How is Oliver's journey to London in Oliver Twist?
At the beginning of Chapter 8, Oliver Twist runs away from Mr Bumble's and decides that he will head to London. In his mind, this city offers an exciting opportunity. As he says:
London!--that great place!--nobody--not even Mr. Bumble--could ever find him there!...It was the very place for a homeless boy, who must die in the streets unless some one helped him."
In reality, the journey to London is arduous and full of potential dangers. Oliver has only one penny, a crust of bread, and a few clothes to his name. Even worse, the road to London is sixty-five miles long and Oliver must walk it in the dead of winter. But Oliver is determined to make it to this exciting city and he survives by begging for food despite many threats to set the dogs on him, and by walking until he is so tired that he falls into...
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a deep sleep that helps him to "forget his troubles."
As the days wear on, his feet and legs become so sore that he can barely walk, and the cold, damp weather makes him ache even more. On the seventh day, he reaches Barnet and the town seems to mirror his own sense of "lonesomeness and desolation". The window-shutters are all closed and the streets are empty, but a chance meeting with the Artful Dodger restores Oliver's sense of hope and adventure and, unknowingly, will change his life forever.
Why was Oliver Twist heading to London?
Oliver has walked all the way to London to escape from Mr. Sowerberry's funeral parlor, where he'd previously been living and working. Oliver seeks a better life in the capital after all the many trials and tribulations he's endured since Mr. Sowerberry paid the workhouse to take the boy off their hands.
Right from the start, it was clear that the arrangement would never work. Though Mr. Sowerberry himself is a perfectly agreeable soul, he is, like Mr. Bumble, under the thumb of a bullying harridan of a wife, who treats poor Oliver like dirt from the get-go.
To make matters worse, Oliver is subject to almost constant verbal abuse from Sowerberry's apprentice, Noah Claypole, who sees Oliver as a threat to his position in the business. Not only does he insult Oliver, he also says nasty, unpleasant things about his late mother, causing Oliver to fly into a rage and give him a good thrashing.
Of course, everyone naturally sides with Claypole, and Oliver ends up getting a good hiding as punishment. This latest in a long line of injustices convinces Oliver that he needs to get out of this wretched place as soon as possible, so he sneaks out in the dead of night and embarks upon the long journey to London.