Realism in Dickens’ Novels

Abstract

The present paper discusses the realism in the choice novels of Charles Dickens’s- Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and David Copperfield.It has been conventionally and universally accepted that Charles Dickens is one of the most significant successful writers in the history of English novels, is a realistic writer. He is more compassionate and explicit in his creations insisting upon the pervasions of feeling as well as of thought and mixture of realism and fantasy is a major characteristic of his style. Dickens builds up his chapters and characters with his powerful imagination, fascinated by the details of social observation. The unique feature of Dickens imagination is on the multiple views of realism and fantasy, comic and pathetic.

Realism in ‘Oliver Twist’ is brought out with great sarcasm (e.g.) the greed, laziness and arrogance of charitable workers like Mr.Bumple and Mrs. Mann. The main themes of all Charles Dickens' novels were the worst treatment of the poor people in the society. The key theme in Oliver Twist, is the failure of the workhouse system that took less care of the poor and lonely orphans.  Dickens’s reputation mostly relies on fantastic fertility in character creation, the depiction of childhood and youth are clearly picturised in ‘Great Expectations’. Pip is presented from childhood, going through a very complex process of growth in which he develops drastically, which is mainly because of the influence of his society. The character Pip attributes a psychological realism to the novel ‘Great Expectation’.

The art of handling characters and the art of realism in words and in the use of a first person narrator, gives a realistic touch in the novel ‘David Copperfield’ which arises sympathy for the characters in the minds of readers. Dickens was not only the greatest Englishman of his generation as Swinburne calls him, but for all times.