CHARLES DICKENS (1812-1870)
HISTORY:
ECONOMY AND SOCIETY:
Social reforms:
Industrialisation continues and more factories are built;
England becomes the world’s workshop, and London becomes the world’s banker;
Population growth leads to overcrowded towns. Rural communities disappear due to increased urbanization and traditional values disintegrate. Many children work in mines and factories, are treated harshly, and live in dreadful conditions.
IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:
The Victorian Age is defined by strong religious and moral principles, known as Victorian values:
Literary trend: REALISM
Principles of Realism:
Realistic novel traits (the novel is the best form of expression for realism, as it describes the world faithfully and doesn’t idealize it):
THE AUTHOR AND HIS WORK
He had an unhappy childhood (his father was imprisoned for debt and he was forced to start work in a warehouse at 12);
Gained public attention with the humorous texts “The Pickwick Papers”;
As he grew older his mood became darker – he could not forget his traumatic childhood and could not tolerate the injustice of the social system.
Social novels: