Concetti Chiave
- Charles Dickens used his novels to critique the flaws and hypocrisy of the Victorian era, skillfully blending criticism with vibrant character descriptions.
- Despite facing personal hardships, including his father's imprisonment, Dickens became a successful writer, captivating readers with his serialized novels.
- In "Oliver Twist," Dickens portrays the grim conditions of London through the eyes of an orphan, highlighting the struggle between good and evil.
- "Hard Times" is set in the industrial town of Coketown and explores the detrimental impacts of utilitarian philosophy on society and education.
- Dickens often depicted the negative effects of industrialization and challenged the notion of the Victorian era as solely a time of prosperity.
Dickens, Charles - Life and literary works
Charles Dickens was raised in a rural, blissful environment in Kent, but his life upset in 1822 when he moved to London and his father was arrested for debt. Charles was ripped from his family to work in a boat blacking warehouse, he alter settles down and started working as a journalist under the nickname of "Boz" and he even married the daughter of a newspaper editor. He was a successful writer and hypnotized readers with his serialised novels. He used his novels to discredit the hypocrisy and flaws of the Victorian period, as he has a refined skill of blending criticism with vibrant descriptions of characters:-
1. Nicholas Nickleby, he slates boarding schools;
2. Hard times, he criticised utiliritarism;
3. David Copperfield, mirrors his pre-teen years;
Oliver Twist
He is a poor orphan born in a workhouse, the reader gazes at the transition form the exploitation by selfish men to the adoption of Oliver, as the good always successfully faces the evil. Oliver's misfortune begins when he trains with an undertaker, he later runs off to London, only to innocently join a gang and being arrested as a cult purse, this obviously gives a definite portray of a shoddy and filthy London. At the end, Oliver lives his happy ending when he finds out about his middle class origin and gets adopted.
Hard Times
This novel is divided into three parts: sowing, reaping and garnering, that refer to the biblical passages. It takes place in the fictive industrial town of Coketown and it revolves around three main characters:-
• Thomas Gradgrind, a staunch rationalist who runs a school and tries to instil in the pupils, the principles of utilitarism, hence imagination and fancy are regarded as enemies. Thomas is a stubborn, adamant man who disrespects anyone with a different opinion than him;
• Josiah Bounderby, he embodies the worst aspects of middle class: haughtiness, lack of compassion and conceit;
• Sissy June, the daughter of a circus permer, who abandons her, her imagination and friendship with Louisa and Tom represent her sole salvation and escape form reality. She demonstrates the failure of the utilitarian system, as she will return to the circus;
Domande da interrogazione
- Quali sono stati gli eventi chiave nella vita di Charles Dickens che hanno influenzato le sue opere letterarie?
- Qual è il tema principale di "Oliver Twist" e come si sviluppa la storia del protagonista?
- Come viene rappresentato il sistema utilitaristico in "Hard Times" e quali personaggi ne sono coinvolti?
- In che modo Charles Dickens critica il periodo vittoriano e l'industrializzazione nelle sue opere?
Charles Dickens è cresciuto in un ambiente rurale e felice nel Kent, ma la sua vita cambiò nel 1822 quando si trasferì a Londra e suo padre fu arrestato per debiti. Questo lo portò a lavorare in un magazzino di lucido da scarpe e successivamente a diventare giornalista e scrittore di successo, utilizzando i suoi romanzi per criticare l'ipocrisia e i difetti del periodo vittoriano.
"Oliver Twist" racconta la storia di un povero orfano nato in un workhouse. Il tema principale è la lotta tra il bene e il male, con Oliver che passa dall'essere sfruttato da uomini egoisti all'essere adottato, scoprendo le sue origini di classe media e ottenendo un lieto fine.
In "Hard Times", il sistema utilitaristico è rappresentato attraverso il personaggio di Thomas Gradgrind, un razionalista che gestisce una scuola basata su questi principi. Altri personaggi coinvolti sono Josiah Bounderby, che incarna i peggiori aspetti della classe media, e Sissy June, che dimostra il fallimento del sistema utilitaristico attraverso la sua immaginazione e amicizia.
Charles Dickens critica il periodo vittoriano e l'industrializzazione evidenziando i loro effetti negativi attraverso descrizioni vivide e critiche sociali nei suoi romanzi. Utilizza personaggi e trame per mettere in luce l'ipocrisia e i difetti della società, senza però suggerire soluzioni, ma piuttosto stimolando l'intelligenza per limitare il dolore.
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