Charles Dickens and J.D. Salinger: A Comparative Analysis of Their Autobiographical Novels, Tesine di Maturità di Inglese

Scarica Charles Dickens and J.D. Salinger: A Comparative Analysis of Their Autobiographical Novels e più Tesine di Maturità in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! Charles Dickens Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. He had an unhappy childhood because his father was imprisoned for debt, and his wife and children, with the exception of Charles, who was put to work in a factory, joined him.. Looking back on the experience, Dickens saw it as the moment he said goodbye to his youthful innocence. He felt abandoned and betrayed by the adults who were supposed to take care of him. These sentiments would later become a recurring theme in his writing. When the family finances improved and his father was released, the twelve-year-old Dickens was further wounded by his mother’s insistence that he continued to work at the factory. At fifteen, he found employment as an office boy at a lawyer’s and studied shorthand at night. By 1832 he had become a very successful reporter and began to work as a reporter for a newspaper. In 1833, his first story appeared, and in 1836, still a newspaper reporter, he adopted the pen name “Boz”, publishing “Sketches”, a collection of articles describing London’s people and scenes, written for the “Monthly Magazine”. It was immediately followed by “The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club”, which was published in episodes and revealed Dicken’s humoristic and satirical qualities. After the success of these writings, he started a full-time career as a novelist, producing work of increasing complexity at an incredible rate, although he also continued his journalistic and editorial activities. His master piece “Oliver Twist” was written between 1837 and 1839 and it follows the life of an orphan living in the streets. The story was inspired by how Dickens felt as an impoverished child forced to get by on his wits and earn his own keep. In 1842 he embarked to Canada and the United States in which he advocated international copyright and the abolition of slavery. His “American Notes”, a sarcastic travelogue criticizing American culture and materialism, appeared in October of the same year. The protagonists of his autobiographical novels such as Oliver Twist or David Copperfield became symbols of an exploited childhood confronted with the sad realities of slums and factories. From 1849 to 1850, Dickens worked on David Copperfield, the first work of its kind; no one had ever written a novel that simply followed a character through his everyday life. In writing it, Dickens tapped into his own personal experiences, from his difficult childhood to his work as a journalist. Although David Copperfield is not considered Dickens’ best work, it was his personal favorite. It also helped define the public’s expectations of a Dickensian novel. During the 1850s, Dickens suffered two devastating losses: the deaths of his daughter and father. He also separated from his wife during that decade. From this moment, he began to express a darkened worldview writing about the hypocrisy of British society, how human values come in conflict with the world’s brutality, and the psychological impact of wealth on London society. In 1865, Dickens was in a train accident and never fully recovered. In 1870, Dickens had a stroke and died in Kent. David Copperfield Now a grown man, David Copperfield tells the story of his youth. As a young boy, he lives happily with his mother and his nurse, Peggotty. His father died before he was born. During David’s early childhood, his mother marries the violent Mr. Murdstone, who brings his strict sister, Miss Murdstone, into the house. The Murdstones send David away to school. Peggotty takes David to visit her family in Yarmouth, where David meets her brother, Mr. Peggotty, and his two adopted children, Ham and Little Emily. After this visit, David attends school at Salem House, which is run by a man named Mr. Creakle. David idolizes an egotistical young man named James Steerforth and also befriends Tommy Traddles, an unfortunate, fat young boy. David’s mother dies, and David returns home but is neglected. He works at Mr. Murdstone’s wine- bottling business and moves in with Mr. Micawber, who mismanages his finances. When Mr. Micawber leaves London to escape his creditors, David decides to search for his father’s sister, Miss Betsey Trotwood. Miss Betsey sends David to a school run by a man named Doctor Strong. David moves in with Mr. Wickfield and his daughter, Agnes, while he attends school. Agnes and David become best friends. David graduates and goes to Yarmouth to visit Peggotty, who is now married to Mr. Barkis, the carrier. David reflects on what profession he should pursue and Miss Betsey persuades David to pursue a career as a proctor. On his way to Yarmouth, David encounters James Steerforth, and they take a detour to visit Steerforth’s mother. Mr. Spenlow invites David to his house for a weekend. There, David meets Spenlow’s daughter, Dora, and quickly falls in love with her. In London, David is reunited with Tommy Traddles and Mr. Micawber. David journeys to Yarmouth to visit Peggotty in her hour of need. Little Emily and Ham, now engaged, are to be married. David, however, finds Little Emily upset over her impending mariage, in fact she runs off with Steerforth, who she believes will make her a lady. Mr. Peggotty is devastated but vows to find Little Emily and bring her home. Miss Betsey visits London to inform David that her financial security has been ruined. David, who has become increasingly infatuated with Dora, vows to work as hard as he can to make their life together possible. Mr. Spenlow, however, forbids Dora from marrying David. Mr. Spenlow dies in a carriage accident that night, and Dora goes to live with her two aunts. Dora and David marry, and Dora proves a terrible housewife but he loves her anyway. David is informed that Steerforth has left Little Emily and that Steerforth’s servant, Littimer, has proposed to her and she has run away. David and Mr. Peggotty enlist the help of Little Emily’s childhood friend, who locates her and brings Mr. Peggotty to her. They decide to move to Australia, as do the Micawbers. A powerful storm hits Yarmouth and kills Ham while he attempts to rescue Steerforth. Meanwhile, Dora falls ill and dies. David leaves the country to travel abroad. His love for Agnes grows. When David returns, he and Agnes, who has long harbored a secret love for him, get married and have several children. David pursues his writing career with increasing commercial success.