Oliver Twist is a story of a young orphan, Oliver, and his attempts
to stay good in a depraved society. The book exposes the miseries
of poverty and its degrading effects through society. Oliver
embodies innocence and incorruptibility. He was born and raised
in a workhouse, then forced to live with a group of petty criminals
and finally was adopted by a generous old man to live with him
happily. He faces many obstacles and lives through many horrors
throughout the novel.
The cruelty of institutions and bureaucracies towards the
unfortunate is perhaps the pre-eminent theme of the book, and
essentially what makes it a social novel. Like a true Dickensian
narrative, the dichotomy between Good and Evil are very clearly
marked out. The story with many twists and turns keeps the
reader engaged and imparts hope that benevolence can overcome
and depravity.