How does Charles Dickens use setting in the novel Great Expectations?
How does Charles Dickens use setting in the novel 'Great Expectations'? Dickens uses setting in a variety of ways in Great Expectations. He uses it as a way to mirror the feelings of a character and to expand on the characterisation towards Pip. This allows him to create an environment that the reader can empathise with. In Chapter One, we connect with Pip in a graveyard. The dark, dismal feelings portrayed by the negative adjectives mirror the feelings within Pip - specifically, the feeling of loneliness or abandonment that Pip is suffering from at this stage. The dead nature of the graveyard, and the subsequent introduction of Magwitch, could connate Magwitch's death further in the novel. As Dickens was an outspoken socialist, the graveyard could also be used to represent the high mortality rate as a result of extreme poverty within the 19th century in England. This is specifically represented by the reference to 'five little stone lozenges' - siblings of Pip who have already succumbed to the void. A 'distant savage lair' provides the hint of an introduction to Magwitch. Magwitch could also be represented by the brittle, brutal nature of the landscape. This is particularly reinforced by the uncultured, colloquial way in which he speaks, that shows his roots and the time he has spent in prison. However, as the chapter evolves, we see the perspective of Magwitch change.
Explore the way in which Westall and Dickens create suspense and mystery in the two ghost stories,
Explore the way in which Westall and Dickens create suspense and mystery in the two ghost stories, "The Call" and "The Signalman". The two ghost stories "The Call" written by Robert Westall and "The Signalman" written by Charles Dickens, both create suspense and mystery to engage the reader's attention. "The Call" is narrated by a person who did not experience the events of the story but heard it from other people, and he also knew the characters. In contrast "The Signalman" is narrated by one of the characters in the story, and is therefore in first person. The ghost story genre has had enduring popularity over the past few centuries. It can even be found as far back as the Elizabethan era, where Shakespeare used ghosts as characters in his plays. For example in Macbeth, the ghost of Banquo comes back to haunt Macbeth. This genre has been so popular because the phenomenon of the supernatural cannot be explained and it ignites a fear in many of us. This was more so when the subject of ghosts were fairly new in literature, around the time when Dickens wrote "The Signalman", and therefore the story would have been quite different for readers. However when Westall wrote "The Call" in 1989-some 120 yrs after The Signalman was written, society was much more sceptical about the integrity of the issue of ghosts and therefore the story would have to be more persuading over its
Hard Times - Would you agree, from your reading of the novel so far thatthere are some characters who are simply too good to be true?
Would you Agree, From your Reading of the Novel So Far that There are Some Characters Who are Simply Too Good to be True? There are a huge variety of characters in Hard Times, ranging from the good to the unnaturally cruel. The novel is full of extremity in its characterisation; cruel, bitter and selfish characters such as Mrs. Sparsit contrast dramatically with characters such as Stephen Blackpool and Rachael, who are benevolent and altruistic. Among the cruellest and most villainous characters in the novel is James Harthouse, who is completely ammoral, and therefore rendered very dangerous by Dickens. Josiah Bounderby, is another particularly cruel character. He is utterly self-centred and prejudiced against the working-class of the novel (he categorizes them all as being greedy and materialistic: "You [Stephen] don't expect to be set up in a coach and six, and to be fed on turtle soup and venison, with a gold spoon as a good many of 'em do!") Bounderby is almost a caricature and is satirised by Dickens for his constant emphasizing of his climb to success, after supposedly beginning his life in a ditch. Both Bounderby and Harthouse contrast with the honourable characters of the novel, who are venerated by Dickens. Stephen Blackpool is the character who, it could be argued appears 'too good to be true'. We are initially introduced to Stephen as being someone
How does Dickens use the character of Scrooge to teach his readers, old and young, his moral and social lessons?
How does Dickens use the character of Scrooge to teach his readers, old and young, his moral and social lessons? Charles Dickens is the author of A Christmas Carol. He came from a less privileged background of debt as his father had to work in a debtor's prison. Eager to get his father out of prison, he worked hard to earn money to end his fathers debt. Charles Dickens had chosen to write the book at Christmas, because it was a time of giving and celebration, yet there were many people at this time who weren't as fortunate - people who were poorer. Many of the poor worked in various places such as the workhouses under the poor law, and the people who managed the poor took advantage and made lots of money out of them. Dickens has written this story for two audiences, the first is for the entertainment of children, and the book would be read to them by the second audience - the adults. Society back then was much harsher - Dickens was angry in the way people were suffering, and it gave Dickens inspiration to write this book in the hope that it could improve society. The book is set in 1843 and the main character or caricature is Scrooge. Because he is a caricature, we have to suspend our disbelief in order to understand fully what Dickens is doing with Scrooge in wider detail. In the book, Scrooge, a greedy middle class businessmen gets visited by spirits who open his
A comparison of two ghost stories - One is called 'The Signalman' which was written by Charles Dickens in the 19th century. The other story, is called 'The Follower' by Cynthia Asquith
A Comparison of Two Ghost Stories I have been working on two different ghost stories, which were written by two different people. One is called 'The Signalman' which was written by Charles Dickens in the 19th century. The other story, is called 'The Follower' by Cynthia Asquith written in the 20th century. Both stories are set in different times and places, 'The Signalman' is set in the countryside and remains more or less the same throughout the story. But in 'The Follower', which is based in the city, is set in many different places. Both writers, writing at different times, use many techniques to make their stories frightening and gripping. Charles Dickens might have written his story to say something about the society he was part of, because people at that time were known to have lots of doubts about the future, it was a time of great social change. Cynthia Asquith wrote her story in the twentieth century; her story was about a woman. I think Cynthia Asquith may have been trying to express the concerns and experiences that are common to some women in this society. Both stories belong to the same genre of ghost stories. Short ghost stories were popular in the 18th century, perhaps because we needed to find evidence of the supernatural somewhere. I think people enjoy reading ghost stories because it is a change from everyday life, or the enjoyment of being scared in the
"A Christmas Carol" as an Allegory.
"A Christmas Carol" as an Allegory I read and studied "a Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Dickens was born on the 7th of February 1812 at Portsea in Hampshire. He had eight brothers and sisters who all lived with their parents, John and Elizabeth Dickens. John Dickens worked in series of different places and had to continuously move houses to avoid paying his debts. However, these were probably the high pints of Charles childhood as they were soon shipped back to London where his father's debts became inferior. Charles had to depart school early and work to try and help his dad's economic problems. Nevertheless, John Dickens was arrested and sent to Marshalsea, a prison for debtors and soon after, the rest of the family followed him. As john's mother died in 1824, they were released from prison but spent the rest of their lives worrying about returning there. Charles resumed his school education and achieved the role of a clerk for a solicitor. Charles started his writing career by publishing short stories in local magazines and newspapers. It wasn't until the 1840s that he started writing "A Christmas Carol". During this time, the area in which he lived in was congested with poverty. This was also the time when new laws were enforced to endow with better living conditions for children. Among these laws, was one, which made education compulsory for children under the
"A Christmas Carol" By Charles Dickens
"A Christmas Carol" By Charles Dickens Charles Dickens lived in the 19th Century (1812-1870) until the age of 58, and in that time he wrote many books including "A Christmas Carol". Charles Dickens is one of the most wildly recognised writers in English history. During his life, he lived in London, in the Victorian times when people were either very rich, or very poor. Charles Dickens had a troubled childhood and lived in increasing poverty, his father at one time was in debtor's prison. In his novels Dickens told of the 'darkness' and his childhood experiences. He was haunted by his troubled childhood i.e. he knows what it is like to be poor and dependent, due to his father's mistakes. When writing his novels, which made Dickens very rich, he always remembered and thought of his troubled childhood upbringing. Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" to tell the people who had the money to help the poor people who did not have money although they worked very hard. A 'Christmas Carol' tells the story of a man called Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy man but described by Dickens as a 'wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner', 'hard and sharp as flint from which no steel ever struck out a generous fire.' Scrooge was an unhappy and lonely man who cared for nothing for friendship or companionship. The novel tells of the change from this uncaring and unloved
"A short story should stimulate the imagination and hold its reader in suspense."Consider the statement in relation to stories from the ghost / mystery genre.
"A short story should stimulate the imagination and hold its reader in suspense." Consider the statement in relation to stories from the ghost / mystery genre. (Think about style, language, setting characters, suspense and climax) A short story is a condensed fictional narrative typically concerning a relatively small number of characters. Short stories may aim to excite the reader provoking emotional responses, to the situations or characters described in the piece. The ghost / mystery genre presents unexpected events, building a sense of anticipation as the reader waits to see how the plot will develop. The short stories that this essay will examine were written in the nineteen-century, a period in which people were intrigued by the supernatural and mystery. In particular, the ghost and mystery genre provided Victorian readers with an escape from their strict moral codes of behaviour. It was in this period that the short story first became recognised as a genre in its own right. Victorian audiences favoured the short story format as they became a popular feature within newspapers and magazines. In the early 1900s, education improved, more people were taught to read and therefore short stories were seen as a good method to increase levels of literacy. Consequently, reading became a social pastime with short stories being a form of education and entertainment. Authors such
"By Close Analysis of Staves One and Five Show How Dickens Portrays the Transformation of Scrooge and To What Effect"
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (BY CHARLES DICKENS) "By Close Analysis of Staves One and Five Show How Dickens Portrays the Transformation of Scrooge and To What Effect" In December 1843, Charles Dickens wrote and published "A Christmas Carol." He published this book when he needed money; he needed money badly because he was in debt. He decided to link it to things that are happening; that Christmas was not taken seriously, it was fading out and ghost traditional Christmas tales. Dickens used the genre of ghost stories, but Dickens did something unusual, he changed the fact that ghost stories are meant to be frightening, in this book, the ghost stories were scary. In 1843 (ancient times), there were no security, pensions, national health nor compulsory education. You were expected to work six days a week and on Sunday, you go to church (only if you had a job). Those who had no job couldn't go to church, because they were probably in prison or workhouse. There were no holidays, you had to work on Boxing Day, and if you ended up in debt, you would be put in debt prison. Dickens grew up in this prison with his dad, he started work at the age of 12 (it was a terrible work). Looking at the Book, it was about ghosts, and ghost stories were always told during Christmas. Books were always in chapters, but Dickens wrote his in staves; musical notes. Dickens starts to compare, first, looking at
"Dickens had intended through a stirring and entertaining tale, to awaken his readers' minds and hearts to the suffering of the poor." Did he succeed?
"Dickens had intended through a stirring and entertaining tale, to awaken his readers' minds and hearts to the suffering of the poor." Did he succeed? Dickens's concern in 'A Christmas Carol' was to make his reading public aware of the very real abuses in society. When Dickens wrote 'A Christmas Carol' in 1843 the terrible plight of the poor seemed unnoticed by many educated people so Dickens knew that a stirring tale would be more effective in pointing out the evils in society than a dull, worthy tract. I intend to prove that Dickens had intended to awaken his readers' minds and hearts and show them the suffering of the poor through a stirring and entertaining tale. Dickens knew that it was useless to write a mere polemic. The readers must be entertained, amused, enthralled and moved. He planned a Christmas book because ghost stories were traditional at Christmas and also, because the new German way of celebrating Christmas emphasized present giving and concern for children. Middle class Victorian Children were considered very precious and were much sheltered from the realness of life. Working class children were treated as economic units and expected to earn their keep from an early age. Have a look at some of the characters: Martha Cratchit is a milliner, a trade notorious for its low pay and appalling working conditions. Many girls resorted to prostitution in
