Oliver Meets Noah Claypole

Oliver is awakened by a loud kicking at the door and meets Noah Claypole, a charity boy who is older and larger than Oliver. Noah immediately establishes his dominance, bullying Oliver and forcing him to do menial tasks. Noah, himself a victim of bullying from other boys, takes out his frustrations on the helpless Oliver. This introduces the theme of the weak preying on the weaker, a recurring pattern in Oliver's early life. Oliver also meets Charlotte, the maidservant, who joins Noah in mistreating him.