|
 Oliver | An orphan endowed with a natural goodness and an instinct for survival, is the protagonist of the novel who fights against the forces of evil to establish his identity in a moral world. |
| Mr. Brownlow | A respectable gentlemen, belonging to the middle class rescues Oliver from the criminals and later adopts him as his son. |
| Rose | A young maiden who is beautiful, kind and large-hearted is Oliver's well-wisher and showers her affection on him. She lives with Mrs. Maylie as her ward. |
| Fagin | A stereotyped portrait of a Jew, he is lord of the underworld, wily and greedy and feels delighted to lure young men into his profession. |
| Mr. Sikes | A crude and cruel man, he is an accomplice of Fagin and the boyfriend of Nancy. |
| Nancy | A crude and cruel man, he is an accomplice of Fagin and the boyfriend of Nancy. |
| Noah Claypole | A charity boy working for Mr. Sowerberry, is responsible for Oliver's Flight to London. Later, he works for Fagin. |
| Mr. Bumble | A charity boy working for Mr. Sowerberry, is responsible for Oliver's Flight to London. Later, he works for Fagin. |
| Monks | Oliver's half-brother and his antagonist, is an embodiment of evil. |
| John Dawkins | Oliver's half-brother and his antagonist, is an embodiment of evil. |
| Charley Bates | A fun-loving thief, is Dodger's companion. |
| Tom Chitling | A member of the criminal world, returns to Fagin's den after a term of imprisonment." |
| Toby Crackit | A housebreaker and an accomplice of Sikes, is a cheerful drinker. |
| Barney | Toby Crackit's servant. |
| Charlotte | Noah Claypole's girl-friend, is devoted to her man and is willing to be his accomplice in crime. |
| Betsy | Noah Claypole's girl-friend, is devoted to her man and is willing to be his accomplice in crime. |
| Mrs. Corney | The stern matron of the workhouse who marries Mr. Bumble, reveals Oliver's secret to Monks. |
| Mr. Grimwig | A friend of Mr. Brownlow, who doubts Oliver's integrity. |
| Mrs. Bedwin | The housekeeper for Mr. Brownlow, who champions Oliver's integrity. |
| Harry Maylie | The housekeeper for Mr. Brownlow, who champions Oliver's integrity. |
| Mrs. Maylie | A kind, good natured woman and the guardian of Rose who becomes Oliver's companion. |
| Mr. Gamfield | A greedy chimney-sweeper, tries to take Oliver as his apprentice. |
| Mr. Sowerberry | The undertaker who makes Oliver his apprentice, is the first man who favors Oliver. |
| Mrs. Sowerberry | The imposing wife of the undertaker, who ill-treats Oliver. |
| Mrs. Mann | The matron of the farm workhouse, who abuses children and pockets their stipends. |
| Old Sally | The nurse who attended on Oliver's mother, and who reveals the secret of his birth to Mrs. Corney. |
| Dick | A sick child brought up in the farm workhouse, whose blessing Oliver carries to London and cherishes all his life. |
| full title | Oliver Twist: The Parish Boy's Progress |
| author | Charles Dickens |
| genre | Children's story; detective story; novel of social protest |
| narrator | Anonymous narrator |
| point of view | The narrator is third person omniscient, and assumes the points of view of various characters in turn. The narrator's tone is not objective; it is sympathetic to the protagonists and far less so to the novel's other characters. When dealing with hypocritical or morally objectionable characters, the narrative voice is often ironic or sarcastic. |
| tone | Sentimental, sometimes ironic, hyperbolic, crusading |
| setting (time) | 1830s |
| setting (place) | London and environs; an unnamed smaller English city; the English countryside |
| protagonist | Oliver Twist |
| major conflict | Although Oliver is fundamentally righteous, the social environment in which he is raised encourages thievery and prostitution. Oliver struggles to find his identity and rise above the abject conditions of the lower class. |
| rising action | Oliver is taken care of by a gang of London thieves, but refuses to participate in their thievery. An upper-class family takes him in, but the thieves and a mysterious character, Monks, continue to pursue him. |
| climax | Nancy is murdered for disclosing Monks's plans to Oliver's guardians. Mr. Brownlow gets the full story of Oliver's origins from Monks. |
| falling action | Fagin is executed and Sikes dies; Oliver and his new family live out their days in happiness. |
| themes | The failures of charity; the folly of individualism; purity in a corrupt city; the countryside idealized |
| motifs | Disguised or mistaken identities; hidden family relationships; surrogate families; Oliver's face |
| symbols | Characters' names; Bull's-eye; London Bridge |
| foreshadowing | The truth about Oliver's parentage is foreshadowed by the portrait in Mr. Brownlow's house, by the locket that Old Sally has stolen, and by Monks's pursuit of Oliver. |