Oliver is born in a workhouse. His single mother dies in childbirth and leaves him with no one to give him true care or attention, still Oliver thrives, in a certain sense. He grows up in the workhouse, and the horrors of his childhood seem all the worse. Nine-year-old Oliver's situation is so dire, it's a relief when he escapes to London and finds himself trapped in a life of crime At least when he's with the criminal gang of pickpockets, he gets to eat. In London, Oliver is brought into the gang of thieves and trained as a pickpocket. When he goes out on his first job, he runs away and is almost sent to prison. However, the kindness of the person who was robbed, saves him from the terrors of the city gaol, and instead he is taken into the philanthropic gentleman's home. However, as soon as he thinks he is settled, two members of the same gang take him back. Oliver is once again sent out on a job-this time a burglary. The job goes wrong and Oliver is shot and left behind....