NovelGuide: Oliver Twist: Novel Summary: Chapters49-51

Chapters49-51

Chapter 49: Mr. Brownlow apprehends Monks and threatens him with persecution if he does not cooperate. Monks real name is Edward Leeford and Mr. Brownlow was a close friend of his father, Mr. Leeford. As a child, Mr. Leeford was forced to marry a woman who he despised and she was the mother of Edward. Due to the hatred between them, Edward and his mother went to France. After they had gone, Leeford met a military man who moved to his district and fell in love with his daughter. She was the mother of Oliver, and Leeford painted a portrait of her and gave it to Brownlow. Leeford ended up receiving a large inheritance, and his wife and son Edward came back to Paris to help him claim it. Unfortunately, he died suddenly seemingly without a will. The truth, Mr. Brownlow said however, was that Edward and his mother had burned the will and moved with the money to the West Indies. This was why Brownlow, after losing Oliver went to the West Indies. Mr. Brownlow threatened Monks and told him he would be released with no penalties from the murder of Nancy, which he knew of, if he gave Oliver the portion of the inheritance that he deserved. Monks agrees, and waits while Mr. Brownlow goes to investigate the spotting of Sikes dog.

Chapter 50: At the third of the thieves hideouts, Toby Crackit, Tom Chitling, and another thief Kags waited in the dark. The police had taken Fagin, and the thieves had narrowly escaped. Much to their surprise, Sikes white dog came to the hideout. They wondered where Sikes was but did not want to see him because of the murder. Three hours after the dog showed up, the ghostly looking murderer himself found his way there. Soon after him, Charley Bates showed up but became very upset when he realized that Sikes was there. He started to scream, and got in a fight with the man who was much bigger than he was. As they were fighting, they realized that a mob was outside with police. They panicked and Charley began screaming that Sikes was there. As the people below tried to break into the building, Sikes decided to clime on the roof and try to lower himself with a rope to the ditch behind because the tide was out. The mob realized what he was doing, and as he was preparing himself, he slipped off the shingles of the roof. As he was falling the loop he made in the rope wrapped around his neck like a noose and hung him. The dog, on the roof also, seeing his owner fall and hang, jumped for the body but missed and cracked his head on the rocks below.

Chapter 51: Everyone went to the town of Oliver's birth, and that night Mr. Brownlow explained, with Monks help the rest of the tale. After finding out he was ill, Oliver's father wrote a letter to Agnes that told her of his marriage. It also stated his intentions for the inheritance. If the child were a girl, the money would go to her unconditionally, and if it were a boy, it would receive it as long as it did not commit an illegal act. Monks and his mother burned the letter along with the will. After hearing about his daughter's shame, the military man changed his name and took the girls to Wales. Agnes however, fled her father and walked to London. The military man soon died leaving the other girl child to a poor family there. This child was Rose. Monks and his mother tried to find Agnes but only found Rose in the hands of sick paupers. They gave them a little money to keep the child safe, but soon Mrs. Maylie came along and feeling sorry for her, adopted her. When Oliver realized that Rose was his aunt, he happily threw himself into her arms. Harry entered, having overheard the story, and again posed his suit to Rose. She, still feeling that her name had a bad stigma, declined until Harry told her he had given up everything so they could go live quietly in the country together. At this proposal, she accepted. Everyone waited for dinner that night, but the affianced couple and Mrs. Maylie came in they realize that Oliver is crying because his friend young Dick had died.