Oliver Twist Chapter 2 | Shmoop (2024)

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Chapter 2

"Treats of Oliver Twist’s Growth, Education, and Board"

  • Oliver gets sent out to be "farmed" because there isn’t a wet nurse to be found at the workhouse after his mother dies.
  • Dickens treats us to a scathingly ironic description of the wretched conditions at the baby farm run by Mrs. Mann.
  • Now, allow us to interrupt our scheduled program for a Historical Context Lesson: "baby farms" like Mrs. Mann’s actually existed, and the worst ones had mortality rates as high as 90%. Put differently, that would mean that only 1 baby in 10 would survive infancy at a baby farm like Mrs. Mann’s.
  • But back to the story: Oliver survives infancy, if he doesn’t thrive. He’s now eight years old (wow, eight years in two chapters!) and he’s a "pale, thin child, somewhat diminutive in stature, and decidedly small in circumference" (2.4). Apparently, Mrs. Mann doesn’t feed the babies very much; she pockets the extra money she should have been spending on their food and clothing. Sounds like a fun lady.
  • Mr. Bumble, the Beadle, comes to inspect the baby farm. Time for another Historical Context Lesson (there will be fewer as we go along): in the Church of England, a beadle was somebody who worked for the parish and was in charge of charity (i.e., the workhouse and the orphanages). In Judaism, beadles were assistants at the synagogue (like the character Moshe the Beadle in Night by Elie Wiesel).
  • And now back to our regularly scheduled programming: Mr. Bumble arrives at Mrs. Mann’s baby farm, and over a glass of gin and water with a spoonful of sugar (don’t try this at home; we do not recommend it), we learn something new about Oliver’s name—it was "inwented" by Mr. Bumble, to use his phrase (2.22). For more on the possible implications of Oliver’s name, check out the "Character Analysis" section.
  • Mr. Bumble plans to take Oliver back to the workhouse with him because, at age eight, he’s old enough to start working.
  • Oliver is cleaned up (sort of) and is taken before the parish board and questioned about his religion, and we learn that he’s never been taught any religion at all, even though he’s been brought up by the parish and associated with the Church of England his whole life (check out the "Religion" section in "Themes").
  • He’ll start learning how to pick oakum the next morning at the workhouse. ("Picking oakum" involves picking the fibrous bits out of old rope for use in other things. We’ve never tried it ourselves, but we imagine it to be very, very dull work.)
  • Oliver and the other young boys in the workhouse are close to starvation, because they’re given only one ounce of watery gruel for each meal.
  • The boys draw straws to decide who’s going to ask for more to eat. Oliver gets the short end of that stick, and we get the famous scene of Oliver asking for more. This is also the first illustration by George Cruikshank. If you’re using an edition that doesn’t include the illustrations, we recommend looking them up online (check out the "images" links), or in another edition—they’re part of what made the novel so famous.
  • Apparently asking for more to eat is an unforgivable offense—the man in the white waistcoat is so shocked that he prophesies that Oliver "will be hung […] I know that boy will be hung" (2.72).
See Also
Mrs. Bedwin

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Oliver Twist Chapter 2 | Shmoop (1)

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Oliver Twist Chapter 2 | Shmoop (2024)

FAQs

What happens in chapter 2 of Oliver Twist? ›

Summary: Chapter 2

On Oliver's ninth birthday, Mr. Bumble, a minor church official known as the parish beadle, informs Mrs. Mann that Oliver is too old to stay at her establishment. Since no one has been able to discover his mother's or father's identity, he must return to the workhouse.

What did Oliver say to Mr. Bumble? ›

Oliver, making a brave effort, stood up, walked up to the master with his bowl and spoon in his hand, and said tremblingly, "Please sir, I want some more."

Who was jealous of Oliver? ›

One day, his jealous co-apprentice, Noah Claypole, insults Oliver's mother and an enraged Oliver attacks him. When he is punished by Mr Sowerberry, Oliver runs away to London to seek a better life.

Why was Oliver Twist beaten? ›

Oliver finally fights back against Noah when his rival taunts him about his deceased mother. This second “rebellion” earns Oliver a stern rebuke from Bumble and a brutal beating from Sowerberry.

Who kidnapped Oliver Twist? ›

Summary: Chapter 40

Nancy confesses to Rose that she is the one who kidnapped Oliver on his errand for Mr. Brownlow. She relates that she overheard Monks tell fa*gin that he is Oliver's brother.

What kind of man was Mr. Bumble? ›

Mr. Bumble is the cruel, pompous beadle of the poorhouse where the orphaned Oliver is raised. Bumbledom, named after him, characterizes the meddlesome self-importance of the petty bureaucrat.

How did Mr. Bumble punish Oliver? ›

The master aimed a blow at his head, seized him by his arms and called Mr. Bumble. Mr Bumble came and Oliver was immediately locked in a room to spend the night alone. That was the punishment to Oliver for asking more food.

What does Oliver say before drinking? ›

What does Oliver say when he drinks with Diggle? "Prochnost" - it means durability/endurance in Russian. Although not a widely used (or accepted) in real world Russia, it is used by Oliver, Diggle and Anatoli in different seasons to raise a toast on a certain occassion.

Why was Mr. Oliver very angry? ›

Answer. Explanation: At first mister Oliver is angry with the child due to the time of the night so late. Even he also notices that the child was weeping, as well as in a strange soundless manner, and his anger gives way to concern and when Oliver saw the boy weeping even teacher having concern for children.

Who betrays Oliver? ›

Artemis Betraying Oliver

Evelyn sided with Prometheus and did reappear later in the show as well. Some could argue that betraying Oliver for being a killer and then siding with another more dangerous killer in Prometheus was an interesting plotline. That being said at least Prometheus never claimed to be a hero.

Who is Oliver in love with? ›

A love story between Oliver and Felicity took shape starting in Arrow season 2, culminating in a wedding in season 6. Laurel Lance was introduced in Arrow's pilot episode as the ex-girlfriend that Oliver Queen betrayed by sleeping with her sister, whom he took aboard the Queen's Gambit, where she was presumably killed.

How did Oliver Twist end? ›

fa*gin gets arrested and gets a visit from Oliver, after which he is executed. Oliver, Mr Brownlow, and the Maylies end up living peacefully in a small village in England. There you have it - a short summary of Oliver Twist!

Why does Monks hate Oliver Twist? ›

Monks was born from a loveless marriage and goaded by his own mother to hatred of Oliver, who, unknown to himself, is actually Monk's half-brother.

When was Oliver Twist banned? ›

It was banned in Egypt for portraying fa*gin too sympathetically. The March 1949 release of the film in Germany was met with protests outside the Kurbel Cinema by Jewish objectors. The Mayor of Berlin, Ernst Reuter, was a signatory to their petition which called for the withdrawal of the film.

Why is Mr. Brownlow so friendly to Oliver? ›

Due to his feelings for Oliver, Mr. Brownlow will readily accept him back into his life. “It is because I was your father's oldest friend, young man,” returned Mr.

Why was Oliver Twist punished? ›

After representing his fellow sufferers in an attempt to get more food, Oliver is punished and is apprenticed to Sowerberry, an undertaker. Noah Claypole, a charity boy working for Oliver's master, goads Oliver to rebellion, for which Oliver is savagely flogged. Consequently, Oliver runs away and heads for London.

How many chapters are in Oliver Twist? ›

The original version of Oliver Twist had 53 chapters. The first chapter was entitled, 'Treats of the Place Where Oliver Twist was Born and of the Circ*mstances Attending His Birth. ' The final chapter is called 'And Last.

Why does Mr. Bumble marry Mrs. Corney? ›

Bumble later woos the widow Mrs. Corney, the matron of the workhouse, in hopes of gaining her property. His amorous feelings being reciprocated, the two soon marry but Bumble's new wife turns out to be a sharp-tongued and tyrannical woman who nags and browbeats him.

Why was Oliver in tears? ›

Oliver trembled and cried in the white-washed room because he expected to see a board. Instead he saw eight to ten fat gentlemen sitting around a table. This made him nervous and frightened. Additionally, the beadle gave him a tap on his back with his cane and this made Oliver cry.

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