Orphaned by his mother's death in childbirth and his father's mysterious
absence, Oliver spends the first nine years of his life in the care of
Mrs Mann. He is later sent to a workhouse and from there escapes to
London. He meets Artful Dodger in London and continues his adventures
there. The story is an example of Dickens' social novel satirising the
hypocrisies of his time, including child labour, the recruitment of
children as criminals, and the presence of street children.