Oliver Twist

Oliver slowly recovers from his wound and illness. He is desperate to prove his gratitude to Rose and Mrs. Maylie, and wishes that he could recover sooner so that he might be able to repay them for their kindness. One day, after Oliver tries his best to express his plans for repaying them with a weak voice, Rose tells him that they will be going to the country and they want him to accompany them.

Rose speaks of her own gratitude to Mrs. Maylie, who saved her as a child. Oliver tells Rose that he is saddened by what Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin must think of him. Upon hearing this, the doctor takes it upon himself to find Brownlow. He takes Oliver with him in a carriage to find Mr. Brownlow’s estate. On the way, Oliver points out a house he thinks must be the one that Sikes brought him to on the night of the robbery. In a fit of rage, Mr. Losberne stops the carriage and heads into the old house.

A disfigured man opens the door and Mr. Losberne immediately accosts him, asking for Sikes’s whereabouts. The man starts yelling at the doctor and heading back into the house. As he does so, the doctor realizes that “not an article of furniture; not a vestige of anything, animate or inanimate; not even the position of the cupboards; answered Oliver’s description!” (363). By this point, Mr. Losberne recognizes that Oliver has made a mistake and flees back to the carriage while the man follows him with curses and swears. Mr. Losberne realizes that he has been rash and foolish; if Sikes had indeed been there, Mr. Losberne would have been at a loss for what to do.

When the pair finally reaches Mr. Brownlow’s estate, they see that its windows are boarded up. They ask around and discover that Mr. Brownlow, Mrs. Bedwin, and Mr. Grimwig are in the West Indies. Oliver is painfully sad and disappointed by the news. He grieves that his friends “carried with them the belief that he was an imposter and a robber” (367). A few weeks later, however, finds Oliver, Rose, and Mrs. Maylie closing up the house near London and moving to the countryside cottage.

Dickens describes the countryside asidyllic, full of flowers, animals, and sunlight. Oliver is at peace in the countryside and spends his time in the church graveyard, wondering about his mother, “thinking of the wretched grave in which his mother lay” (369). Oliver studies under an old man who lives near the church and begins to learn how to read and write. He also learns how to garden and arrange flowers from the local gardener. Oliver spends most evenings with Rose and Mrs. Maylie, taking walks, running small errands for them, and listening to the young Rose sing and play piano. Oliver spends three months this way, “[w]ith the purest and most amiable generosity on one side; and the truest, warmest, soul-felt gratitude on the other” (372). 

Summer arrives. Happiness and joy have been common visitors in the country cottage but one day, after a long walk, Rose is suddenly struck with melancholy. She plays a sorrowful song on the piano and bursts into tears. Mrs. Maylie and Oliver are distressed by Rose’s sadness. Rose is unable to explain why she feels melancholic and begins to shiver and become ill. Rose is suddenly overcome with a fever and “the hue of her countenance had changed to a marble whiteness” (375). Mrs. Maylie puts Rose to bed and then comes back downstairs to speak with Oliver. She begins to cry and confesses that she fears that her life with Rose has been too happy, and that she fears that it is now time for misfortune to fall upon them.

Oliver tells Mrs. Maylie that Rose is too good and too kind to die. Mrs. Maylie says that though Oliver is naïve, he has reminded her of her duty. She prays and pulls herself together, becoming “composed and firm” once more (377). Oliver is surprised that Mrs. Maylie’s attitude remains constant throughout the next few days as Rose’s condition continues to worsen. Mrs. Maylie has Oliver deliver a letter to get sent to Mr. Losberne and changes her mind about the other letter she has written. Oliver runs the letter to the inn, where he accidentally bumps into a man wearing a cloak. Though Oliver apologizes immediately, the man begins yelling and shouting at Oliver, “[d]eath! […] Who would have thought it! Grind him to ashes! He’d start up from a stone coffin, to come in my way!” (380).

Oliver is thoroughly frightened when the man falls to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. He gets help from the inn before he returns back home. A local doctor tells everyone that Rose has no hope of recovery. However, Mr. Losberne arrives soon after and busies himself with taking care of Rose almost immediately. Oliver prays fervently that Rose will be alright and hopes desperately to be able to spend many more summers with her. Mr. Losberne finally comes downstairs and tells Mrs. Maylie and Oliver that Rose may wake up once more before passing away, or that she may wake up and be cured. Eventually, Mr. Losberne tells them all that Rose is cured and “will live to bless us all, for years to come” (385).

Oliver and Mrs. Maylie are overjoyed at Rose’s recovery. Oliver is unable to process his intense emotions of joy and gratitude and leaves the house to cry in private. While he’s out walking, Oliver picks some flowers for Rose’s bedside. It is almost dark when he begins heading home. Just then, a carriage carrying mail from the city passes by and Mr. Giles calls out to Oliver from within. The old gentleman is clearly distraught and asks for news of Rose’s health. Oliver tells him that she is “better—much better!” and both Mr. Giles and the young man with him are relieved (388).

Mr. Giles and the young gentleman, one Harry Maylie, both sob at the happy news. After, the three of them head back to the house. Oliver guesses that Harry is about 25 years old and can tell that he is Mrs. Maylie’s son. When they get back to the house, Harry demands to know why Mrs. Maylie did not write him sooner; he says that if Rose had died, he would have never known happiness again. Harry gets into an argument with his mother. He wants to marry Rose but Mrs. Maylie believes that his love is temporary and fleeting, “that youth has many generous impulses which do not last” (391). Harry tries to convince her otherwise but Mrs. Maylie tells him that Rose will undoubtedly deny his request. Rose is apparently worried that the circumstances of her birth, as an orphan and an illegitimate child, would ruin Harry’s chances of success in society.

Despite his mother’s warnings that Rose will turn him down, Harry still wishes to speak to Rose about his proposal. Mrs. Maylie leaves to care for Rose and Mr. Losberne returns to chat with Harry and Mr. Giles. Mr. Losberne teases Mr. Giles, asking him if he has shot anything recently. Mr. Losberne proceeds to speak with Mr. Giles in private; the doctor tells him that Mrs. Maylie will be rewarding him with £25 for his bravery on the night of the break-in. Mr. Giles proceeds to share this information with all the other servants.

Mr. Losberne, Oliver, and Harry Maylie converse and get to know one another late into the night. The next day, Oliver gets started on his schoolwork after fetching flowers with Harry for Rose. Oliver was making quick progress of his studies and was seated in a “cottage-room” on the ground floor of the house with the window wide open (397). Oliver falls asleep and has a nightmare about Fagin and the man who attacked him on the street. When he wakes up, he feels like he is being watched and spies Fagin and the unknown man staring at him through the open window. The men watch him as Oliver stares back at them. He leaps from the window into the garden and begins calling out for help.

Chapter Thirty-Five finds Oliver, Mr. Giles, Mr. Losberne, and Harry Maylie following after Fagin and the unknown man. Though Oliver is in hysterics, Harry seems to understand right away what has happened. Harry chases after the men in the direction that Oliver pointed out. The group keeps up a vigorous pursuit but is ultimately unable to find the two men. There are no footprints to be seen and Harry wonders if Oliver must have been dreaming.

Oliver explains that he was not dreaming. He tells Harry and the other men about the unknown man who accosted him at the inn. Though the men believe Oliver because of his “earnest face,” they are still unable to ascertain where the villains have gone (403). The group continues to look for the two men until night. They search the next day as well, inquiring about town to see if anyone has seen men matching Oliver’s description. They do not find Fagin or the unknown man.

Rose has been steadily recovering. One morning, Harry and Rose finally get to speak and he confesses his love to her. He tells her that he wishes to marry her but she does not respond the way he wishes she would. Harry tells her an endless number of pretty and lovely things, comparing her to angels and trying to put his love for her into words. Rose tries to get Harry to leave, so that he “might have turned to high and noble pursuits again; to pursuits well worthy of [him]” (407). Rose tells him that she does not wish to be impediment because of her low status and lack of family.

Though Rose does admit that she loves Harry, she believes that it is in her duty to not marry Harry. Harry promises that he will not raise the issue again or try to get Rose to change her mind. However, he does convince her to allow him to ask her for her hand again next year, to see if her answer has changed or not.