Oliver Twist Fate and Free Will Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

The man had shrunk down, thoroughly quelled by the ferocity of the crowd and the impossibility of escape. (50.89)

Sikes climbs out onto the roof in his final escape attempt, and realizes that there’s no escaping from the fury of the mob – it’s not the "inevitability of justice" or anything moralistic like that that he’s confronted with here, it’s the brutal "ferocity" of a crowd of fellow humans whose sole intent is his capture and punishment.