The themes of childhood and orphanhood in Dickens’ novels are a reflection of the social status of the poor and a veiled commentary on Dickens’ own childhood. This thesis investigates the ways in which Dickens portrayed children in Victorian England, and investigates the motivation behind this. In his novels, Dickens depicts poor and orphaned children as being manipulated and poorly treated by adults, and Oliver Twist and David Copperfield are good examples of this. His depictions are a reflection of social thought about children at the time and are in stark contrast to his own beliefs of how childhood should be. The thesis will investigate the role that Dickens’ own childhood played in the creation of the children in his novels.
The orphan as a protagonist appears in many of Dickens’ novels, particularly Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. The characters usually reflect the lack of self-assurance and confidence that arises from a lack of unconditional parental love which is required to develop a healthy personality. As we see the orphan grow to adulthood in his novels, Dickens seems intent on reflecting these negative character traits and failure to achieve desires as continuing into manhood.
Dickens’ own childhood experiences, where he was sent to work at an early age and unable to undertake education, and where his father was confined to debtors prison, instilled in him a modern-day appreciation of the value of childhood, which was at odds with the social perspective of children at the time. He believed that childhood should be a time for play, and for children to use their creative imaginations, and his depiction of the children in his novels is at odds with this belief. This is a reflection of his unbridled anger at being denied these opportunities in his own childhood.
Works Cited
Hochman, B. and Wachs, I. Dickens: The Orphan Condition. Cranbury, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1999.
