Introduction
Robert Alter stated it rightly by reading Dickens, we can read "all sorts of other things at the same time—plot, character, moral dilemma, historical predicament, and so forth" (Alter 1996). Charles Dickens was not only a great novelist of all time; he was also one of the important social commentators who through his novels criticized the social, economic, and moral abuses of the Victorian period. He was a versatile genius and master of style who through his words woven magic transporting the readers into the realm of imagination. Born on 7th February 1812, he was the second child to his parents. He read voraciously all the books that his father kept in the library. The influence of Goldsmith, Fielding, Shakespeare, Smottett and Daniel Defoe was paramount on him (James 1990). Each of these authors influenced his literary ingenuity. Some of the notable works of Charles Dickens were A Christmas Carol, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, David Copperfield, A Child's History of England, Hard Times, Oliver Twist, and Nicholas Nickleby (Diniejko 2014). Besides the influence of the authors like Smollett, Fielding and Goldsmith, his novels were also influenced by the personal experiences of his own life, the contemporary society and the Victorian period.
The Relevance of Dickensian Novels in the Victorian Period
The Victorian Period, which was the period between 1830 and 1901, was a period of transition when a lot of reformative actions took place. Dickens through his writing and public speeches contributed significantly to the social reforms. At that time, books were the main mode of entertainment. Through his novels, he raised the social awareness of the reading public. His writing contributed significantly to the formation of public opinion against the social ills of his time (Diniejko 2014). His social criticism could be found in his popular works. For instance, in Oliver Twist, he revealed the unspeakable condition of the poor people who lived in the slums of England. He made an onslaught on the pitiless and negligent boarding schools of Yorkshire in Nicholas Nickleby. In Hard Times, Dickens touched upon the social problems that had emerged in the 19th Century industrial society. Many of the social problems of that time were reflected through the character Stephen Blackpool in Hard Times. The problems Stephen Blackpool faced with the divorce laws reflected the social problem of divorce being applicable only for people who had money (James 1990). In David Copperfield, he raised a voice of protest against the social system that disparaged poor, unmarried women for giving birth to illegitimate children and zealously protested against the social ills of the society such as prostitution, the lack of job opportunities for women who were only allowed to work as governess, the unjust practice of putting people behind bars for insolvency, and the inhumane treatment of the mentally sick people. Thus, through his criticism, he contributed indirectly to the social reforms that took place during that period, such as a series of new laws in favor of public, including improvement in the condition of criminal prisons, the abolition of the system of imprisoning people for the failure of debts, purification of the Magistrates’ courts, and the restriction on the capital punishment (Diniejko 2014).
A Christmas Carol and the Society
Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, when England was going through a time of trouble with high unemployment rate and poverty. There was a huge disparity between the rich and poor. Human right violations were rampant with no consideration for the working class, who lived in terrible condition. The social injustice that prevailed in the Victorian Period influenced Dickens to pen A Christmas Carol, which was a kind of protest against the social injustice of that time. Dickens was an advocate for the underprivileged people, and aside from writing, he spent a lot of time in public speeches about social and economic inequality (Centi 2011). The reason for his empathy for the underprivileged was rooted in his own childhood experience. His empathy for the downtrodden, underprivileged people could be found in the expression of the ghost of Jacob Marley, "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" (Centi 2011). He conveyed his message of protest against the social injustice of that time through the portrayal of the character Ebenezer Scrooge, who was represented as someone with no value for human beings and human contact. Scrooge represented how wealth controlled people and could be destructive spiritually. Through the character of Scrooge, Dickens was able to draw the attention of the public towards the social problems of the Victorian Period. The ending of A Christmas Carol shows the transformation of Scrooge, who changed from an impassive unfeeling person to a charitable person. Through the transformation of the character of Scrooge, Dickens was able to convey the need of social transformation and show how the action of one man can make a difference in the society (Centi 2011). Thus, by ending the novel on a note of optimism, he imbibed hope in the general public.
Pickwick Papers and the Influence of the Other Authors
Charles Dickens' first novel was Pickwick Papers that sprang him to fame. In the period between 1836 and 1837, the novel was published in 19 monthly installments. The episodic form of the Pickwick Papers was influenced by the works of Fielding, Cervantes, and Smolett. The idea the Pickwick Club was influenced by Surtees' Jorrocks. The farcical scenes, in which men were shown getting caught in night garments, were inspired by the works of Fielding and Smolett. Oliver Goldsmith already used the idea of a man coming out of the prison as a changed wise man in his The Vicar of Wakefield, and Dickens inspired by his idea used the same in Pickwick Papers (HMH 2014). The only difference between the treatment of literary themes of Fielding, Smollett and Surtees with that of Dickens was that Dickens' style was more refined and gentle and theirs was brutal and coarse.
David Copperfield – An Autobiographical Representation
The time when the family of Charles Dickens went through a period of immense financial difficulty after his father was imprisoned for insolvency has influenced the development of the major themes of Dickens' most popular novels. David Copperfield, which is one of the most celebrated novels of Dickens, is the most autobiographical in form with the main protagonist of the novel growing up in a situation similar to that of Dickens. It was the first Dickensian novel to have been written in first person, showing astounding similarities between Charles Dickens and the protagonist David Copperfield. Because of the similarities, many people started to believe that David Copperfield is none other than Charles Dickens himself in disguise. Both Dickens and David were novelists. While David was a poor orphan, Dickens experienced financial difficulty because of his parents' wayward spend-thrifty life style. Owing to his parents' irresponsible nature and callousness, Dickens experienced a bad period of life as early as when he was 12 years old. He was forced to leave school and work in a boot-blacking factory (Ellopos Communities 2002). Since Dickens himself went through the experience of working in a factory when he was a child, he was opposed to child labor and fought hard for the rights of children. He was opposed to cruelty, deprivation, and corporal punishment of children.
Dickens had grudges against his parents, especially his mother who forced him the most to leave school and join the factory. Because of this experience, he was able to readily identify himself with the orphans of his novels. In his novels, he gave a glorious account of the perfect family he never had. When Dickens used to study in Wellington House, he witnessed the event of the headmaster lashing boys in a similar manner as Mr. Creakle of the Salem House in which David Copperfield studied. Dickens cherished a romantic affection for Maria Beadnell, who was as flirtatious and charming as David's sweetheart Dora was. Maria's father was a rich banker. In order to separate his daughter from Dickens, Maria's father sent her abroad, and when Maria returned, she refused to acknowledge her feelings for Dickens. In a similar way, Dora's father too threatened to separate the two lovers Dora and David, but Dickens let David live his dream by uniting him with Dora factory (Ellopos Communities 2002). In order to overcome the pain of Maria's rejection, Dickens immersed himself in work. Then he started courtship with another woman, Catherine Hogarth. In his desperation to settle down, he did not judge Catherine carefully because they were not suited for each other in the long run. David's frustration with his "child-wife" Dora may be a realistic presentation of Dickens' own discontent with his own wife (Centi 2011).
Conclusion
Charles Dickens, the great novelist and literary genius of all time, was a prolific man who authored the great literary pieces of all time like A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Pickwick Papers, Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations. In his growing years, he read the novels of Fielding, Smollett, and Goldsmith voraciously. The influence of the writing of these authors could be found in Dickens' writing especially Pickwick Papers. Besides the influence of other authors, Dickens was also influenced by the social and cultural problems of the Victorian Period. He was a social critic and his social criticism could be found almost in all his novels like David Copperfield, Hard Times, Nicholas Nickleby, A Christmas Carol, and Oliver Twist. The novel, which was regarded as being the most autobiographical in form, was David Copperfield. Dickens' own love and marriage influenced the love life and marriage of the protagonist David in David Copperfield. Dickens' novels appeal to all kinds of people of the society, starting from high intellectuals to the underprivileged. His reflection on the contemporary social and cultural problems of the Victorian Period brings out his empathy and consciousness for the mankind. He is a legendary figure whose influence on the succeeding generation is paramount. He is truly an iconic figure of all time.
Work Cited
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