<p>Orphaned by his mother&#39;s death in childbirth and his father&#39;s mysterious absence, Oliver spends the first nine years of his life in the care of Mrs Mann. He is later sent to a workhouse and from there escapes to London. He meets Artful Dodger in London and continues his adventures there. The story is an example of Dickens&#39; social novel satirising the hypocrisies of his time, including child labour, the recruitment of children as criminals, and the presence of street children.</p>