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The Burglary
Summary
It was Toby Crackit's lodging and Sikes and Oliver entered. Toby Crackit greeted them with considerable warmth and enthusiasm. He ordered his servant Barney to serve them liquor but Oliver denied to drink. Toby first urged him, then compelled him to drink. This drinking made Oliver fall sound asleep because he was not used to it. By half past one, in the night, he woke up.
Toby and Sikes started making preparations for the robbery. They got together their tools and all the articles which they were likely to use.
It was an intensely dark and foggy night. Sikes, Tobby and Oliver left the house. They soon arrived in the town of Chertsy. They crossed the town at two o'clock. Ultimately they arrived at a house surrounded by a wall. Toby and Sikes climbed to the top of the wall and then pulled Oliver up, Now Oliver had realized that robbery was the purpose of this expedition.
After realizing their evil intentions Oliver made a cry of horror. He appealed to Sikes to let him go and to have mercy upon him. But Sikes grew furious and threatened to kill the boy if he would not carry out his instructions. After that Oliver found himself lifted from the ground to the wall and then he was lowered into the main hall of the house which was their target to rob. Oliver was given the instruction to unlock the street door, so that robbers could enter because the window through which Oliver was pushed into the hall was too small for robbers to get in. But unfortunately, as the Oliver stepped upon the floor below, the inmates of the house woke up. Two servants of the house appeared on the stairs and one of them fired upon Oliver which hit him. Immediately Sikes dragged Oliver up and jumped down to the ground, with wounded Oliver in his arms, an alarm bell rang into the house and everybody woke up.
Critical Analysis
Still, Oliver is innocent and not indulged in any crime. He is not able to infer why has he been asked to accompany Sikes. But when he jumps across the wall, he recognizes the fact. This is on the same pattern as in the previous chapter he has realized the fact when Mr. Brownlow was robbed. But point to observe is that Oliver remains incorrupt. He requests Sikes to let him go but later on fortunately saved from committing crime because of the arrival of the servants of the house.