Oliver Twist · Chapter
XXXVIII: Containing an Account of What Passed Between Mr. and Mrs. Bumble, and Mr. Monks, at Their Nocturnal Interview explained
On a stormy evening, Mr.
What happens
On a stormy evening, Mr. and Mrs. Bumble travel to a dilapidated riverside slum to meet Monks in a ruined building. Monks intimidates them, reveals a trapdoor over rushing water, and drops a packet (containing evidence of Oliver's origins) into the river. Mrs. Bumble negotiates payment for information about a dying woman's secret, while Monks threatens silence.
Themes in this chapter
Crime and Punishment
Monks' disposal of evidence and his threatening demeanor underscore the criminal conspiracy surrounding Oliver's heritage.
Class and Hypocrisy
Mr. Bumble's loss of dignity and the Bumbles' secret dealings highlight the hypocrisy of those in positions of authority.
Identity and Secret Origins
The meeting revolves around a secret about Oliver's mother, with Monks destroying evidence to conceal Oliver's true identity.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Bumble
Accompanies his wife to a secret meeting with Monks, showing fear and loss of dignity.
- Mrs. Corney
Now Mrs. Bumble, she boldly negotiates with Monks for payment regarding the dying woman's secret.
- Monks
Arranges the nocturnal meeting, threatens the Bumbles, and disposes of incriminating evidence in the river.
Key passages
“If the sea ever gives up its dead, as books say it will, it will keep its gold and silver to itself, and that trash among it.”
Monks dismisses the idea of resurrection, asserting that the evidence he dropped will never be recovered.
Monks destroys the packet containing proof of Oliver's lineage, symbolizing his attempt to bury the truth forever.
“What the devil made you stand lingering there, in the wet?”
Monks angrily questions why the Bumbles hesitated outside in the rain.
Monks' aggressive tone establishes his dominance and the dangerous nature of the meeting.
“You think women never can keep secrets, I suppose?”
Mrs. Bumble challenges Monks' assumption that women are unreliable with secrets.
She asserts her own cunning and control in the negotiation, showing her strength.