Dickens' Creation of a Picture of Nineteenth Century School in Nicholas Nickleby
This essay demonstrates how Charles Dickens, the author of the novel 'Nicholas Nickleby' creates an image of the 19th century school Dotheby's Hall School for Boys. Also I will be discussing the conditions of the school, the description of the boys and the protagonists (Mr. Squeers, Smike and Nicholas.) In the 19th century the rich students were treated pleasantly because they had the money to pay the school however the poor students were treated harshly. Also, in the 19th century there was no social service so the teachers could do as they wished to the students.
When Dickens was writing this novel, conditions in
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In addition here is another quotation 'an unhealthy looking boy with warts all over his hands.' This portrays that the children are not being given any medicine for any wounds. Dickens is trying to make the reader create a picture that makes them feel repentant for the boys.
However, Dickens shows the character Mr. and Mrs. Squeers as the symbol of evil and violence in this novel. Mr. Squeers has power in the beginning of the story but through the extent of the novel he looses the power to Nicholas Nickleby and the children gain hope from Nicholas Nickleby. For example 'administering a cut with the cane'. This examines that Mr. Squeers has the power to do what ever he wishes to the children. Mr. Squeers looses his power over the children at the end for example 'beat the ruffian till he roared for mercy'. This studies how Mr. Squeers is weakened by one man. Nickleby also uses violence to gain power over Mr. Squeers Nickelby uses violence for the right reason.
The character Nickleby is shown to be nice, mature and understanding. Nickleby stands up to Mr. and Mrs. Squeers for example 'flung Squeers from him with all the
Nick had so many challenges with no limbs and he was depressed for a while. Nick also was almost rejected by his mother. Nick wanted to commit suicide when he was 10! “I felt I had no value, and I thought I would always be a burden to my parents and never get married”. (Nick P8) Nick wanted to be normal, because he was always excluded from things and sometimes laughed at. When he wanted to start a business it failed and someone stole money from him. He has overcome these challenges now, because Nick has had many challenges in his life he now he speaks to the youth about his life. Nick’s family encouraged him to speak to others. “Nick, you can make your dreams come true and reach
One of the major inequalities shown throughout the novel is the difference between the conditions of the aristocracy and lower class. The lower class is described in the text as “people that had undergone a terrible grinding and re-grinding in the mill, and certainly not in the fabulous mill which ground old people young… The mill which has worked them down, was the mill that grinds young people old; the children had ancient faces and grave voices; and upon them, and upon the grown faces, and ploughed into every furrow of age and coming up afresh, was the sign, Hunger” (32). In other words, the conditions of the lower class during this time were awful. The section when Dickens describes the children having “ancient faces and grave voices” shows how atrocious the people lived. At such a young age, children are looking and sounding like they are 50 years older. Not only do the lower-class people look as if they have gone
“Life is much more successfully looked at from a single window” (Fitzgerald 4). This quote from the timeless classic The Great Gatsby references how an individual should only have one worldview. The Great Gatsby portrays characters with varying world views, some of which will be deliberated in this paper. Some characters have a more Biblical worldview, while others are more humanistic. This book also brings up issues of morals and ethics, leading to the underlying theme: “the love of money is the root of all evil”.
The Great Gatsby shows the ambition of one man's achievement of his goal, the disappointment of failing, and the hopelessness of it. During the era of this novel, which is around the 1920's, America was a country with huge misery, ambition, and lack of humanity values. The novel shows a reflection of this decade, it illustrates the burning passion one man has toward his objective and the different aspects of the American principles. As the sequence of events continues in the story, someone will narrate the singular aspects of it; exposing the idea of the conflicts that will happen among different social levels.
Dickens had a strong opinion on this ideal. "If you would reward honesty, if you would give encouragement to good, if you would stimulate the idle, eradicate evil, or correct what is bad, education -- comprehensive liberal education -- is the one thing needful, and the one effective end" (Speeches; 63). Dickens was able to prove his feelings towards education in one of the most famous novels, A Christmas Carol. Scrooge, a miserable man remembers his childhood education to be filled with restricted and horrible memories. Dickens' worry is shown with the illustration done by Birch on the factors of education. Birch is able to illustrate Dicken’s ideals on the wrong form of education. This is the idea of removing the aspects of imagination and personal emotion and replacing that with facts and strict guidelines. Dickens felt as though this was a form of dehumanization to humans. He made clear that he had a sort of uneasiness towards the role that the state plays in education and feels as though it has affected the lives of younger generations and their imagination. Today, schools are able to use more effective ways of learning with more projects based on opinion and free reign. This allows generations to gain a sense of their own. This was all due to the help of Dickens and his influence within social ideas in the education
The French Revolution was difficult to escape on the grounds that the aristocracy abused poor people, making them rebel. Tyranny on a large scale results in anarchy, and anarchy fabricates a police state. One of Dickens' most grounded feelings was that the English individuals would flare up at any time into a mass of bloody revolutionists. It is understandable today that he was wrong, but the idea was firmly planted in his mind, as well as in the minds of his peers. Dickens also feels bad for the poor but he does not agree with the violence that was used during the war.
Charles Dickens had a way of writing amazing characters. He was known for his passion in writing and his way of words. A man once said that Charles was the greatest story writer of all time. He was able to craft fully make a character that was both memorable and taught you a valuable lesson on how to be a better you. In this book I spotted a few characters that stood out to me. It was either their courage or loyalty that stuck out the most. The biggest lesson I wish to share from these characters that I learned in this novel is that it is important to study a person and get to know them before you make assumptions on their life based on their outward appearance.
During the 1800s, Charles Dickens was one of the most acclaimed writers of his time. He did not just write books but he was a journalist, and play write. Many of his experiences and people in his life influenced his books. Because of this he was known as not just a writer but a writer for “the people”. He wrote about the workhouse, poverty, disabilities, social class, and so much more that effected his era.
In the book, Dickens portrays the people as having the hatred necessary for mob violence. Immediately, the book shows us an example how such hatred was created. When a youth’s hands were chopped off, “tongue torn out with pincers” and “his body burned alive” it shows the violence and torture that led to the French revolution. The youth represents the weak in French society
Dickens argues that a person should be defined by their own self, character, personality, actions, and other traits which are specifically not their clothing, which is their wealth, which is their social class. He includes several descriptions of the higher social classes, both as opposites to and comparisons with the dress of the poor, but also as examples of how such arbitrary, socially constructed class can hurt even the wealthy – that this is a universal issue that must be resolved, not just a ‘poor person’ problem.
This occurs when “Sir Timothy, after selling off all [the Meanwell’s] goods for the rent, turned the whole family out of doors; and they left the village in a state of beggary” (“The History of Goody Two-Shoes” 6). This portrays how individuals who were part of the gentry at the time treated those of a lower class due to the high status that they possess. This further supports the views of the middle class as it portrays how the individuals in the upper class treated them. Furthermore, the story uses harsh words to describe Sir Timothy Gripe who is used as the representation of the gentry. Words such as “cruel” (“The History of Goody Two-Shoes” 5), “avaricious”( “The History of Goody Two-Shoes” 5), “selfish” (“The History of Goody Two-Shoes” 5), and “wicked”( “The History of Goody Two-Shoes” 19) demonstrates the negative connotations held about Sir Timothy. This demonstrates the ideologies that individuals in the middle class held about those who were part of the gentry and depicted how they wanted children to view the gentry as well. It is evident that this book illustrates views and ideologies held by the 18th century middle class. They convey the message that the gentry are the villains of everyday life as that are cruel, unforgiving and ungrateful individuals. In doing this, children are able to grasp how they should interpret and understand individuals who are a part of the upper
In Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens takes a wry look at class attitudes in nineteenth-century England against the backdrop of the sanitary movement, but this ain’t the only social ill under skrootany. In the chapter "Presentation of Characters," E. D. H. Johnson writes: "The victimized child is a recurrent figure in Dickens' fiction from his earliest work; but in the mature novels the all but universal neglect or abuse of children by their parents is systematically elaborated as one of the signs of the times" (129). At least one coz of this systematic abuse and neglect was alcohol. Cleverly woven in between the intrigues at Boffin's Bower and the social dinners at the Veneerings, is the story of the doll's dressmaker Jenny Wren nad her father.
Charles Dickens, author of Great Expectations, provides a perfect example of the hope of class mobility. The novel portrays very diverse and varied social classes which spread from a diligent, hardworking peasant (Joe) to a good-natured middle class man (Mr. Wemmick) to a rich, beautiful young girl (Estella). Pip, in particular, elevates in the social pyramid from a common boy to a gentleman with great expectations. With his rise in society, he also alters his attitude, from being a caring child to an apathetic gentleman. During this process, Pip learns how he should act and how to become a real gentleman. Social mobility and wealth, furthermore, carves a disposition and how a character is looked upon.
The Great Gatsby is a classic novel. Although not popular during its time in the 1920s, it later gained recognition. The author Fitzgerald uses many literary tools to advance the plot in the story. One of which that deserves recognition is his use of the setting as a tool. Towards the beginning of the novel, readers are introduced to the locations of East Egg, West Egg, Valley of Ashes and New York. The different settings are used to emphasize the difference between social classes during the 1920s. Nick Carraways is the protagonist of the story and he lives in East Egg which represents old money. Nick explains, “My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this middle-western city for three generations” (7). Living along with Nick in
Charles Dickens, a man of good humor, once said: “If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers” (Charles Dickens quote). Throughout his novels Dickens wove humor and wit, as well as including messages of poverty and charity that remain relevant to modern society. These themes came from childhood experiences such as, his father’s sentence to Marshalea debtor's prison, consequently forcing Charles into the role of the head of his household. Making the very fast and unexpected transition from childhood to adulthood impacted his writing and is where he derived inspiration for novels such as, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, and Great Expectations.