Released as monthly instalments between 1837 and 1838, Charles Dickens uses Oliver Twist to explore and criticize mistreatment of the disadvantaged within his era. Through realistic, yet harshly satirical, detail, Dickens criticizes the perceptions forced upon the disadvantaged from birth and the corruption of charities and institutions set up for the benefit of the poor. Incorporating symbolism, the tendency of the poor to ease into crime as an escape from poverty is also addressed. Dickens’ capability to engage and produce emotions of empathy in his audience through the use of irony and satire causes the audience to further understand the suffering of the poor. There is an evident criticism of the treatment of the poor by those responsible for their welfare.
Charles Dickens novella a Christmas Carol is a parable of social redemption where the main character Scrooge a working class man who has profited largely from the industrial revolution. Is visited by several Christmas ghosts promote change. Dickens’s criticism of the Utilitarian society is expressed through his characterisation of Scrooge. In the novella Dickens uses other characters such as Tiny Tim a sick little boy, and Scrooges nephew Fredrick as examples of his ideal society. Towards the end of the novella Scrooges conversion represents the conversion that the Author Dickens wishes society to undertake to forget the utilitarian way.
Scrooge, and by extension the merchant class of which he is emblematic, view the impoverished as worthless, and it is this callous disdain, formed from society’s narcissistic focus, that Dickens seeks to attack. In depicting Scrooge’s personal metamorphosis as a microcosmic example for the change he desired in England, Dickens figures A Christmas Carol as an allegorical tale, highlighting his belief that Victorian society is in need of its own moral conversion, through individual acts of redemption In constructing a character that is apathetic to the plight of the poor, Dickens sharply depicts the heartlessness of Scrooge, and more broadly the prosperous members of British society, towards the less privileged members of society. Through his creation of the “boy and girl”, Ignorance and Want, Dickens frighteningly depicts the destitute underclass that has been created due to the forces of capitalism driving Britain’s industrial economy in the 1840s. In labelling them “Man’s”, Dickens attributes the existence of these “monsters” to the wealthy, like Scrooge, who have ignored their poverty-stricken life. Dickens
Priestley presents ideas about responsibility in an 'An Inspector Calls' by portraying the inspector as a conscience ,using him to represent a good example of responsibility in society. He uses the sound of the doorbell to interrupt Birling's rant on his views on society. Priestley uses the shocking announcement of Eva Smith's death to highlight the consequences of a lack of responsibility. The clarity of Eric and Sheila's realisation of the consequences of their actions sends a strong message to the audience about responsibility. The character of the inspector is written by Priestley as a representation of morality in the play.
Furthermore, I will focus on some of the contrasting pairs, which can be located in the novel, with the purpose of considering whether Dickens through his use of contrasts emphasises a positive or a negative perception of the Revolution. The Revolution and Dickens’ Dilemma Dickens was born in southern England and lived a poor life until he started writing. His writing skills thereby elevated him from the slum of the lower class to the beneficial upper class, and thus Dickens had an insight in both classes. This awareness of the conditions in both classes came to be expressed in a social criticism which can be located in most of Dickens’ works. Dickens was concerned with the social problems in England and therefore he depicted the unjust life of the poor in many of his novels.
The progression of the relationship is presented by Brontë through acts of rebellion against both Hindley and religious oppression. Catherine and Heathcliff are ally’s against the somewhat brute that is Catherine’s brother, Hindley, who from the start makes his dislike and disapproval of Heathcliff explicit; treating him harshly like a servant and not as an additional member of the family. Furthermore, the pair reject conventional Christianity and the religious oppression, curses and threats provided by Joseph. As a result, the children escape to the mysterious wild landscape of the Yorkshire Moors, an appealing and comforting alternative respite from Wuthering Heights as well as a significant gothic feature of literature. The moors act as a source of freedom for the children and an idyllic setting utilised by Emily Brontë to lay the foundations of the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff whom are now at this point ‘very thick’ (V1C4P33).
The effect of exaggeration style in Charles Dickens’s “David at Salem House” Exaggeration is a representation of something in an excessive manner and has been a familiar style of famous writers such as Flannery O’Connor, Mark Twain, Paul Bunyan…to show writer’s attitudes toward characters. In “David at Salem House”, , which allows readers clearly see how lonely David Copperfield is in Salem house and his strong endurance with the mistreat of school system. The first aspect Dickens uses to describe his characters is the use of formal vocabulary or use of big words for small things. Dickens chooses words carefully to attract reader’s attention and build characters he intends to show. The evidences appear in each paragraph :The Master and David Copperfield were “surveyed” by a stout man, Copperfield “supposed” the boy were out, the placard was “neatly constructed”, the cruel man “aggravated” his sufferings.
The narrator of ‘A Visit to Newgate’ suggests that people are ignorant, wandering around not taking notice of what is around them. He proposes that he is acting as a secretary to his society, addressing the people directly and reporting what he has observed. He even states, “It may seem incredible. But it’s true” (Dickens, 121). Through the use of pre-existing ideologies about empiricism, individualism, and class, Charles Dickens strategically builds the readers confidence in order for them to accept the text’s ‘truth claims’ and
Dickens castigates this class system through the foils of Estella and Biddy, Magwitch’s generosity, and Jaggers’ coolly indifferent ethics. The drastic differences in social status of Biddy and Estella molds them into very different people, with conflicting values and traits. Biddy is compassionate and approachable, Pip “repose[s] complete confidence in no one but Biddy” (95). Biddy, being raised lower class, is shocked at first to discover Pip’s desire to become a gentleman, “Oh I wouldn’t, if I was you!” (128). A working class citizen is no less respectable than a gentleman in Biddy’s eyes, it is the character of the person that truly matters.
Great Neck South High School 2010 Great Expectations Essay Based on the novel by Charles Dickens Jacob Roth Period 4, Mr. Amelio Charles Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations, is a classic literary criticism of the Victorian era. Dickens, a superb writer, had become disillusioned with the materialism and crass vanity he perceived his country’s culture to have become obsessed over. In writing Great Expectations, Dickens sought to provide an insight into his views concerning the Victorian era and the dissonance between what was promoted as being important and what actually was important for fulfillment in one’s life. Repeatedly throughout the novel, there are clear examples of Dickens attempting to juxtapose the hollow insecurity of wealth with the simple, dignified fulfillment of lower class living. The social interactions of the multitude of characters in the novel are greatly indicative of how Dickens means to portray his ideas of the different social classes.