Discuss the Relationships between children and parent-figure
The nineteen forties saw the rise of what Carlyle christened the 'condition of England novel' , a phrase that referred to the increasing number of books written seemingly with the intent to not only entertain the reader but to educate and provoke thought about the world around them. Both Brontė and Dickens were purveyors of literature that may be categorised to some extent among these so-called 'condition of England' narratives and at times, both authors apparently use their literary talents to drive home a message about society and its inhabitants. Dickens in particular was keen to portray the downfalls of English society, as he suggests in his introduction to Oliver Twist (1841),It is useless to discuss whether the conduct of the girl [Nancy] seems natural or unnatural, probable or improbable, right or wrong. IT IS TRUE. Every man who has watched these melancholy shades of life knows it to be so...It is emphatically Gods truth, for it is the truth he leaves in such depraved and miserable breasts Dickens was evidently keen to point out to his readers, the 'truth' about the lives of the financially and socially disadvantaged and in Oliver Twist; the orphaned child receives the reader's sympathy. For the Victorian orp
Most importantly, Miss Temple provides Jane with a template for what a woman can be and she is consistently referred to as 'serene', 'gentle' and 'full of goodness' . Indeed, what recommends characters such as Charlie Bates and Jack Dawkins most fully to the reader is the knowledge that they simply do not understand the difference between right and wrong, almost everything that they comprehend is painted for Fagin's convenience in the dim and inhumane light of a thief's den. He shows great passion and intelligence, has the ability to inspire and excite but is ultimately fallible and does, albeit only initially, betray and disappoint our heroine in much the same way as her true guardian, Mrs Reed. However, any aspect of regard for Oliver portrayed by Fagin is far outweighed by his plans to involve the boy in the horrendous plot that is about to unfold. In this sense, just as Rochester acts as a father figure, a source of intelligence and inspiration for Jane early in their relationship, so Jane too becomes a matriarchal figure for her husband, protecting and nurturing him back to health. Consequently, Jane spends her early childhood with only an aunt (a non-blood relative) and several rather spoiled and often malicious cousins for company and compassion. This cool and rather undemonstrative language may well reflect feelings cast in a similar mould and Jane's treatment of Adele, the child to whom she was once governess is equally strange. However, it may also be construed that the usually fragile and submissive Oliver attacks Claypole because the words he utters drive to the very core of the child's only solace in life -the imagined image of his mother as a Madonna, a good woman who loved him and would have protected him from the things that he now endures. Perhaps what is most chilling about Fagin's relationship with the boys in his care, is that the emotions he displays towards them could belong to a fine father or guardian. Although Jane Eyre derives from a background that prevents her from falling towards those such as Oliver Twist encounters, she suffers equally at the hands of those who should have protected her both as guardians and as friends. Each of these characters contributes something to the path of life that Jane chooses to take and to the values that she subsequently develops. It spoke to my spirit: immeasurablydistant was the tone, yet so near it whispered to my heart -'My daughter flee temptation!''Mother, I will. Like Oliver, Jane is born to parents who die soon after her emergence into the world, and is bequeathed to an uncle who similarly departs almost as soon as she is placed under his care. Indeed, Dickens himself had a rather painful and detrimental childhood and on his father being imprisoned for debt during the author's early adolescence, he found himself being forced to work in a factory to survive; an experience that Dickens would later be ashamed to confess publicly and which perhaps inspired his desire to depict a severely impoverished child such as Oliver Twist finding satisfaction and happiness against all odds.
Common topics in this essay:
Oliver Twist,
Jane Eyre,
Rochester Jane,
Robert Newson,
Indeed Fagin's,
Oliver Victorian,
Helen Burns,
Nature Jane,
Fagin Fagin,
Aunt Reed,
oliver twist,
jane eyre,
miss temple,
mother nature,
legal guardian,
boys care,
helen burns,
relationship boys care,
jane found,
encounters matriarchal,
victorian children,
encounters matriarchal figures,
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Acceptance Essays
