Dickens

Charles DICKENS (1812-1870) Charles DICKENS (1812-1870) Life & main works: Born in England; UNHAPPY CHILDHOOD: he had to work in a FACTORY at the age of 12 (his father went to prison for debt); He became a newspaper reporter (pen name “Boz”) 1836: collection of articles describing London people and scenes INSTALMENTS (=several parts of a story/article that are published at different times in a magazine or newspaper) He had success (not only after his dead, but also when he was still alive); autobiographical novels: Oliver Twist (1838) [non l'abbiamo fatto, era da leggere quest'estate]; DAVID COPPERFIELD (1849-50) In which the protagonists are symbols of EXPLOITED CHILDHOOD; the reality of bad, poor, inhuman conditions of SLUMS (=very poor area of a town) and FACTORIES are described. Works about social issues (condition of the poor and the working class in general): BLEAK HOUSE (1853); Hard Times (1854) [da cui è tratto il brano di “Coketown”] He became a magazine editor. He travelled in his last years. The plots of Dickens's novels: Well-planned; sometimes they sound a bit artificial and sentimental (for that times) He had a great pressure to conform to the PUBBLIC TASTE (instalments..) Setting: LONDON (he had a great knowledge of it) Are described the sayings and doings of the middle classes in a COMIC MANNER. Then he gradually started to have a more radical view of the SOCIAL SCENE (social criticism, children exploitation). He was aware of the SPIRITUAL and MATERIAL CORRUPTION of present-day reality caused by INDUSTRIALISM > increasingly CRITICAL ATTITUDE towards his society Mature works: TERRIBLE DESCRIPTIONS OF LONDON MISERY AND CRIME; popular attention to public abuses, evils, wrongs. HE'S A SOCIALLY COMMITTED [=impegnato] WRITER. Characters: MIDDLE and LOWER classes in modern London (habits, language…); Exaggerated figures: THEY WERE REAL BUT CLEARLY SEPARATED BETWEEN GOOD/BAD. The LANGUAGE ALWAYS REFLECT THEIR TYPE. He RIDICULED FREELY (but no sarcasm) the vanity and ambition of these classes. He always was on the side of the poor, the outcast (someone who is no excepted by other people), the working class; He described a lot of children (presented as responsible, good in making choices, as moral teachers) as opposed to worthless (with no good qualities) PARENTS AND MATURE PEOPLE. Idea or reversing in fiction the natural order of things; He makes his readers love this children Children become the MODELS of the way people ought to behave to one another. DIDACTIC AIM But: N.B.: DICKENS NEVER BECAME A REVOLUTIONARY THINKER: He never induces the most wronged and suffering to rebel, or even to encourage discontent; He wanted to get the common intelligence of the country to alleviate undeniable sufferings. He doesn't do something concrete for change the system, he simply has an OPTIMISTIC view point: everything at the end will be solved >> SENTIMENTAL ENDING; PHILANTROPHY Style: Effective, CONCRETE language, short