What were Charles Dickens's main objectives in writing Oliver Twist?

Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist to
make his readers aware of the living conditions of the poor.  By using a child
character, Dickens symbolizes the helplessness and potential corruption inherent in the
system.  Dickens specifically targeted the Poor Law, the law that created debtor’s
prisons and workhouses, and the inequities of the legal
system.

Through satire and loveable characters, Dickens
made real the elements of a life of poverty and crime.  Oliver, Jack Dawkins (The Artful
Dodger) and Nancy are sympathetic characters, and Dickens uses them to encourage his
reader’s to consider the human cost of ignoring
poverty.

Dickens personally experienced some aspects of the
life he describes.  He lived in London and worked as a court reporter, and he saw
pickpockets and prostitutes on a daily basis.  Dickens was known the walk the streets at
night for most of his life, where he saw things as they were and took pains to describe
them in ways that would move his readers.  His father was also poor, and as a youngster
Dickens experienced debtor’s prisons and child labor firsthand.  It made a profound
impression on him, and influenced his choice of content throughout his
career.