive a good psychological intercourse because the people in charge didn’t care about the conditions of the children. The problem of this was that people gave money to the person in charge but they didn’t control if this money was used adequately. They had to have surprise visits at the workhouse to check the conditions of the children. Every person had to agree with these children and give money and help to the workhouses.

INTERVIEW NANCYINTERVIEW NANCY

Hello Nancy, we know that you helped Oliver why?

When I met Oliver I thought this boy was a good person and that he shouldn't stay here. I heard Fagin talking with Monks and I thought “this is the moment to help Oliver”

But you knew that if Fagin or Bill discovered you, you will have problems, did you think about this?

Yes, but I couldn’t continue seeing how Oliver was maltreated and thinking that I could avoid that.

Thank you so much for answering my questions.