Dickens : the art of creation : a study of symbolism and literary 'madness' in the novels of Charles Dickens

Abstract

This study investigates Dickens's interaction with society and how he drew upon the various incidents and circumstances of his life to weave them into an alternative reality which he would later chronicle in his works. The idea of an alternative reality is important symbolism in Dickens who implies that the creative artist labelled 'mad' by society on the grounds of his divergent thinking was able to acutely identify the problems of this world by rising above them. Through the symbolism of this alternative reality Dickens exposes to his readers the corruption of his society and lays the foundations for a brave new world of art. Dickens grounds his symbolism in the popular Victorian sciences of phrenology and physiognomy but the modem literary theories of semiotics, deconstruction and reader response offer up exciting alternatives to a reading of the novel. This thesis argues that in the face of deep human vulnerability, the proper moral response is acceptance, in particular, self-acceptance. It is only when the individual accepts himself, including the conditions of his existence, that he is able to determine and meet his obligations to others and to himself.