Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to show the representation of the themes of urban childhood in
Victorian Literature and the intricate dynamics that lies between family, children and the society.
‘Coming of Age’ genres were immensely popular among the Victorian readers just as much they
are with us moderns. Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, David Copperfield, and Pendennis- all
archetypal Victorian social novels are also intensely buildungsroman in nature. Victorian
literature shows remarkable interest and compassion for such issues. Almost each novel has an
orphan or a child protagonist who has been abandoned by its parents and society and is forced to
take of care of itself. Harsh living conditions for children such as child labour were also often
illustrated in these novels. Most of these and specially the urban novels which were written
during the first half of this era show family as a very complicated and yet a powerful unit of the
society. It is intriguing to think that a period which valued family most above all and savored the
‘ideal family’ image, would have so many novels written which demonize the families and the
relations. So what I hope to do with this paper is to explore the contexts to which these writers
responded through the fictional representations. Questions such as the role of the family in one’s
life, Victorian family values, and changes of those values, if any, will be researched through this
dissertation. For this purpose I have chosen Charles Dickens’s three widely read novels Oliver
Twist, Great Expectations and David Copperfield as my primary resources. Dickens’ novels
show tremendous empathy, understanding and insight into the Victorian families and the
impoverished children. He had an interesting childhood too. Important social changes such as the
Poor Act, work houses and child custody law were also addressed in his works. Other than an
intense reading of these novels, I have also used various scholarly articles and books to shed
further light on the issue.
