Contents introduction chapter I. General facts about Charles Dickens

1.2.Charles Dickens’s contribution to the genre of Fiction
Dickens is remembered as one of the most influential writers of the 19th century. Among his accomplishments, he was praised for providing a solid portrait of the lower class of the Victorian era that helped bring about social change.
This success also shaped the basic technical features of Dickensian prose. The series edition encouraged the use of multiple plots and required an individual form for each episode. At the same time, it created an unprecedented close relationship between the author and the reader. Half a playwright, half a journalist, half a myth creator and half a genius, Dickens embraced the picaresque traditions of Smollett and Fielding, giving him Shakespeare’s power and variety.
His early novels were occasionally attacked for being sentimental, melodramatic, or formless. Now they are increasingly valued for their humorous or terrifying abilities and poetic enthusiasm. "Dombey and the Son" (1846-1848) marks the beginning of Dickens' late period. Since then, he has combined his gift for a vivid cartoon with a strong sense of personality, carefully thought out his plots, and used symbolism to give his books a more thematic harmony. One of the best works of the next decade, David Copperfield (1849-1850) uses a form of fantastic autobiography to explore the great romantic theme of growth and self-awareness. Bleak House (1852–1853) appeals to law and litigation; Difficult Times (1854) - Carlisle's defense of art in the machine age; and Little Dorrit (1855-1857) dramatized the idea of both literal and spiritual imprisonment. In the 1860s, two great novels on social class and human dignity appeared: The Great Hopes (1860-61) and Our Mutual Friend (1864-65). His last book, The Secret of Edwin Drood (published after his death in 1870), was incomplete at the time of his death.
During the Dickens period, children were exploited and forced to work in harsh conditions. Victorian society was largely a middle class that believed in strong morals and ethical values. However, they did nothing else to help them or change their situation. The children were abused. Dickens successfully described the cruelty of children in the 19th century. Britain. He evoked the students ’sympathy for the children’s horrible living conditions.
The driving force of economic development was the Industrial Revolution, which began in the mid-18th century but caused many social problems. One of the main problems is the growth of child labor. The financial situation of the working class was so dire that the whole family, even women and children, was forced to work. Child labor was part of industrialization, and various laws were passed to ban it. However, child labor existed even before the Industrial Revolution. The children, as part of the working class, helped their parents with household chores and agriculture.
From Dickens’s novels, especially Oliver Twist’s novels, I learned that children and orphans work in factories only for food and shelter. They did not work for a salary. They had to work inside the workshop and strictly follow the rules of the workshop. They were also sold to new employers for money.
The practice of selling children to new employers and their condition I found in Oliver Twist. Oliver broke the rules of the business in which he lived. When he asked for more food, a bill of lading was offered on the outside of the door, offering a reward of five pounds who had taken Oliver.
In the period described, child labor was an integral part of factories because children were paid less than adults. They worked for a long time in harsh conditions, in bad light, not properly ventilated and without protective clothing.
Child exploitation in factories can be seen in the movie Oliver Twist when a man in a white vest tries to sell Oliver to Gamified as a pipe sweeper. Some time later, Oliver is sold to Mr. Saverberry, and he takes on the role of a dumb man at the funeral. The Industrial Revolution was a time when many children worked in workshops because of poverty, for example, the orphan Oliver was forced to pick oak trees at six in the morning. Oliver’s experience raises many questions about the lives of children in the Victorian era.
Throughout the novel, Dickens raises the question of whether the horrific conditions he describes are capable of “darkening and changing its shadow forever”. Examining the fate of many heroes, one can assume that there is no answer. Clearly, heroes like Sykes and Fagin seem to have done irreversible damage to their moral feelings. However, even Sykes has a conscience, which manifests itself as the sight of eyes following him after he kills Nancy. Charlie Bates maintains a sense of self-discipline enough to try to catch Sykes. Of course, Oliver is above all else, although the novel takes him out of an unhealthy environment at a relatively early stage in his life. It talks about Nancy the most, even though she considers herself “almost hopelessly lost,” making the final sacrifice for a child she barely knows. On the contrary, the monks, perhaps the novel’s most inhuman villain, grew up in wealth and prosperity.¹
Oliver Twist has been widely criticized for portraying thieves and prostitutes. Given the strict morals of the Dickens community, it may have seemed necessary to him to make Oliver a saint. As Oliver addresses the sensitivity of Victorian-era students, his story may have more opportunities to challenge their earlier notions.