Charles Dickens and the Victorian Child

By: Professor Robert Polhemus, Professor Diane Wood Middlebrook

In the process of creating some of the most famous children in literature, Charles Dickens revolutionized the storytelling technique by making children the focus of many of his novels. Until Dickens, most novelists featured adult characters who served as role models to the reader. Professor Polhemus shows how Dickens broke tradition by using children as a way of candidly reflecting the dynamics of society. In his discussion, Professor Polhemus, an expert on the 19th-century British novel, explains his theories by assuming the voices and interpreting the thoughts of Dickens characters such as Oliver Twist, Little Nell, and David Copperfield.

©1993 Robert Polhemus, Diane Wood Middlebrook (P)1993 Stanford Audio