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charles dickens and The Victorian Novel

A project work by Cosimo Cannata, 2007-2008. charles dickens and The Victorian Novel. Charles Dickens’ Biography (1812-1870). Born in Portsmouth, 7 February 1812 1824, Dickens worked at Warren’s Blacking Warehouse

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charles dickens and The Victorian Novel

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  1. A project work by Cosimo Cannata, 2007-2008 charlesdickens and The VictorianNovel

  2. Charles Dickens’ Biography (1812-1870) • Born in Portsmouth, 7 February 1812 • 1824, Dickens worked at Warren’s Blacking Warehouse • 1824, Mr. Dickens (Charles’ father) taken to debtors’ prison; family goes with him • Imprisoned from February – May 1824 Cosimo Cannata

  3. More Bio • 1827 - Dickens family evicted from (= cacciata via) home for not paying rent • Charles is pulled out of private school • Charles, now 15, becomes law clerk and free-lance writer • 1834 - Charles takes Boz as pen name • 1834 - Charles’ Dad re-arrested for debts Cosimo Cannata

  4. Dickens starts Publishing! • 1836 - Sketches by Boz • 1837 - ThePickwick Papers • and on a personal note...

  5. “Here Comes the Bride…” • 1836 (Dickens is 24) he and Catherine Hogarth get married • and… one year later, the first “little Dickens” is born • and one year after that, baby n. 2 is born... Cosimo Cannata

  6. But, back to business! • 1837 - Oliver Twist is serially published (appears in periodical magazines) Cosimo Cannata

  7. Some other Dickens’ novels… • 1838 -- Nicholas Nickleby • 1840 -- The Old Curiosity Shop • 1841 -- Barnaby Rudge • 1842 -- American Notes • 1843 -- A Christmas Carol • 1844 -- Martin Chuzzlewit • 1844 -- The Chimes • 1845 -- The Cricket on the Hearth • 1846 -- The Battle of Life • 1846 -- Dombey and Son

  8. And so writing goes on... • 1850 -- David Copperfield • 1853 -- Bleak House • 1853 -- A Child’s History of England and... a near nervous breakdown • 1854 -- Hard Times • 1857 -- Little Dorrit • 1859 -- A Tale of Two Cities • 1861 -- Great Expectations • 1865 -- Our Mutual Friends • 1869 -- The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished)

  9. What was happening in 1837? • King William IV of England dies • Victoria becomes queen of England • Benjamin Disraeli delivers his first speech in the House of Commons Cosimo Cannata

  10. Cosimo Cannata

  11. And in the arts? • Nathaniel Hawthorne publishes Twice ToldTales – it becomes a best seller • William H. Prescott publishes The History of the Reign of Isabella and Ferdinand • John Constable died (English landscape painter) • Berlioz completes “Grande Messe des Morts,” Opus 5 Cosimo Cannata

  12. Cosimo Cannata

  13. In the sciences • Industrialist August Borsig opens iron foundry and engine-building factory in Berlin • Wheatstone and Cooke patent electric telegraph • Samuel Morse exhibits his electric telegraph • Dutchman Johannes Diderik born (Nobel Prize in physics in 1910)

  14. Cosimo Cannata

  15. Cosimo Cannata

  16. Themes in Dickens’ novels The powerlessness of children Good’s ability to triumph over evil Man’s humanity to man Man’s inhumanity to man The outcast’s search for status and identity The heinous (= hateful) nature of crime and criminals

  17. Hard life for English teenagers in XIXth century Cosimo Cannata

  18. Cruelty and inhumanity in daily life Cosimo Cannata

  19. Cosimo Cannata

  20. Dickens' style of writing • 1. Dickens’ descriptions show a wonderful eye for DETAIL. • 2. Dickens’ style of writing is filled spaces, and included lots of REPETITION and long LISTS. • 3. Dickens loved words. He included lots of powerful ADJECTIVES, and is famous for his use of METAPHORS and SIMILES. • 4. From the early 1850s, Dickens gave public readings of his novels. His writing is RHYTHMIC and designed to be read out loud. • 5. The effect is COMIC or heart-breakingly • 6. The tone becomes SENTIMENTAL. • 7. D. used DIALECT and brilliant sections of DIALOGUE and EXAGGERATION.

  21. Techniques for characterization - 1 • Physical description — telling us what the character looks like dialogue — what the character says • Physical actions — what the character does (particularly in relation to what he or she says or thinks.) • Thoughts, or mental actions — the character's inner life, what the character thinks Cosimo Cannata

  22. Techniquesforcharacterization – 2 • Judgment by others — what other characters say and think about this fictional person • The narrator's judgement — what narrator tells us about the character • The author's judgement — what the author thinks of the character (sometines difficult to determine until late in the narrative) Cosimo Cannata

  23. Children and city (very hard) life Children from low class suffered abuses, long working hours and were the weakest (= più deboli) members of London society Cosimo Cannata

  24. Notchildrenfrom upper class…:easy life, dance, food and facilities…

  25. Exercise of moral conscience… • He exercised his social conscience • He crusaded for children’s rights. • He was an advocate of child labour laws to protect children. • He opposed cruelty, deprivation, and corporal punishment of children. • He believed in and lobbied for just treatment of criminals.

  26. What to watch (out) for... • Use of irony • Use of coincidence • Use of humour

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