Coketown is clearly an imitation of both Dickens’ thoughts and feelings; it is an attempt to criticise the way the politicians of that period in time worked, not only that but ridiculing them for the unimaginative system which they had in place. Dickens believes that the workers are treated unfairly and they are not recognised as individuals with thoughts and feelings but mere hands, on the production line. He believes they are the victims of the political economic philosophies and their views are not heard. The voice of Dickens at the beginning of Coketown is clearly one of anger. This is shown by the colours used in the novel. The red brick, of which the majority of the buildings are made, is a very bold colour, which suggests uniformity. The black represents the dirt and pollution from the factories but is also connected with death and the purple from the ‘ill-smelling dye’ symbolises the wealthy people’s ignorance of the time and effort put in, and the sacrifices made to produce their luxury goods. Imagery too plays a key part in Dickens’ novel. ‘Interminable serpents of smoke’ evokes a sense of evil, and it also reminds the reader of paradise lost and when Satan took the guise of a serpent in the Garden of Eden. ‘Piston like an elephants head’ helps the reader envisage the sheer size of machinery used in the factories but also uses a simile to describe the trunk-like piston and its mechanical movements, which lack any kind of feeling. ‘A bell in a birdcage’ just epitomizes the workers’ lives imprisoned within a mechanical routine. The repetition of words such as ‘fact’ and ‘same’ along with certain phrases emphasises just how dull and monotonous the workers’ routine that they follow day in and day out, really is, lacking any form of imagination or enjoyment. Dickens’ own voice is brought out through his use of complex sentences and his satire, it is one of anger and resentment caused by the way in which the workers are treated and the ignorance of the politicians and the wealthy. There is also a strong contrast between both the poor factory workers earning barely enough money to feed their families and working long, gruelling hours, with the wealthy who would not know what hard work was if it was staring them in the face, and who wish to remain ignorant to the sacrifices made to produce their luxury goods. And both the singing soul longing to be released and its entrapment in the ordinary and functional world.
Compared to Coketown, Dynmouth seems surreal. It is cut off from events, which are happening in the real world, and appears to be trapped in the past without any chance of a future. Dynmouth itself is quite a pretty town but it is both undemanding and extremely dull. Trevor’s choice of vocabulary indicates the writer’s feelings about the town. While nothing suggests it is ugly – like Coketown – the words used such as ‘limited’ and ‘unspectacular’ make the town appear unattractive and superficially undemanding. The town does seem understated. By grouping words together such as ‘alike’, ‘every’ and ‘pattern’ in clusters Trevor uses them to describe just how tedious the town really is and how it lacks imagination and creativity. By listing names of places giving no detail, except simply naming them, adds to the monotony. Trevor, like Dickens, also uses strong contrasts. The social hierarchy is shown by the position of the houses on the hill, starting with the cramped terraces at the bottom gradually increasing in size the further up the hill they are, with large detached houses and their own private gardens at the top. The forgotten council estate is kept well out of the way on the other side of town. Dynmouth has the same social stratification as anywhere else at that time, between the ‘stylish’ pier with its ‘ornamental lampposts’ and ‘the ancient Essoldo Cinema in flaking pink’. As nothing of any importance ever happens in Dynmouth, the arson attempt at the Queen Victoria hotel gives it the notoriety it has longed for and was mentioned on the ‘inside page of the Daily Telegraph’. The fact that it was attempted by a Sicilian, a foreigner makes it worse because he is thought of as different and does not belong in Dynmouth. The colours, which Trevor uses, differ greatly to those of Dickens, with colours such as green and pink, which represent safety.
Superficially Dynmouth and Coketown are very different places. On one hand Dynmouth has retained its history, although very boring, it is both genteel and pretty, Whereas Coketown on the other hand is new, brash and ugly in its Uniformity. A clear difference between the two places is the manner in which they work. People in Coketown are not seen as living flesh but simply hands, whereas life in Dynmouth seems a lot easier. The writer’s purposes are also very different. Dickens’ purpose is to promote awareness of the gruelling work conditions, which many have to endure and to inform of the political system, which denies any imagination whatsoever. Trevor’s purpose is completely different. It is setting the scene for a novel. It is trying to show that behind the net curtains there is fomenting passions. There are also a number of similarities between the two towns; both are extremely dull with apparently little opportunity and creativity.