THE DEPICTION OF CLASS AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN CHARLES DICKENS’ NOVELS OLIVER TWIST AND GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Abstract
This research explores the representation of class divisions and social transformation in Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist (1838) and Great Expectations (1861). Dickens, a key figure in Victorian literature, was deeply concerned with the struggles of the poor and the rigid class structures that limited social mobility. By analyzing these two novels, the study highlights Dickens’ critique of institutional oppression, wealth disparity, and the false promises of social advancement. While Oliver Twist presents a bleak portrayal of the lower class’s suffering due to systemic injustice, Great Expectations examines social mobility's psychological and moral consequences. This research employs a comparative literary analysis to demonstrate Dickens’ evolving perspective on class struggles and his advocacy for moral and social reform.
References
Briggs, Asa. Victorian cities Penguin Books, 1963.
Carey, John. The intellectual and the Masses, Faber & Faber, 1992.
Horne, Philip. Dickens and the Question of Progress. Palgrave Macmillan, 2000.
House, Humphrey. The Dickens World. Oxford University Press, 1941.
Jones, Gareth Stedman. Outcast London: A study in the Relationship Between Classes in Victorian Society Oxford University Press, 1984.
Waters, Catherine. Dickens and the Politics of the Family. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
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