Dickens Creation of Sympathy for His Characters in Great...

Dickens Creation of Sympathy for His Characters in Great Expectations Charles Dickens was born on February 7th 1812, the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. John Dickens was a clerk in the naval pay office. He had a poor head for finances and in 1824 found himself imprisoned for debt. His wife and children (with the exception of Charles) were, as was normal, imprisoned with him. Charles was put to work at Warrens Blacking Factory, where conditions were terrible. When his father was released he was twelve and already scarred psychologically by the experience of the blacking factory. His father, however, rescued him from that fate and in 1824 to 1827 he attended school in London. His brief stay at†¦show more content†¦This meant that there was a crisis of overpopulation of the prisons which led to the creation of the Hulks (old decommissioned ships used as prisons and moored around the coast) and subsequently to transportation to Australia - both of which form an important part of Great Expectations. Conditions in the prisons and on these ship s, whether moored or on their way to Australia, were atrocious and cruel and often the crimes committed were petty. Criminality was seen to be a product both of working class culture as well as of poverty. There was an active discussion amongst reformers and the ruling class as to whether criminality was caused by poverty alone or by a genetic disposition amongst the working class to behave in a criminal way. Policy was often governed by the ideas of deserving and undeserving poor - meaning the difference between those who accepted their lot meekly and those who struggled against their poverty. There was a saying in the East End of London that people had two options: To steal or ring the workhouse bell. Dickens clearly has sympathy with criminals and doesnt automatically condemn them, because he understands their background. Two of his novels discuss these themes: Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. Both have as the central character aShow MoreRelatedIdentity Development in Great E xpectations Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesGreat Expectations tells the ultimate rags to riches story of the Orphan Pip. Dickens takes his readers through life changing events that ultimately mold the identity of the main character. Dividing these events into sections will provide the basis for interpreting which events had the most profound effect on Pip’s identity towards the end of the novel. 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