Concetti Chiave
- Charles Dickens had a challenging childhood that influenced his writing, notably seen in his autobiographical works like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield.
- He was a journalist and novelist who published in instalments, tailoring his plots to appeal to the public, with London often serving as the realistic setting for his stories.
- Dickens was a social critic who highlighted societal evils and was a proponent of humanitarian values, advocating for a change of spirit rather than structural reforms.
- His novels often critique institutions, particularly focusing on the destructive power of money and the ineffectiveness of charitable organizations.
- Known for his caricature-style characters, Dickens used exaggerated portrayals to reveal social truths, with children often depicted as moral exemplars.
What was the childhood and career of Dickens?
Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. He had a sad childhood since he had to work in a factory and his father was imprisoned.
He realized he had talent for writing so he learnt shorthand and became a journalist.
He used a pen name, Boz. He wrote in fact Sketches by Boz, a collection of articles describing Londn.
He became a novelist and his most important works are Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Little Dorrit that were autobiographical, they all described his own childhood. He writes in fact about the exploitation of children in factories. Other novels are Bleak House, Hard Times and Great Expectations.
These novels underline the bad living and working condition of people. He died in 1870 and was buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Dickens was a storyteller; in fact, he takes inspiration from the Bible or fairy tales.
His plots are well planned.
He publishes in instalments so he had to conform his plots to the public taste.
The setting of most of his novels is London: he described it in a realistic way.
Thought
Social Criticism and Thought
He was not a revolutionary thinker, he did not want to change society, he just criticizes it.
He succeeded in making people aware of the evils of society.
He was a humanitarian; he was on the side of the poor. In fact, he says that it is useless to change institutions without a change of the heart. He wanted then a change of the spirit more than a change of the structures.
He was a liberalist and he got inspired by the American and French revolutions that were based on the ideals of freedom, equality and brotherhood, in one word: democracy. He says that England had lost equality and brotherhood.
In Hard Times, he championed equality.
A typical idea was benevolence whose main symptoms are: generosity; kindness; a feeling for suffering caused by poverty sickness and cruelty; indignation against abuses and benign temper.
Denunciation of Institutions
Money is the key word in Dickens’ novels. He says that money is an instrument of imprisonment and cruelty, but men are obsessed by money’s power.
He also criticizes charitable institutions and was against the distinctions of deserving and undeserving. He was against the Chartism.
Characters
Dickens created caricatures, so he exaggerated and ridiculed the characters of all social classes using their own voices.
He wanted to teach people their real living conditions and wanted to make reach people aware of the bad living and working conditions of the poor. Children have an important role in Dickens’ works since they become moral teachers and examples for adults.
Style and Structure
Style and Language
He uses the most appropriate language to describe people’s lives. He carefully chooses the adjectives, repetitions of words and structure, juxtapositions of images.
Domande da interrogazione
- How did Charles Dickens contribute to social criticism through his works?
- In what way did Dickens' publication method influence his storytelling?
Dickens was a humanitarian who used his novels to make people aware of societal evils. He criticized the obsession with money and the inadequacies of charitable institutions, advocating for a change in spirit rather than just structural changes, and championed ideals of equality and brotherhood.
Dickens published his novels in installments, which required him to adapt his plots to public taste. This method allowed him to engage with his audience continuously and adjust his storytelling to maintain their interest.
Accedi a tutti gli appunti
Tutor AI: studia meglio e in meno tempo
