Oliver Twist · Chapter
Treats on a Very Poor Subject. But Is a Short One, and May Be Found of Importance in This History explained
In a grim workhouse garret, the dying woman Old Sally confesses to Mrs.
What happens
In a grim workhouse garret, the dying woman Old Sally confesses to Mrs. Corney that she stole a gold item from a young mother who died in childbirth. The mother had whispered that if her baby lived, he might not feel disgraced by her name, and she named the child Oliver. Old Sally dies before revealing the full secret, leaving Mrs. Corney frustrated.
Themes in this chapter
Social Injustice and Poverty
The dying woman's confession reveals how poverty drove her to steal the only valuable possession of a dead mother, highlighting the desperation of the poor.
Identity and Secret Origins
Old Sally's deathbed confession begins to unravel the mystery of Oliver's parentage, including the gold and his mother's name.
Crime and Punishment
Old Sally's theft of the gold from a corpse is a crime that haunts her on her deathbed, suggesting a moral reckoning.
Characters to notice
- Old Sally
The dying parish nurse who confesses to stealing gold from Oliver's mother and reveals the mother's dying wish.
- Mrs. Corney
The matron who impatiently waits for Old Sally's confession but is left unsatisfied when the old woman dies.
- Oliver Twist
Mentioned by name as the baby born to the young mother who died in the workhouse.
- Agnes Fleming
The young mother who died in childbirth, referred to as a 'pretty young creetur' and 'poor young mother'.
Key passages
“I robbed her, so I did! She wasn’t cold—I tell you she wasn’t cold, when I stole it!”
Old Sally admits to stealing from the dead mother's body before it had even grown cold.
Confession of the theft that reveals the secret of Oliver's origins.
“The boy grew so like his mother, that I could never forget it when I saw his face.”
Old Sally says that Oliver's resemblance to his mother made the memory of her crime unforgettable.
Links Old Sally's guilt to Oliver's appearance.
“They called him Oliver.”
The dying woman reveals the baby's name was Oliver.
Directly connects the confession to Oliver Twist.