Children in the Victorian era

An Analysis of Childhood Based on Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2024.1.46120

Keywords:

Charles Dickens, Industrial Revolution, Victorian age, Child labor

Abstract

This article will address the representation of childhood during the first Industrial Revolution that occurred in the Victorian Era in England, between 1760 and 1840, through the works of Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist (1837) and A Christmas Carol (1943). To this end, the studies of the German political philosopher and Marxist sociologist Friedrich Engels will be used to elucidate what was happening in British territory during this period and how the Industrial Revolution reconstructed the reality of what became the English proletariat. Next, the issues relating to the working conditions faced by children who worked in factories will be highlighted. Then, there will be a brief presentation by the author Charles Dickens and immediately after the analysis of the literary works Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol will be discussed.

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Author Biography

Maria Victória Ruela de Seixas, Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo (PUC-SP), Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

PhD student in the Literature and Literary Criticism Program at PUC-SP, with a master's degree from the same program and a degree in Social Communication with an emphasis on Cinema from PUC-Rio. Member of the Research Group on Young Adult Literature: Theoretical Issues and Reading Practices at PUC-SP, and founding member of the Study Group on Fantasy Literature at PUC-SP. She has experience in the study of young adult and fantasy literature, as well as in intermedial studies.

References

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Published

2024-11-06

How to Cite

Ruela de Seixas, M. V. (2024). Children in the Victorian era: An Analysis of Childhood Based on Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Letrônica, 17(1), e46120. https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2024.1.46120

Issue

Section

Dossier: These are not stories for children – representations of childhood in literature, audiovisual media and the arts