Oliver Twist · Chapter
XXVIII: Looks After Oliver, and Proceeds with His Adventures explained
After the failed burglary, Oliver, wounded and delirious, stumbles back to the house that was robbed.
What happens
After the failed burglary, Oliver, wounded and delirious, stumbles back to the house that was robbed. He collapses at the door, where Mr. Giles, Brittles, and the tinker discover him. Despite initial fear and confusion, they bring him inside, and a kind young lady (Rose Maylie) orders that he be cared for.
Themes in this chapter
Innocence and Corruption
Oliver's innocent vulnerability contrasts with the criminal world of Sikes and Crackit, highlighting the corruption that threatens his purity.
Compassion and Redemption
Rose Maylie's compassionate order to care for Oliver, despite his apparent involvement in the burglary, suggests the possibility of redemption.
Characters to notice
- Oliver Twist
Wounded and delirious, Oliver returns to the house that was robbed and collapses at the door.
- Bill Sikes
Flees from the scene of the burglary, leaving Oliver behind after carrying him partway.
- Toby Crackit
Flees with Sikes but abandons Oliver when pursued.
- Mr. Giles
Discovers Oliver at the door and brings him inside, believing he has captured a thief.
- Brittles
Assists Mr. Giles and is sent to fetch a constable and doctor.
- Rose Maylie
The young lady who orders that Oliver be treated kindly and taken upstairs.
Key passages
“He looked about, and saw that at no great distance there was a house, which perhaps he could reach. Pitying his condition, they might have compassion on him; and if they did not, it would be better, he thought, to die near human beings, than in the lonely open fields.”
Oliver sees a nearby house and hopes its occupants will take pity on him, reasoning that dying among people is preferable to dying alone in the fields.
Oliver's desperate hope for compassion despite his dire state.
“Not now, for the world,' replied the young lady. 'Poor fellow! Oh! treat him kindly, Giles for my sake!'”
The young lady refuses to look at Oliver but insists that he be treated kindly.
Rose Maylie's compassionate instruction to care for Oliver.