Oliver Twist.

The protagonist of the novel named after him, Oliver Twist is an orphan child, born at a workhouse where his mother died giving birth. With no father, the orphan Oliver is cruelly raised in both the care of the parish authorities and as an apprentice to an undertaker. Oliver runs away to a new life in London, where he is recruited into a gang of thieves run by Fagin and the brutal Bill Sikes. Despite this troubled upbringing, Oliver maintains a pious innocence, and his good nature brings him to the attention of wealthy benefactors.

Mr. Bumble.

The pompous, self-important beadle—a minor church official—for the workhouse where Oliver is born. Though Mr. Bumble preaches Christian morality, he behaves without compassion toward the paupers under his care. Dickens mercilessly satirizes his self-righteousness, greed, hypocrisy, and folly, of which his name is an obvious symbol.

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Fagin.

A career criminal who prefers to employ others to commit his crimes, Fagin exploits homeless children, offering them accommodation whilst training them to become pickpockets and perform other criminal activities in return. He lives with his gang of thieves in the notorious rookery of Saffron Hill. Charles Dickens named the character after Bob Fagin, a friend who worked with him at Warren’s Blacking Factory when he was just 12. Fagin is frequently referred to as “the Jew”, a term that has been the subject of much debate over anti-semitism, during Dickens’ lifetime and in modern times. The name Fagin has subsequently become a byword to describe adults who use children for illegal activities.

Nancy.

A young prostitute and one of Fagin’s former child pickpockets. Nancy is also Bill Sikes’s lover. Her love for Sikes and her sense of moral decency come into conflict when Sikes abuses Oliver. Despite her criminal lifestyle, she is among the noblest characters in the novel. In effect, she gives her life for Oliver when Sikes murders her for revealing Monks’s plots.

(William) Bill Sikes.

William Sikes, aka Bill, is a violent, ruthless and unpredictable criminal who works with Fagin. He is feared by his associates and by the people who live in the slums where he operates. Sikes is in a relationship with Nancy, a prostitute who is one of Fagin’s associates, although their relationship is often violent and abusive.

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Monks (Edward Leeford).

The devious and criminally inclined half-brother of Oliver Twist, who hides his identity. The orphaned Oliver has no idea of Monks’s existence, but Monks knows of the existence of Oliver, and sets out to ruin him. Cold and calculating, he hires Fagin and Bill Sikes to kidnap Oliver and return him to a life of crime and poverty.

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Mrs. Mann.

Mrs. Mann is the Matron of the juvenile workhouse where Oliver is raised. Mrs. Mann physically abuses and half-starves the children in her care. She skimps on the children’s food and other basic needs in order to save money. She also uses her position to embezzle money from the parish, falsely claiming expenses for the care of the children that she has not actually spent.

Agnes Fleming.

Oliver’s mother. After falling in love with and becoming pregnant by Mr. Leeford, she chooses to die anonymously in a workhouse rather than stain her family’s reputation. A retired naval officer’s daughter, she was a beautiful, loving woman. Oliver’s face closely resembles hers. She died in childbirth after giving birth to the baby that would be named Oliver Twist.

Artful Dodger (Jack Dawkins).

The cleverest of Fagin’s pickpockets. The Dodger’s real name is Jack Dawkins. Though no older than Oliver, the Dodger talks and dresses like a grown man. He introduces Oliver to Fagin.

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Agnes Fleming.

Oliver’s mother. After falling in love with and becoming pregnant by Mr. Leeford, she chooses to die anonymously in a workhouse rather than stain her family’s reputation. A retired naval officer’s daughter, she was a beautiful, loving woman. Oliver’s face closely resembles hers. She died in childbirth after giving birth to the baby that would be named Oliver Twist.

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