A woman arrives with her baby to a nursing home. She is very sick and dies soon afterwards. The infant, called Oliver Twist, is placed in an orphanage. Some years later the young Oliver, at a meal in the dining hall, dares to ask for some more food. He is punished for his audacity, and runs away from the orphanage. On the road he meets the Artful Dodger, a young pickpocket, who brings him to Fagin’s den. Fagin, the old leader of a juvenile gang, orders the boys to teach Oliver their trade. They fail to pickpocket the wealthy Mr. Brownlow, and flee away, leaving the innocent Oliver behind. Mr. Brownlow adopts Oliver. When Oliver, in his new fine clothes, goes on an errand, he is recaptured by the criminals Bill and Nancy Sykes, who bring him back to Fagin. Bill forces Oliver to help him in a burglary, but the attempt goes wrong, and Oliver is once more under the care of his benefactors. The kindhearted Nancy feels sorry for Oliver, and has a secret meeting with Mr. Brownlow to warn him. The spying Fagin informs Bill about this. In a fit of rage Bill kills Nancy. Afterwards Nancy’s ghost goes on terrifying him.