A beautiful, but destitute woman dies giving birth to a son in a wretched British workhouse without telling anyone her name. The boy is named Oliver by a workhouse official. Oliver lives, abused and half starved, in the workhouse until the age of twelve. After being unfairly punished for defending his mother's reputation, Oliver escapes and flees to London where he is befriended by a juvenile band of petty thieves and prostitutes led by a criminal mastermind named Fagin. Being young and naive, Oliver does not appreciate the nature of their business and is caught by surprise when his friend Jack steals a silk handkerchief from a wealthy gentleman named Brownlow. Brownlow wrongly accuses Oliver of the theft. When Oliver's innocence is proven in court, Brownlow takes pity on him and invites him into his home. Brownlow, who finds Oliver to be vaguely familiar, introduces him to his friend and neighbour Mr. Griffith. Griffith, however, is unsympathetic to Oliver's plight and predicts that he will betray Brownlow's trust.