Charles Dickens was an astounding author and titan of English literature throughout the Victorian era. Dickens was remarkably known for his early years, his career, and his life tragedies. During his career Dickens achieved worldwide popularity, winning acclaim for his rich storytelling and memorable characters. Dickens will forever be remembered as a literary genius who changed the world with his vivid novels and his superb stories. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in the Mile End Terrace in Portsmouth England (Sahlman 1).
Charles Dickens is arguably one of the best writers of his time. He wrote many classic novels that are still appreciated today. A Tale of Two Cities is known for its description of the events leading up to the French Revolution, in two very different places, London, England; and Paris, France. The Cricket on the Hearth is a touching story of two young people in love, and the lack of trust that occurs between them. Oliver Twist is the tale of a young orphan and his struggles to advance in social classes.
Dickens' Social Commentary in Great Expectations Charles Dickens' Great Expectations stands as one of the most highly revered works in all of English literature. The novel's perennial appeal lies in its penetrating depictions of character, rich panoramas of social milieu, and implicit crusades against social evils.1 Dickens used the growth of his characters in Great Expectations, particularly Pip, in relation to others to write about social reform, and most effectively illustrated this by using the first-person narrative style. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens has written a social commentary using the development of his characters to illustrate his message. In my paper, I will concentrate on three of the main characters, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, Estella, and Joe Gargery. During the time when he lived, Dickens recognized many evils in society.
Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, was published in three volumes in 1861. His book had influence on future authors by his style of writing and his use of symbols to represent other ideas. Dickens’ use of symbols creates a profound imagination in the reader’s mind and produces desire for the reader to read the novel. Throughout the mysterious and perplexing setting of the Great Expectations, Charles Dickens uses exceptional styles, motifs, and symbols to portray themes such as: ambition and self-improvement, and social class. Charles Dickens is considered, by many critics, as one of the greatest writers during the Victorian Period.
Dickens' Use of the Word Hand [Dickens'] genius is descriptive; he can describe a thing so vividly—and so influentially—that no one can look at that thing in the same way again. John Irving The King of the Novel Descriptive Dickens' Use of the Word "Hand" Charles Dickens' description in Great Expectations is a telling example of why people consider him one of the greatest and most successful novelists ever. Dickens uses his talent for descriptive writing throughout Great Expectations to develop his characters and themes. Many of these themes emerge from Dickens' personal experiences, specifically his emphasis on the importance of education and his ideas that wealth and position are corrupting. While the themes of education and position were common during the Victorian era, Dickens had an uncommon insight into these themes.
Dickens wrote to make people think about how the government was being run. He wrote Oliver Twist to almost protest the Poor Law of 1834 and the use of the workhouses. Since Dickens was such an original writer his presence in literature will be forever appreciated. Bibliography: Blount, Trevor. Dickens: The Early Novels.
Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Our Mutual Friend. London: Penguin,1997. Print. Hardy, Barabara.
Schlicke, Paul, ed. Oxford Reader’s Companion to Dickens. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. “101-3+281-86+315”. Print.
"Understanding the Characters of Great Expectations." Victorian Newsletter 27 (1965): 21-24. Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. Ed.
Charles Dickens. New York: Continuum, 1994. Skim Paroissien, David. Letter to Noah Laible, 15 Feb 2000. Taine, Hippolyte A.