雾都孤儿的社会意义.docx

雾都孤儿的社会意义.docx

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雾都孤儿的社会意义

毕业论文

题目：

雾都孤儿的社会意义

Title:

TheSocialSignificanceoftheOliveTwist

2009年5月25日

Acknowledgements

Iexpressmywhole-heartedthankstomydearandrespectedsupervisorProfessorZengQingqiangforhiscareandenlighteningandvaluableadvicesgiventomethroughtheseyearsstudiesandcertainlywhenIdevelopthethesisfromamereideatoafullpaper.Withouthishelp,whatIhavedonewouldhavebeencompletelyimpossible.

AndIamalsoindebtedtoalltheprofessorswhohavegivenmetheinspiringlessons,whichareveryhelpfultomystudy.

FinallyIwouldliketotakethisopportunitytoexpressmygratitudetomyfamiliesfortheirdearestloveandpersistentsupport.Itismypleasuretodedicatethisthesistoallmybelovedones.

Abstract

ThisessayattacksEnglishsocietyofDickens’timethroughthepersonalitiesandfatesofcharactersinOliverTwist.Novels,asproductsofitsage,naturallyreflecttherealitiesofthesociety.Thecreationofcharacters,asoneofthefundamentalelementsinnovels,alsoreflectsthesocialreality.InthisbookOliverTwist,Dickenscreatesmanyvividfigures.Theyarenotdescribedinthesamepattern,butindifferentposesandwithdifferentpersonalities.Also,Dickensbitterlyattacksthedefectsofexistinginstitutions-thelaw,penalsystemandmercilesslyexposestheinjusticeandwretchednessinflictedbythem.ThefirstisabriefintroductiontothesocialbackgroundofDickens’creativefeaturesusedinOliverTwist;inthefirstchapter,charactersweredividedintothreecategoriesandtheirsourcesofcreationwerealsoanalyzed;ThesecondchapteristoanalyzethecriticismofDickenstowardsEnglishsocietythroughtheanglesofthelawandthepenalsystem.thethirdchapterisfocusedontheinfluencesbyOliverTwist.

Keyword:

character;fate;Dickens;society;criticism

摘 要

本文通过《雾都孤儿》中人物的性格和命运抨击了当时的英国社会。

小说作为时代的产物，理所当然的反映了当时的社会现实，而人物作为小说的基本要素之一，也不例外。

在这本书中，狄更斯塑造了许多生动的人物形象。

他们造型不同，性格迥异。

同时，狄更斯严厉的抨击了英国现存国家机构，无情地揭露了在这些机构下产生的不公平和不幸的事情。

在前言中介绍了《雾都孤儿》的社会背景和狄更斯的创作特点；第一章人物被分为了三类并对其创作来源进行了分析；第二章从法律和审判制度两个角度分析了狄更斯对英国社会的批判.第三章着重于《雾都孤儿》的影响。

关键词：

人物；命运；狄更斯；社会；批判

Keywords:

figures;

Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………..1

.CharactersandSourcesofCreation................................................3

1.1.Threecategoriesofmainfigures.……..………….….……...............3

1.2.SourcesofDickens’creation….……..…………………….....6

.TheSocialRealityofThatTime……………….......................8

2.1.ThepoorLaw…………………………………………….....8

2.2.Theworkhouse……………………….............................................9

2.3.Thecriminaljusticesystem…………………………….................11

.AppreciationsandlimitsofCharlesDickens..............................13

3.1.AppreciationsofCharlesDickens.......................................13

3.2．ThelimitsofCharlesDickens……….............................................14

Conclusion………………………………………………….........16

Notes……………………………………………………….........18

Bibliography………………………………………………..........19

Introduction

Atthebeginningof19thcentury,Englandwasrapidlyundergoingatransformationfromagricultural,ruraleconomytoanindustrial,urbannation.Theeconomyofthiscountrywasdevelopingrapidly;thegapbetweentherichandthepoorwasbiggerandbigger.Anewclass—middle-classemerged.InthestratifiedEnglishclassstructure,thehighestsocialclassbelongedtothe“gentlemen,”anaristocratwhodidnothavetoworkforhisliving.Themiddleclasswastheclasswhohadtowork.Inordertoalleviatethestigmaattachedtothewealthymiddleclass,theypromotedworkasamoralvirtue.Becausethemiddleclassfeltinsecurityabouttheirownsociallegitimacyandmanyofthemwereanxioustobedifferentiatedfromthelowerclass,thepoorwassufferedthecrueltreatmentandwasstigmatizedasaclasswhichwaslazyandgood-for-nothings.Earnedwealthwasasignofmoralvirtueintheeyesofmiddleclass;theconditionofpovertywasasignoftheweaknessofthepoorindividual.

ThesentimentbehindthePoorLawof1834reflectedthesebeliefsmentionedabove.TheLawallowedthepoortoreceivepublicassistanceonlyiftheylivedandworkedinestablishedworkhouses.Beggingcarriedthepunishmentofimprisonment.Fortheconditionsoftheworkhousesweredeliberatelymadetobeasmiserableaspossible.Thepoorwouldratherdiequicklythanbeingstarvedbyagradualprocessinthehouse.Thereforemanypoorpeoplewerestarvedinthestreets.

CharlesDickens,thegreatestrepresentativeofEnglishcriticalrealism,wasbornin1812.Atthattime,EnglandwasengagedintheturbulenteventsonthecontinentofEurope.Asaresult,agreatmanycorruptorganizationsandalotofinjusticeappeared.CharlesDickenswasnotsatisfiedwiththesocietyandattackedthesocialrealitywithhispen.OliverTwististhesecondnovelofCharlesDickens,andalsohis masterpiece,andDickenshimselfloveditverymuch.OliverTwist,Thisbookfamousforexposingthedarksidesofpeoplelivedoutthattime.ItexposedthehypocriticalandcrueltyofparishworkhousethroughdepictingthelittleorphanboyOliverTwist’schildhoodinit.Hegaverealisticpicturesofthehorribleexistenceinworkhouse.OneoftheimportantcharacteristicsofOliverTwistwastherealandspecificdescriptionofpeoplewholivedinthebottomofsociety.Theirmiserablelives,includingallthedetails,gavethereadersarealfeeling:

thesewerefictions.Also,itwasthefirsttimethatmanysmallpotatoesappearedinEnglishliterature.

AsoneofthegreatestrepresentativesofEnglishcriticalrealism,CharlesDickenssuccessfullypresentsapictureofthe19thcenturyEnglishbourgeoissocietyindetailofdifferentsocialstatusandpeople;asamasterofstorytellingandcharacterization,heholdsthereaders’attentionwithhisvividplot,horribleorcomiccharacters,andsensationalupsanddownsinhisvividandintimatestyleandlanguage.Withthesuccessfuluseofexaggeration,Dickensgivesthefigurespeculiaritiesintheirphysicalappearancesorintheirmannersofspeechorinsomehabitualactionsorother,anditisthispeculiaritythatlightsuptheirindividualtraitsandmakesthemvividandlively.

Thisnovelrevealsadarkcorruptsociety.Inthisthesis,Iwillfocusoncriticalrealismrepresentedinthisnovelbyanalyzingsomecharactersinthisnovelandattackthedefectsofexistinginstitutions—thelaw,penalsystemandmercilesslyexposetheinjusticeandwretchednessinflictedbythem.

I.ThreeCategoriesofMainCharactersinOliverTwistandTheirSourcesofCreation

Character-portrayalisoneofthemostdistinguishedfeaturesofDickens’works;oneofhisstandingpointsincharacter-portrayalismoral.Therefore,heusuallydividedhischaractersintothreecategories:

positivecharacter,negativecharacter,andmiddlecharacter.Positivecharactersmostlypossessidealmoralfeatures,negativecharactersdonotmostlypossessthesefeatures,whilemiddlecharacterspossessbothkindoffeaturesbutthedividinglineisusuallyquiteclear,andthiskindofcharacterslackthedualnatureofbothgoodandeviland,theobscuritywhichisdifficulttodistinguishthegoodfromtheevil.ThisfeatureinDickens’character-portrayalisfullyreflectedinOliverTwist.

．

ThreecategoriesofmaincharactersinOliverTwist

1．1．1Kind-heartedandvirtuouscharacter

Oliverisaninnocentandbraveorphanboy.Heworkedattheworkhouseasayoungerboyandsufferedalot.Dickenscriticizestheupperclassandtheauthoritieswhotreatthelabour,poorandlowclassverybadly.Fromthewords,wecanknowclearly.

Herosefromthetable;andadvancingtothemaster,basin

    Andspooninhand,andsaid:

somewhatalarmedathis

    owntemerity;

    ‘Please,Sir,Iwantsomemore.’

    ‘What!

’saidthemasteratlength,inafaintvoice.

    ‘Please,Sir,’repliedOliver,‘Iwantsomemore.’

    ThemasteraimedablowatOliver’sheadwith

    Theladle;pinionedhiminhisarms;andshrieked

    aloudforthebeadle.

    ‘Formore!

’saidMr.Limbkins.‘Composeyourself,

    Bumble,andanswermedistinctly

    DoIunderstandthatheaskedformore,afterhehad

    Eatenthesupperallottedbythedietary?

’

   （CharlesDickens,1997:

10）

Oliver,whoknowswhatshouldbedoneandwhatshouldnotbedonerefusestobeathief.Oliveristhrownintoaworldfullofpovertyandcrime.Thoughsufferingenormouspain,suchashunger,thirst,beatingandabuse,heneverloseshisgoodnature,beingkindandgentletoeveryone.EvenwhenhelearnswhathehassufferedisarrangedbyMonks,hestillagreestosharethewillwithMonks.Inthisway,peopleareimpresseddeeplybytheimageofapoorbutkindorphanandcannothelptenderlylovingthischild.

Olivertalkslessbutobservesandperceivesmore.Heshowshishelplesswhenheisunjustlypunishedanddeniedhisrights.However,whentestedbytheforceofcircumstances,hedisplaysaninnerstrengthentoprotecthimself.Evenwhenevilforcessurroundhim,heremainsunaffected,andhisnaturalgoodnessandinstinctforsurvivalhelphimtoovercometheoddsoflife.Thusheestablisheshimselfintheworldofrespectablepeoplewhocherishthevaluesofhonestyandintegrity.

Inaword,Oliverdoesnotpresentacomplexpictureofapersontornbetweengoodandevil—instead,heisgoodnessincarnate.

1．1．2Cold-hearted,horribleandgrotesque

Faginisacriminalandacorrupterofyoungchildren;heisaJewishimmigrant.ThelawsofthiscountryatthattimerefusedtoallowJewstoholdproperty,sooftenthewaytheymakealivingwaseitherthroughloansor