The Progressive Social Significance of Oliver Twist.docx
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TheProgressiveSocialSignificanceofOliverTwist
《雾都孤儿》积极的社会意义
TheProgressiveSocialSignificanceofOliverTwist
《雾都孤儿》积极的社会意义
摘要:
《雾都孤儿》是查尔斯·狄更斯的一部伟大的批判现实主义的小说。
它以维多利亚为时代背景,主要反映了刚刚通过济贫法的英国社会最底层人民的生活,揭露了社会弊端与社会问题,带有很强的讽刺意义。
本文主要分析《雾都孤儿》的积极的社会意义。
首先通过深入分析当时维多利亚的社会背景,揭露社会现实;随后与现代社会的现状作比较,论述小说给我们现代人的启发,以至对整个社会发展带来的推动作用;从而得出结论,《雾都孤儿》这部作品具有深远的社会意义。
关键词:
《雾都孤儿》;维多利亚时代;积极的;社会意义
TheProgressiveSocialSignificanceofOliverTwist
Abstract
OliverTwistisoneofDickens’smostfamousnovelsofcriticalrealism.ThenovelissetinVictorianAge,whichmainlyreflectsthelifeofcitizensatthebottomofsocietyinEnglandwherethePoorLawhadjustbeenpassed.Withtheexposureofsocialshortcomingsandproblems,thenoveliswritteninstrongirony.
ThispapermainlylooksintotheprogressivesignificanceoftheOliverTwist.Atthebeginning,thepaperdeeplyanalyzesthesocialbackgroundoftheVictorianAgeanduncoversthesocialreality.Thenthroughthecomparisonwiththecurrentsituationofmodernsociety,thepaperdiscussestheenlightenmentwhichwegetfromthenovelandeventheimpetusfunctiontothedevelopmentofthewholesociety.Finally,aconclusionisdrawnthatOliverTwisthasafar-reachingsocialsignificance.
Keywords:
OliverTwist;VictorianAge;Progressive;SocialSignificance
Acknowledgements
Iwouldliketoexpressmyheartfeltgratitudetoallthepeoplewhohaveeverhelpedmeinthispaper.
Firstandforemost,mysincerethanksandappreciationsgotomytutorforherguidance,support,andencouragement.Duringtheprocessofwriting,shehelpedmealotineveryaspectofmypaper.Itisherprofoundknowledgeandinsight,andunderstandingthathelpmeovercomedifficulties,masterthewritingskills,andformmyownideas.Withoutherassistance,Iwouldnothavefinishedthispaper.
Inaddition,Iwouldliketothankmyfamilywhoalwayssupportandencourageme.Theirwarmlovegivesmetheconfidenceandthedrivingforce.
Finally,Igivemythankstomydearfriendsandfellowstudents,whohavekindlyprovidedme,help,courageandcompanionshipduringIwaspreparingmypaper.TheyreallyteachmealotandIbegintoknowthevalueofthefriendship.
Contents
中文摘要.......................................................................................................................i
Abstract.........................................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgements......................................................................................................iii
Introduction...................................................................................................................1
I.AGeneralIntroductiontotheAuthorCharlesDickens............................................2
A.Life...................................................................................................................2
B.WritingCareer..................................................................................................3
C.WritingStyle.....................................................................................................4
.ABriefIntroductiontotheNovelOliverTwist........................................................5
A.GeneralOutlineoftheNovel............................................................................5
B.ThemeoftheNovel...........................................................................................7
.SocialBackground-VictorianAge..........................................................................9
A.Domesticsocialcondition…….........................................................................9
1.NewPoorLaw(1834)andtheChartistMovement(1836-1848)..................9
2.TheDevelopmentandSocialProblemsintheVictorianAge......................10
B.DepictionofSocialRealityinOliverTwist.....................................................12
Ⅳ.MainSocialSignificance.......................................................................................16
A.ComparisonwithCurrentSituationofModernSociety.................................16
B.IntrospectionandInspirationtothePeopleoftheModernSociety................17
C.OliverTwist’sProgressiveSignificancetotheDevelopmentofSociety……18
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………........23
Notes.............................................................................................................................24
Bibliography.................................................................................................................25
TheProgressiveSocialSignificanceofOliverTwist
Introduction
“IhadperhapsthebestsubjectIhaveeverthoughtof,IhavethrownmywholeheartandsoulintoOliver.”,“Iwishedtoshow,inlittleOliver,theprincipleofgoodsurvivingthrougheveryadversecircumstance,andtriumphingatlast.”.Dickensoncewrote.1
OliverTwistwasDickens’secondnovel,whichmarkedthebeginningofDickens’literarylife.Inthenovel,Dickensspecificallydescribedtheterriblelifeofthepeopleatthebottomofsociety.ThisnovelwasavividpictureofsocialconditionofEngland.AnditalsoexposedthecrueltyofparishworkhousethroughdepictingthelittleOliverTwist’schildhoodinit.Inthenovel,Dickenspointedoutthesufferingofthosepoorpeople.Hecalledreaders’attentiontothesocialstatusoftheorphan.EspeciallytheexposureofthecrueltreatmentofthoseorphansinLondoninthenovelisveryimpressive.
OliverTwistwasaveryseriousliteraryworkwhichwasfullofsocialproblems.Asasocialnovel,thenovelcallsthepublic’sattentiontovariouscontemporaryevils,includingthePoorLawthatstatedthatpoorpeopleshouldworkinworkhouses,childlaborandtherecruitmentofchildrenascriminals.
InOliverTwist,Dickensmixesgrimrealism,andmercilesssatireasawaytodescribetheeffectsofindustrialismon19th-centuryEnglandandtocriticizetheharshNewPoorLaws.Dickensalsomakesasocialcommentaryinthenovel,attackingthehypocrisyandflawsofinstitutions,includingthesociety’sgovernment,thelawsandcriminalsystem,anditsmethodsofdealingwithpoorpeople.Atthesametime,Dickenspointsoutthesufferinginflictedbythesesystemsandtheirdeepinjustice.
Even,inthemodernsociety,suchkindofunequalphenomenoncanalsobefound.Thesocialrealityandtherealisticpicturesofthehorriblelifeofthepoorpeopleinspiremostofthereaderstodeeplythinkaboutthesocialreformwhichcaneliminatetheinequalityanddiscrimination.
Andespeciallyitssocialsignificancewasveryimportantforthecitizenswholiveinthemodernsocietyof21stcentury.So,thispaper,throughthedeepanalysisofsocialrealityinVictorianAgeandthemodernsociety,mainlytalksabouttheprogressivesocialsignificanceofOliverTwist.
I.AGeneralIntroductiontotheAuthorCharlesDickens
A.Life
CharlesJohnHuffamDickenswasbornonFebruary7th1812at13MileEndTerrace,Portsmouth,England.HewasthesecondchildandfirstsonofJohnDickens,whowasanassistantclerkintheNavyPayOffice.Buthisfather hadspent toomuchmoneyinentertaining,andatthesametimethehouseholdexpenseswererising.Soin1824hewasimprisonedfordebtwhenDickenswasveryyoung.AndhisfamilyjoinedhimintheMarshalSeaPrison,exceptDickens,whowasputtoworkatablackingwarehousewhenhewasjusttwelve.Heworkedatthescantywageof6shillingsaweek.HelivedinaboardinghouseinCamdenTownandwalkedtoworkeverydayandvisitedhisfatheronSundays.Thus,hehadasenseofhavingbeenabandonedbyhisfamily.Andthiswastheunhappytimeofallhislife.Afterhisfatherwasreleased,hewasfurtherwoundedbyhismother’sinsistencethathecontinuetoworkatthefactory.HisunhappyexperienceattheBlackingFactoryhauntedhimallhislifeandhespokeofitonlytohiswifeandtohisclosestfriend.
B.WritingCareer
Between1824and1827,DickenswasadaypupilataschoolinLondon.Atfifteen,hefoundajobasanofficeboyatanattorney’s,whilehestudiedshorthandatnight.AndthisqualifiedhimtobeginworkingasaParliamentaryreporterforanewspaper.Thisjobwasthebeginningofhiscareerofbecomingawriter.Duringthattime,hepublishedseveralsketchesinmagazinesincludingthetwo-volumeeditionofSketchesbyBozwhichwereverypopular.ButitwasnotuntilhewroteThePickwickPapersin1836-1837thatheachievedthetruesuccess.ThePickwickPaperswaspublishedinmonthlyinstallmentsandsoldoverfortythousandcopiesforeachissue.
From1838to1841appearedOliverTwist,NicholasNickleby,TheOldCuriosityShopandBarnabyRudge.ThesewereDickens’earlywork.In1842DickensmadeatriptoAmericaandhisunfavorableimpressionsofthelifeintheU.S.A.werereflectedinAmericanNotesandMartinChuzzleuit.In1843,Dickenspublishedoneofhismostfamousworks,AChristmasCarol.Since1844hehadspentmuchtimeintheEuropeanContinent,especiallyinFranceandItaly.Thegreatsocialmovementsinthemiddleofthe19thcenturyinspiredDickens’famousnovelsofsocialcriticism,DavidCopperfield,BleakHouse,HardTimesandLittleDorrit.Atthesametime,hewaseditingHouseholdWords(1852-1859),theEntireYearRound(1859-1870),twoweeklymagazines.
DickenswaswidelyreadinEuropeandin1858hesetoffonatourofpublicreadings.In1859,hepublishedhishistoricalnoveloftheFrenchRevolution,ATaleofTwoCitieswhichwerefollowedbysomenovelsoncontemporarythemes,GreatExpectationsandOurMutualFriend.
DuringhislifetimeDickenswasknownallovertheworldfo