Charles John Huffin Dickens is an English novelist. He is considered one of the greatest novelists of Victorian period.Dickens’ work has been highly appreciated for its realism , mastery of prose and concern for social reform by writers such as Leo Tolstoy , George Gissing and G. novelists of Victorian rton. Moreover, one of the greatest characteristics of Dickens’ work is the deconstruction of women stereotypes. Although , he is accused of portraying stereotyped characters of women , yet his many works negate this idea. His novel , A Tale of Two Cities, can be refered in this regard.
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 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.
Coincidently the antagonist and protagonist are on flipped sides for the other story. Baroness Emmuska Orczy writes lucid; she was writing for people to follow easily. In The Tale of Two Cities Dickens tends to write in an obscure way. Dickens was adding more words then needed because he was writing for a paper and was paid by word. This often led Dickens to go off on a tangent making him hard to follow.
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. Estella, however, mocks Pip and scoffs at his “coarse hands” and “thick boots”, referring to him as a “common labouring-boy” Raised with the immense fortune of Miss Havisham, Estella has become pretentious, believing Pip to be a worse person because of his social standing. When you have everything given to you in life, you lose appreciation for those around you, becoming detached and cold, Estella tells Pip that in her heart there is “no softness there, no--sympathy--sentiment--nonsense” (238). This contrasts sharply with Biddy’s tender care and help of Pip, through her advice to him and her assistance in his educating himself. Magwitch came into a large fortune through hard work and perseverance, but instead of joining the elite upper echelon of society, he bestows the fortune of Pip,
She shuns the luxuries of her brother’s mansion, for the quiet comforts of Gods creation. She abstains from the town gossip circles, for time alone to allow more time for inner reflection. These characteristics should make her a good role model but instead she is simple labeled as a witch for her peculiarities. She is so misunderstood that even a so-called devil child can see her goodness “What is it, good Mistress Hibbins? (Hawthorne 237)” Mistress Hibbins is a lonely, widower that misses her husband and wants to be with him.
So in the light of the radical development in human life, it is necessary to understand the social and family life in the Victorian age because of its influence in the individual's personality. Houghton argues that the social life in England in the Victorian age has neglected the individual. According to Houghton the world has become more comfortable for the masses, and more uncomfortable for talented individuals. The world in this era has tended to neglect people of natural gifts and distinctions( Kellow Chesney, The Victorian Under World, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972 ). Charles Dickens's Great Expectation is a radical novel since Dickens is struggling to depict a better living for the Victorian England.
Reality theme that prevails thoughout Charles Dickens's classic novel. From the first meeting of Pip with Estella, Pip falls victim to believing in appearances. The beautiful, haughty girl whose name means "star" is elevated in Pip's esteem simply because she lives with the rich Miss Havisham and is dressed in lovely clothes and speaks in a deprecating way to him, calling him "common." Immediately, because this vision of superior loveliness who speaks properly has termed him "common," Pip experiences a humiliation. But, despite her cruel ways, Pip falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful Estella, perhaps even because she is unattainable.
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.
Patrick Pham Mr. Bird AP Language and Composition 1 October 2014 Charles Dickens Use of Diction Many writers express how they feel about a particular subject by creating a certain tone with different types of literary devices or techniques. Some of these types of writing methods they use include a specific kind of diction or connotation. In Hard Times, Charles Dickens uses techniques of diction to create a tone of monotonous, describing how he views a classroom, or the world, to be demanding and black and white during his time. One type of word choice Dickens uses are adjectives that show a plebeian or monotonous connotation to show his belief on how the world is. Dickens calls the school room “plain, bare, monotonous” and the voice of the speaker as “inflexible, dry, and dictatorial” (Dickens 6, 12).