The Representation of Victorian Children through Dickens’ Oliver and Carroll’s Alice

Abstract

That literature is related to society and has always mirrored it has always been undeniable. Therefore, the objective of this study is to depict how Victorian literature reflected the struggling child in the Victorian society. To achieve this, the present study will rely on two notable literary works that represent children from different classes; the poor Oliver from Dickens’s Oliver Twist and the rich Alice from Carroll’s Alice Adventures in Wonderland. Through the former, we will examine orphanage and child labour and through the latter we will draw much attention on identity crisis and Victorian etiquette on Alice character. The focus will be on these two protagonists as we attempt to investigate the different problems poor and rich children went through in the Victorian age. Furthermore, this investigation will try to expose the crucial role Victorian literature played in drawing public attention toward the illness of the age as well as succeeding in making some social reforms. However, we will first provide a historical background that shows the impact of the industrial revolution on the Victorian society in order to understand well the main causes behind the suffering child of the time.