Oliver Twist

Edwin Leeford, a country landowner, is summoned to Rome by a dying uncle who intends to leave him a fortune as compensation for Edwin's unhappy marriage. Elizabeth follows him abroad and murders him in Rome. With Edwin dead and wealth to be inherited, Elizabeth plots to shape the future of their son, setting in motion years of intrigue.

Agnes becomes pregnant and discovers Edwin is already married to Elizabeth Leeford. She lives with her widowed father, a former sea captain, and her younger sister Rose. The revelation intensifies the tragedy surrounding the Leeford fortune.

Following Edwin's murder and the acquisition of his wealth, Elizabeth intensifies her scheming to control the Leeford estate. Agnes travels to a town seeking some independence, but she collapses and dies in childbirth. Her baby is christened Oliver Twist.

Oliver is moved back to the workhouse at the age of nine, where he endures hunger, beatings, and brutal labor. The workhouse board decides he must be apprenticed away to someone who can profit from him. The system treats him as just another charge.

Oliver is apprenticed to Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker; Sowerberry is partly sympathetic, but his wife and the household subject Oliver to further cruelty. The arrangement marks the start of his life among the poor and the vulnerable.

Oliver escapes from the workhouse and travels to London. There he meets the Artful Dodger, who guides him to a den of young thieves under Fagin. Fagin teaches Oliver the tricks of slipping through crowds and lifting coins.

Fagin oversees the young gang and instructs Oliver in petty theft. Monks, Edwin Leeford's hidden son, allies with Fagin to turn Oliver into a symbol of public disgrace. Their plot aims to keep Oliver from claiming the Leeford inheritance.

Oliver is shuffled toward Brownlow, a kindly gentleman and executor of the will. A bookstore owner's testimony ultimately clears Oliver of suspicion. Brownlow welcomes Oliver into his home, offering kindness and protection.

Oliver is briefly kidnapped by Sikes and Toby Crackit and dragged back into Fagin's circle. Brownlow's friends and Mrs. Bedwin defend Oliver against the gang. Oliver's trust in kindness remains a thread amidst increasing danger.

A country-house robbery erupts, and Oliver is caught in the chaos; he is shot during the getaway. Sikes vanishes into the night, leaving Oliver in the care of Mrs. Bedwin as Brownlow returns to his estate. The line between criminal and innocent blurs in the confusion.

Nancy confesses the full conspiracy to Brownlow and Rose, breaking with Fagin and Sikes. Brownlow and Rose race to prevent Monks from seizing Oliver's inheritance. The revelation recalibrates the truth about Oliver's lineage.

Sikes dies after clinging to a rooftop and falling to his death; Fagin is arrested after Oliver and Charley Bates spot him and oppose the gang. The criminals' grip on Oliver loosens as law closes in. Brownlow, Rose, and Oliver begin to see justice near.

Edward Leeford, known as Monks, is pressed to confess his part in the plot. He describes his childhood trauma and the lengths he went to in order to dam Oliver's future. Monks emigrates to the Caribbean, marrying and starting a new life away from the Leeford feud.

The long-unmailed letter from Edwin to Agnes, hidden for years, is finally revealed. Brownlow shares the contents with Oliver, clarifying Oliver's true lineage and the family’s hidden past. The revelation reshapes Oliver's identity and his prospects.

Rose marries Dr. Losberne, and Oliver attends the wedding as a member of Brownlow's household. Charley Bates has reformed and found work nearby. The narrative closes with justice and compassion triumphing over decades of misfortune, uniting Oliver with his broader family.