-1838) attacked the workhouse system.
A Tale of Two Cities (1859) attacked the French Revolution.
Dombey and Son (1846-1848) attacked the Capitalist.
Bleak House (1852-1853) attacked the law court.
Hard Time (1854) attacked the Utilitarianism (facts)。
Oliver Twist In this novel, Dickens attacked the workhouse system. Workers who worked hard but so little can't supply their family, hungry to death.
Plot Oliver is an orphan working in a workhouse. He can't stand the hungry so he turns to theft. In order to live, he becomes a thief and leads an underworld life. At the end of the novel, with the help of kind-hearted men, he learns that he isn't an orphan but is born in a decent family.
Significance of Oliver Twist
(1)
The novel is the truthful presentation of the miseries of the poor and the oppressed.
(2) It blames the social system and institutions for such miseries. In Dickens's depiction, labors, they either become oppressors or criminals.
The progressing aspect of the novel
It's said the publication of Oliver Twist has bettered the conditions in the English workhouses.
Dombey and Son ¨ attacked the Capitalist
Dombey regards his wife chiefly as a woman whose duty is to give birth, and regards his son as someone who carries his name and inherit his property. He thinks that his daughter is useless, can be neglected. He teaches his son that money can buy everything. His son died young. After his wife died, he marries a young beauty. He thinks that he buys her and she gets social status and money. Dombey thinks the marriage is a good business.
Dombey is very inhumane to his daughter. When his second wife shows her concern to the daughter. Dombey is annoyed. He thinks that he buys the second wife to love him only. She can't love another person. The second wife finally elopes with Dombey's manager who later cheats away his money.
In his late life, Dombey lives in poverty and solitude. Only his daughter stays with him and takes care of him.
Bleak House ¨ attacked the law court
It's about a family lawsuit. Almost all family members are involved in the lawsuit for many years. The result is that the long legal procedure makes everybody poor and miserable.
Hard Time ¨ attacked Utilitarianism
Utlitiarianists show their concern over facts. The novel exposed the influence of Utilitarianism in education. An educated man teaches his son and daughter by facts. The children have no time to play and to learn beautiful natural things. They only learn abstract, logical things. The son finally becomes a thief and is almost killed by others. The daughter becomes moral
degenerated.
Charles Dickens means that Utilitarianism is a failure of education. It's also an attack on social Darwinism, which drugs people mind "you are poor and incapable so you have to work for me. "
Charles Dickens' point of view [P239]
(1) It's his se |
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