In this retelling of Charles Dickins' classic tale, a poor workhouse orphan, Oliver, experiences the terror and brutality of the criminal underworld. His companions, who include a thief, a whore, and a pickpocket, are destined for gruesome ends, but Oliver emerges unscathed from the underworld. He survives starvation in the workhouse, life with the evil Fagin, kidnap, and robbery before eventually finding happiness.