Crowbar

The crowbar, often called a "jemmy" by the criminals, is a central piece of equipment in the housebreaking trade depicted in Oliver Twist. It is a heavy iron bar used to force open doors and windows, and its presence in the narrative consistently marks moments of extreme criminal intent and physical violence. More than a mere tool, the crowbar becomes a symbol of the brutal, coercive power that the gang, particularly Bill Sikes, wields over both property and people.

Role in the Criminal Trade

The crowbar is explicitly identified as a professional instrument. When Bill Sikes and Fagin discuss the planned burglary at Chertsey, Sikes mentions needing "a centre-bit and a boy," noting that he and Toby Crackit already possess the first item—the centre-bit, a type of drill—implying the crowbar is a standard part of their kit. Later, in a fit of "professional enthusiasm," Sikes insists on producing his "box of housebreaking tools" to explain the "nature and properties of the various implements it contained, and the peculiar beauties of their construction." This scene underscores that the crowbar is not just a random weapon but a crafted tool of a specific, illegal trade, one that Sikes takes a perverse pride in. During the actual burglary, Sikes "plied the crowbar vigorously, but with little noise" to wrench open a shutter, demonstrating its practical application in their craft.

Instrument of Violence and Threat

The crowbar is directly associated with the threat of lethal violence. During the planning of the Chertsey job, Sikes warns Fagin about Oliver's potential unreliability, saying, "if there's anything queer about him when we once get into the work; in for a penny, in for a pound. You won't see him alive again, Fagin." To emphasize this point, he "pois[es] a crowbar, which he had drawn from under the bedstead." The tool is thus presented as a ready instrument for murder, not just burglary. This connection is tragically fulfilled in Nancy's murder. While the text does not explicitly name the crowbar as the murder weapon, the description of the act—"seized a heavy club and struck her down"—and the subsequent detail that Sikes "thrust the club into it" the fire to burn away the evidence, strongly implies the crowbar or a similar heavy implement was used. The act of burning the weapon to destroy the hair and blood upon it confirms its role in the fatal violence.

Symbol of Brutality and Decay

The crowbar's symbolic weight extends beyond its immediate use. It is an object that belongs to the squalid, violent world of Sikes and Fagin. The environment where these tools are kept is described as a "meanly furnished apartment" where "two or three heavy bludgeons" stand in a corner alongside a "life-preserver" and the crowbar. This collection of weapons paints a picture of a life defined by ready brutality. Furthermore, the crowbar is linked to the decay of the criminal world itself. In the final pursuit, Sikes, now a murderer, uses a rope to try and escape from Jacob's Island. The narrative notes that he "fastened one end of the rope tightly and firmly round" a chimney stack. The subsequent shock of his fall causes the "old chimney" to quiver, but it "stood it bravely." This juxtaposition of the murderer's desperate, violent action with the enduring, if decayed, structure of the old building, contrasts the fleeting, self-destructive nature of Sikes's violence with a more permanent, though crumbling, world. The crowbar, as the primary tool of that violence, is thus an emblem of the gang's destructive and ultimately doomed existence.