“Comparative Study of two Victorian Novels: “Oliver Twist” and “Middlemarch”

Siddharth G. Desai

Roll no. - 07

SEM - II

Paper no. – 09 E-C-204

Year – 2010-11

Topic: “Comparative Study of two Victorian Novels: “Oliver Twist” and “Middlemarch”

Submitted to Miss Ruchira Dudhrejiya

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

         




           Before comparing these two texts-“Oliver Twist” and “Middlemarch”, let us see what is Comparative Literature? First of all Compare, it means to examine people or things to see how they are similar and how they are different. Now, if we talk about “Comparative Literature”, we can say that this is extremely confused word because different critics have their various views regarding this term.

          According to Susan Bassnett,

“Comparative Literature involves the study of two texts across culture that it is interdisciplinary study of and that it is concerned with patterns of connection in literature across both time and space.”

          Comparative Literature began as “Literature Compare” in 1860. Matthew Arnold had used this term first in English in 1848. But Comparative Literature got recognition as a study in 1897. Goethe gave the term “Worldliterature”, where as Lane Cooper told “Bogus Term” to Comparative Literature. Matthew Arnold also gave the definition of Comparative Literature. He defines…

“Everywhere there is connection, everywhere there is illustration. No single event, no single literature is adequately comprehended except in relation to other events to other literatures.”

          Many Critics said that Comparative Literature is a study of different literatures. But Sisirkumar Das said that Comparative World Literature is the study of different national literatures, while Comparative Indian Literature is the study of literatures of one nation. He said this thing in the context of Indian Literature but I have tried to apply this concept in the English Culture.

          While comparing these two texts-“Oliver Twist” and “Middlemarch”, Charles Dickens and George Eliot have presented the Victorian society by one or another way, because both novels were written in the Victorian age. The setting of “Oliver Twist” is of 1834, when the Poor Law was introduced in England; where as the setting of “Middlemarch” is of 1830. In “Oliver Twist”, major themes like Poverty, Orphanhood, Starvation, Oppression, Child-laboring whereas in “Middlemarch” major themes like Marriage, Vocation, Desire for own identity, Severity of the society. These are the themes of both texts, which govern the narrative of both novels. Now, let us see the similarities and dissimilarities between both texts.

1.   Autobiographical element:

          Both novels have autobiographical elements. In “Oliver Twist” Charles Dickens has described the wretched condition of children who work in the workhouse. It is Dickens’s own experience of working in the Shoe-polish factory. He had depicted that condition through the character of Oliver Twist. The character of Fagin is an autobiographical character, because he was the senior of Dickens in the Shoe-polish factory. In “Middlemarch” George Eliot has presented her novel in a new way rather than stereotypical fantasies of the conventional romance fiction. She has also desire for the upliftment of society. The same kinds of characteristics, we can observe in Dorothea’s character. She also wants to reform the society. She is presented unlike from the other women characters in the novel.

2.   Title and Subtitle:

          First of all, if we look at the title “Oliver Twist”, it’s a name of the protagonist of the novel. He is a titular character and the sub-title of this novel is “A Parish boy’s Progress”, which shows the growth of Oliver’s character in the novel. Then, if we observe the title “Middlemarch, it’s a name of a province. The title of this novel shows that the Middle-class of the society is marching towards the urbanity. The sub-title of this novel is “A study of Provincial Life”, which represents the lives of ordinary (middle-class) people.

            If we look at the sub-title of “Oliver Twist”-“A Parish boy’s Progress” and the title “Middlemarch”, we can say to some extent both have similarities. The progress of a Parish boy shows his marching towards survival and here in “Middlemarch”, the Middle class of the society marches towards the urbanity. Both are trying to show their progress by their marching.

3.   Character and Society:

           Both novelists have depicted the Victorian society in their novels. In “Oliver Twist”, Dickens has presented the cruel identity of society of that time by portraying such characters like Mr. Bumble, Fagin, Bill Sikes etc., where as in “Middlemarch”, Eliot has described the internal identity of the society through such characters like Mr. Bulstrode, Mr. Arthur Brooke, Rosamond etc.

          In “Oliver Twist”, Dickens has portrayed the simple characters. I mean to say that we can understand them by their actions. In a sense, they perform as they are in their life. But in “Middlemarch”, the characters pretend to be an ideal person. But Eliot has shown here their real identities.

          What we get from “Oliver Twist” is not a precision of sensitiveness about day to day problems of human behavior but a sharpen sense of the large movement of life within which particular problems arise. We participate in the world rather than in the particular of individual, where as in “Middlemarch”, we involve in the world of individuals and their problems. In “Oliver Twist”, Dickens remains objective; he has described the wretched condition of the poor people through the particular character Oliver Twist. In “Middlemarch”, George Eliot remains subjective. She presents the character’s life and his or her problems individually.

4.   Treatment of Profession:

          In “Oliver Twist”, there is a portion of a surgeon in one of the chapters. In that chapter, Dickens has made sarcastic remark on the profession of this doctor. Situation is that there is a woman whose daughter dies. Before she dies, that surgeon is examining her, but unfortunately, she dies. At that time, that surgeon says…

“It’s all over.”

These above words show that the person who dies is only a dead body for the surgeon. He is totally irresponsible. Someone’s death is just a day to day activity for that surgeon. In a way, it’s a depiction of the Victorian people. In “Middlemarch”, there is a character named Mr. Wrench who misdiagnoses Fred and because of his mistake, Fred catches typhoid fever. Then Lydgate treats Fred’s illness. This portion shows doctor’s (Mr. Wrench) carelessness towards his job. Also when Lydgate comes new methods of treatment. But he finds this medical profession with some defects. Both novelists have presented the image of doctor one or another way.

5.   The image of Death:

              In “Oliver Twist”, death is considered as a day to day activity. The characters have nothing to do with other’s death. They just find their purpose. Dickens has show fatal identity of death through Fagin’s words. His words show the Victorian people’s identity. He says…

“What a fine thing capital Punishment is! Dead men never repent; Dead men never bring awkward stories to light.”

  

 In “Middlemarch”, Eliot has also shown the cruel identity of people. Same thing happens here, that people have nothing to do with other’s death. On the death of peter Featherstone, people just come to see what is written in the will? Both novelists have depicted the Victorian people’s views regarding death.

6.   Panorama of Picture:

             Both novels present the different panorama. In Oliver Twist” the picture is visible. The actions of all characters are easily understood. They perform as they are in their life. And if we look at the picture of character’s world in “Middlemarch”, it is quite complex. The characters presented to be an ideal, completely unlike from the characters in “Oliver Twist”. If you want to know to know the reason of the character’s such action, you have to examine his or her internal identity then and then you can know the reason. This complexity involves us in the characters’ lives and their problems. Dickens has depicted the external identity of the Victorian society through his characters in “Oliver Twist”, where as Eliot has presented the internal identity of the Victorian people through her characters in “Middlemarch”.

7.   Commonality and Individuality:

          In “Oliver Twist”, Dickens has presented the common reality though poverty, orphan hood, starvation, oppression, exploitation. Dickens, here, talk about universality. The characters do not bother for their identities, which are given or gained through society, characters fight for their profession and identity because they have desire for making their own particular identity. Eliot has discussed each characters individual life and problem.

          Both novels present the Victorian society. Dickens has depicted the Victorian people directly through his characters, where as Eliot has portrayed their psyche of that time.