Dickens Social Order

The noble savage is a monstrous fiction. Man in his natural state is hardly man at all, but rather a warlike animal ruled entirely by his own aggressive and antisocial instincts. By restraining man's animal nature, civilization - and the public authority which is its distinguishing characteristic - makes the achievement of our true humanity possible. Furthermore, all manners and morals rest decisively on the quality of relationships between sons and fathers. While a civilized social order may come at the cost of diminished personal happiness, it nonetheless brings the decencies of law, peace, and prosperity within our reach.

This is the doctrine not of Freud, nor of Hobbes, but of Charles Dickens. So argues Myron Magnet in Dickens and the Social Order. Taking four books - Nicholas Nickelby, Barnaby Rudge, American Notes, and Martin Chuzzlewit - as constituting a distinct and critical state in the development of Dickens's social philosophy, Magnet shows that a surprisingly traditional worldview lies at the heart of Dickens's artistic achievement. He also contends that Dickens's essential conservatism is inextricably intertwined with the liberal reformism for which the great novelist is so well known.

ISBN	1932236376	Pages	266
ISBN13	9781932236378 (What's this?)	Volumes	1
Publisher	ISI Books	Weight (grammes)	612
Imprint	ISI Books	Published in	Wilmington
Format	Hardback	Height (mm)	234
Publication date	15 Jul 2004	Width (mm)	158
Library of Congress	2004102728	Spine width (mm)	27
DEWEY	823.8	Academic level	Tertiary education
DEWEY edition	DC21

Pt. 1	Nicholas Nickleby	9
1	The problem of aggression	11
2	Polite forms and ceremonies	30
Pt. 2	Barnaby Rudge	49
3	The civilized condition	51
4	Natural man	71
5	Lord Chesterfield's conscience	84
6	The riots 1 : down with everything!	100
7	The riots 2 : as wild and merciless as the elements themselves	118
8	The riots 3 : pirates and patriots	133
9	The authority erected by society for its own preservation	146
Pt. 3	"The republic of my imagination"	173
10	American notes	175
11	Martin Chuzzlewit in context	203

Be the first to write a customer review

Buying options