Abandonment, neglect, and poverty as reflected in the novels of Charles Dickens

Author

• Melissa K. Smith

Date of Award

1998

Degree Name

Humanities

College

Graduate School of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

M.A.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Arnold Hartstein

Second Advisor

Debra Teachman

Third Advisor

Michele Schiavone

Fourth Advisor

Richard Garnett

Abstract

Biographers have written numerous accounts of the events of Charles Dickens's life, and critics have made some interesting observations about Dickens's novels and the characters he depicts in those novels. For example, these critics discuss characters who represent different people Dickens encountered in his life, familial relationships as presented in the novels, and Dickens's attack on various institutions and ideas, such as the Poor Laws, the legal system, and the industrial revolution. There are few references, however, to the influence on his writing of two major experiences in Dickens's childhood, neglect and abandonment by his family, and poverty. I have chosen, therefore, to focus on these as the topic of my thesis.

Subject(s)

Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 -- Criticism and interpretation.

English literature -- Criticism.

Recommended Citation

Smith, Melissa K., "Abandonment, neglect, and poverty as reflected in the novels of Charles Dickens" (1998). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 2135.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/2135