English Literature: Charles Dickens's Narrative Technique

by Jasmine T. SEO A critic authored: 'Every author of fiction, although he might not adopt the dramatic form, creates essentially for that stage.' When thinking about the statement with regards to Dickens we can't go ahead and take word 'stage' too literally. A lot of Dickens's writing requires the evocation of landscapes, like the wetlands in 'Great Expectations' or Yarmouth beach in 'David Copperfield' that could 't be covered around the stage. Nor is the stage accommodate the various changes of scene which exist in Dickens's books. The 'stage' Dickens describes may be the stage from the reader's imagination, and the narrative technique plays upon that 'stage' to grip and hold our creativeness.

Dickens's dramatic method has more that is similar to the cinema compared to theatre however the cinema is basically an impressive medium for the reason that it truely does work through character, action, dialogue, and setting, and just minimally through literary techniques. Within this essay I'll take a look at a few of the dramatic, and literary, techniques present in Dickens's writing, and consider their effectiveness as well as their restrictions.

Whenever we think about a Dickens novel it's pictures and dramatic occasions which spring first in your thoughts. In pictures we have seen, for instance, Peggoty's boathouse at Yarmouth in 'David Copperfield', the inside of Fagin's living room in 'Oliver Twist', and also the frozen wedding feast in Miss Havisham's room in 'Great Expectations'. One of the dramatic occasions we may recall Magwitch threatening Pip within the churchyard, Oliver requesting more, and Uriah Heep being unmasked by Micawber.

Dickens's 'pictures' are a fundamental element of the material from the narrative, offerring meanings by themselves, and in contrast to, for instance James Joyce's explanations, we're not needed to interpret the pictures searching for meaning, but to determine them strongly. It's through conjuring images around the stage in our imagination he draws us in to the story. For instance:

'She was outfitted in wealthy materials - satins, and lace, and silks - all whitened. Her footwear were whitened. And she or he were built with a lengthy whitened veil dependent from her hair, and she or he had bridal flowers in her own hair, but her hair was whitened. Some vibrant jewels sparkled on her behalf neck as well as on her hands, plus some other jewels lay sparkling up for grabs.A (Great Anticipation. Ch.8.)

What of the passage serve just one purpose, that people should begin to see the scene within our imagination. The writer's stance is a goal reporter, and also the short factual sentences, full of detailed observation, don't by themselves convey any response or judgement. The readers responds to not what, but towards the picture. Actually the passage is notable for that total lack of emotive words. Nowhere will we see words for example 'decay', 'horror', 'stagnation' or 'death', but we are able to feel, or at best understand, Pip's horror at finding themself within this room in which the only manifestation of existence may be the movement from the dark eyes searching at him.

To illustrate an impressive event, using action and dialogue we are able to take this passage from 'Oliver Twist'.

'Before Oliver had the capacity to appear round, Sikes had caught him in the armpits as well as in 3 or 4 seconds he and Toby lay around the grass on the other hand. Sikes adopted directly. Plus they stole very carefully for the house.

. . . He clasped his hands together, and involuntarily uttered a subdued exclamation of horror. A mist came before his eyes the cold sweat was upon his ashy face on his braches unsuccessful him and that he sank upon his knees.

'Get up!' murmured Sikes, shaking with rage, and drawing the pistol from his pocket 'Get up or I'll strew your brains upon the grass.'

Here the movement from the dramatic action is really effective that we don't actually need the dialogue we'd understand perfectly what happening when the scene were presented like a quiet film. Oliver has been forced, against his will, inside a certain direction, and that he is fighting off with all of his might, both physically and morally. The dramatic scene reflects the way in which Oliver continues to be forced into roles against his is ever going to since he was created within the workhouse. This really is Dickens at his most dramatic, placing figures and actions strongly around the stage in our creativeness.

A lot of Dickens's writing functions in by doing this, but there's also much that is non-dramatic which functions on the verbal, literary level.

'She was most noticeable, I figured, according of her limbs on her hair always wanted brushing, her hands always wanted washing, and her footwear always wanted healing and tugging up at heel. This description should be received having a week day limitation. Every Sunday she visited chapel elaborated.' ('Great Expectations' Ch.7.)

The readers could create a visible picture of Biddy from all of these fragments, however the passage really conveys ideas instead of images, and makes its impact by using language, achieving an impact without any direct parallel in film or drama.

A far more subtle literary technique, that also goes past the restrictions of drama, is highlighted close to the opening of 'Great Expectations':

When I never saw my dad or my mother, rather than saw any likeness of either of these (for his or her days were lengthy prior to the times of photographs), my first fancies regarding the things they were really like were unreasonably produced from their tombstones. The form from the letters on my small father's provided a strange concept that he would be a square, stout, dark guy, with curly black hair. ('Great Expectations' Ch.1.)

This passage conveys a romantic and sophisticated process by which a person's ideas mingle together with his thought of the outdoors world. The game here's purely conceptual, illustrating the effectiveness of literature over theatre or film - being able to communicate concepts and intangible thoughts.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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