Oliver Twist, Chapter 8 summary

What happens

1. Oliver chooses London as a place to escape discovery and earn a living, despite having little food or money.
2. He struggles along the road, facing cold, hunger, and rejection, while a tollkeeper and an old lady give him essential help.
3. On the seventh morning, Oliver reaches Barnet, where Jack Dawkins finds him exhausted and buys him food.
4. Dawkins offers shelter with an elderly patron, and Oliver accepts while privately questioning his new companion’s behavior.
5. They enter London near eleven and pass through filthy streets before reaching a house near Field Lane.
6. Fagin and several boys welcome Oliver, who eats supper, drinks hot gin and water, and falls deeply asleep.

In this chapter

What to notice

Oliver senses danger in his surroundings even while depending on Dawkins. His hesitation marks the tension between his need for shelter and his growing unease.

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