Oliver twist chapter 1

Oliver Twist is born into a workhouse, but seems unlikely to survive at first. He manages to catch his breath, however, but his mother is not so lucky. After giving him one kiss, she dies.There is no one on hand who can nurse Oliver, so the parish authorities send him to an orphanage about three miles away, run by Mrs. Mann, an elderly woman who keeps most of the money meant for the care of the orphans for herself. It is not unusual in this orphanage for the children to die from weakness leading to illness, or accidents arising from neglect. Somehow, though, Oliver makes it to his ninth birthday, although he is rather pale and undersized. This foreshadows the struggles of poverty and survival that Oliver will have to face.