Dickens does not reveal Oliver's exact age at the end of the novel, but he does have the kindly, eccentric Mr. Grimwig, a reliable character, state near the end,
the devil’s in it if this Oliver is not twelve years old at least.
Context clues would confirm that Grimwig is not far off, though it is possible that because of his malnourishment, Oliver may be a year or so older than he looks. We know he cannot be much older than twelve, because he is referred to as a boy at the end. He is not old enough to live independently, and we learn that Mr. Brownlow adopts him. Oliver's youth is attested to as well when the narrator states that Mr. Brownlow filled the
mind of his adopted child with stores of knowledge.
Although Oliver is relatively young at the end of the novel, the story is nevertheless a...
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bildungsroman. A bildungsroman is a novel of a young person journeying from youth to maturity and being formed into the person they will become. Oliver's various adventures up to the age of twelve have been largely horrible, but they have also given him the point of view of the underdog. He develops a compassionate heart as a result of his sufferings. He also is able to look at his youthful terrors from a vantage point of greater security. For example, he is able to go past his old workhouse without his former fear.
At what age does Oliver leave the workhouse in Oliver Twist?
Oliver is raised by Mrs. Mann in a workhouse branch until the age of nine. Oliver is heavily mistreated by Mrs. Mann, who beats the children and spends a good proportion of the parish money, bestowed upon the children, on herself.
On his ninth birthday, Oliver is taken back to the main workhouse by Mr. Bumble so that he can be put to work picking oakum (untwisting old rope so that the fibers can be recycled).
Six months after his ninth birthday, Oliver and his fellow workhouse orphans draw lots to see who will ask for more food that evening. Oliver draws the short straw and asks for more food. Due to this, an advert is posted explaining that Oliver is available, along with a five-pound reward, to anyone looking for an apprentice. The people who run the workhouse see Oliver as a troublemaker and want to be rid of him.
Oliver is very nearly taken by a chimney sweep, Mr. Gamfield, who explains that his business is nasty, and Dickens reveals to the reader that Mr. Gamfield has beaten several boys in the past. A magistrate takes pity on Oliver, and he is saved.
At the age of ten, Oliver is taken by the undertaker Mr. Sowerberry, who is paid to take Oliver as his apprentice, and Oliver leaves the workhouse.