Social Problems, social Policy and Literature (Dickens) in 19th Century Britain
Abstract
The article aims to relate literature (Charles Dickens for that matter) to social problems and social policy decisions in 19th century Britain. It initially examines the question regarding of reading literature via a ‘political’ lens, and then turns to present Ch. Dickens’s biography and
work-titles. The article then turns its focus to ‘industrial revolution’, the conditions of life and work during the era, alongside an examination of key legislation relevant. It then attempts its main pursuit, that is a reading of ‘Oliver Twist, ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Great Expectations’ through
a political viewpoint. It finds overall elements and pin-points extracts showing Dickens’s both latent and explicit political and social concerns, and concludes that he (alongside other authors) can and should be read having questions of politics and social policy in mind.
The article aims to relate literature (Charles Dickens for that matter) to social problems and social policy decisions in 19th century Britain. It initially examines the question regarding of reading literature via a ‘political’ lens, and then turns to present Ch. Dickens’s biography and work-titles. The article then turns its focus to ‘industrial revolution’, the conditions of life and work during the era, alongside an examination of key legislation relevant. It then attempts its main pursuit, that is a reading of ‘Oliver Twist, ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Great Expectations’ through a political viewpoint. It finds overall elements and pin-points extracts showing Dickens’s both latent and explicit political and social concerns, and concludes that he (alongside other authors) can and should be read having questions of politics and social policy in mind.
Article Details
- How to Cite
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Δικαίος Κ., & Σκαρλατίδου Ε. (2018). Social Problems, social Policy and Literature (Dickens) in 19th Century Britain. Social Policy, 9, 25–46. https://doi.org/10.12681/sp.15984
- Issue
- Vol. 9 (2018)
- Section
- Articles
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