A young woman dies in childbirth, shaping the fate of a newborn who will grow up under harsh conditions. The moment of birth is observed by Mr. Bumble, a stern, unyielding keeper of the local workhouse for orphans. With no knowledge of the mother's identity, he names the infant Oliver Twist.
Oliver Twist, Robin Stewart grows up in a life of grueling labor and strict schooling, his meals nothing more than a single bowl of gruel served at night. When a friend named Dick devours his own bowl and still asks for more, Oliver makes a selfless offer of his own portion, a gesture that inflames Bumble and leads to Oliver being apprenticed to Mr. Sowerberry, a local undertaker.
Life at Sowerberry’s is hardly better than the workhouse. Oliver sleeps on a bare bench and subsists on scraps that even the dogs won’t eat. He becomes the target of cruelty from Noah Claypole, a teenage helper who taunts him about his dead mother. Oliver’s temper finally erupts when he strikes Claypole, breaking his nose, and Sowerberry, siding with Claypole, threatens to return Oliver to the workhouse the very next day.
Rather than return, Oliver slips away that evening and wanders the streets until he meets the Artful Dodger, who invites him to stay with a group led by the sly yet soft-hearted Fagin. Oliver enters a new world among thieves: Bill Sikes, a violent drunk who manages the street gang, the caring but complicated Nancy, and others who use Oliver for their own ends. Nancy, who feels protective toward him, tries to shield Oliver, but her loyalties pull her into danger, and she is eventually murdered by Sikes.
Oliver’s vocation in the gang becomes clear when Sikes forces him to assist on a countryside burglary. During the break-in, Oliver is shot. He is then found and taken in by an elderly man, Mr. Brownlow, his niece Rose Maylie, and the loyal housekeeper Mrs. Bedwin, who nurse him back to health. They also notice a striking resemblance between Oliver and a portrait of a woman on Brownlow’s wall — a clue that tethers Oliver to a larger past.
The mystery deepens when Monks, another of Fagin’s associates, learns that he and Oliver are half-brothers and that their father left a will in Oliver’s favor. Brownlow proves to be a friend of Oliver’s late father, and he possesses the original will and a painted portrait of Oliver’s mother. Brownlow undertakes his own investigation to uncover the truth behind the boy’s birth and the inhumane conditions of the workhouse, as well as Bumble’s theft of funds meant for the poor. When the truth about Oliver’s identity comes to light, Monks is imprisoned, and Bumble and his wife face the consequences of their deeds.
With the mystery resolved, Brownlow and Rose reassure Oliver that he is no longer a foundling but a boy with a rightful identity. The story closes as they all prepare to travel back to Brownlow’s estate, where Oliver will begin to build a future rooted in belonging and care rather than fear.
