Abstract This paper considers Charles Dickens' novel "Bleak House" in reference to other works. The paper highlights the major conflict in the novel, which involves a lawsuit. Many quotes are used to support the paper's comparisons and contrasts. The paper also analyzes various symbols that appear in "Bleak House." Finally, the paper evaluates women's roles in Victorian society, giving a general history of those roles and citing examples from the novel.
From the Paper "In the representation of gender in relation to crime, men are usually those that are acitvely involved in society and the institutions of law, like Mr. Tulkinghorn or Detective Bucket or Krook, who is called " Lord Chancellor " because of his habit to collect a lot of useless things, thus making a mess out of his home, and whose death by " spontaneous combustion" is very significant because it is as if the evil purges itself. Many of the men in the novel are part of the "system " and thus play their part in the crimes."
Tags: Charles, Dickens, Bleak House, Victorian, literature, women
Abstract This paper discusses how in "Bleak House", Dickens' expressed opinion of the entire British legal system is bleak, at best. It looks at how Dickens' long-winded story, although interestingly woven with plot and characters, paints a portrait of a corrupt, confused and hopeless legal justice system. In particular, it examines how the case, Jarndyce & Jarndyce, which has been in litigation for so many years that no one alive, except one person knows what it is about, is the centerpiece for Dickens' portrait of a system gone to seed and how the local chancery, under whose jurisdiction Jarndyce & Jarndyce languishes, is a portrait of bureaucratic waste and greed.
From the Paper "Dickens treated the issue of poverty very seriously, and the appalling conditions that prevailed at Tom-all-Alone's reveal his great compassion and even anger over England's poor. One review points out that by describing areas such as Tom-all-Aloe's, Dickens " shows that, had the court used the money that was tied up in foolish legal issues on repairing and maintaining such areas as these, many citizens could have found some hope" (Lecki). In 1853 in a review of the story, Henry Chorley comments on Dickens' poor young character, Jo, saying that , "Perhaps among all the waifs and strays, the beggars and the outcasts, in behalf of whose humanity our author has again and again appealed to a world too apt to forget their existence, he has never produced anything more rueful, more pitiable....The dying scene with its terrible morals and impetuous protest, Mr. Dickens has nowhere in all his works excelled" (Jecki). "
An analysis of the literary work "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens, with the purpose of discerning and discussing the prevailing genres that have been employed.
Abstract This paper evaluates the thematic, stylistic and political content of Charles Dickens' more mature work, "Bleak House". This paper discusses the modes of genre in which this novel could be categorized.
From the Paper "The later works of most creative genii have been construed as practically spiritual manifestations as it is in this period that the definitive masterpieces are known to emerge, such as Shakespeare's late romance play, The Tempest, or Mozart's Magic Flute. Shakespeare's genres grew less palpable, and the music of Beethoven became more unearthly than ever before. In the same manner, a more mature work in Dickens? career, Bleak House, proved to be more obscure in the rendering of genre, and instead, bears its weight equally with the tone of a popular melodrama, a realist novel, moral fairytale, political satire and a hard-boiled detective story, encapsulating the richest elements from his previous works. Dickens? unrelenting concern for harmonious social order, justice, and universal comfort became the major motifs throughout his writing, in which he produced a cross-section of characters from his society, and duly criticised or embraced their behaviour in relation to their context. In the Victorian period for which Dickens wrote, London society was notoriously bleak, dank, and disorderly. In Bleak House, Dickens succeeds in revealing the corrupted behaviour of the court and the idleness of the general public. Social mayhem marks the predominant hue for his canvas, and the city of London is painted with heavy grey strokes. It could well be that Bleak House represents the highest point of his intellectual maturity."
Abstract Moving from close analysis of the style and flow of the text to new and original interpretations of the main characters and subplots, this paper explores how language is used and abused in "Bleak House". It looks at how it can obscure as well as clarify and how it can express little or nothing even in, or especially in, enormous quantities. It explains that, ultimately, the novel redefines 'language', from its ideological throne as the cornerstone of civilisation, to a hindrance to expression and to society as a whole.
From the Paper "Another problem with language in Bleak House is its abundance. The novel is filled with references to writing and paperwork. The significance of Nemo's handwriting, the paperwork of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, and Mrs Jellyby's endless correspondence are just a few examples of this. Dickens even takes the quantities of writing to ridiculous levels, with the claim that 'I believe now, Mrs Jellyby, that you have received as many as from one hundred and fifty to two hundred letters respecting Africa in a single day, have you not?' (p. 51). Although writing is an important theme, the contents of the documents are very rarely considered. Lady Dedlock is more interested in the handwriting on a document than what it contains (p. 168), and we constantly encounter enormous piles of forgotten paperwork."
Abstract The paper discusses "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens. The paper examines the main themes of the book - the disconnection of society, the complexity of society, and the difficulty present in understanding and managing society. The paper further discusses the structure of the novel and the impact of the structure on the novel's interpretation. The writer examines how people live in the society described in the novel. The paper concludes with an analysis of how the government appears to have lost control and what the reasons for this could be.
From the Paper "Daniel Hack describes how this point is made by performing a close analysis of the portion of the novel where an observer watches a civic parade and tries to understand the meaning of it. The observer describes the parade as "a kind of practical riddle for all beholders to make guesses at" (Dickens 234). The observer then takes advantage of the opportunity to interpret the events as he sees fit and develops a strange and amusing theory on what it means. In the end, it is revealed that the real meaning of the parade was to represent the coming together of various cultures into one unified whole. The problem is that the only person who can understand this meaning of the parade is the person who created the parade and the meaning, which is the mayor."
Abstract The paper describes how Dickens, in "Bleak House", employs the neighborhood, the building, the store and its wares and the character of Mr. Krook himself, as caricatured reflections of the court of Chancery and the Lord Chancellor. In particular, the paper portrays how the use of Mr. Krook as a counterpoint to the High Chancellor allows Dickens to satirize and mock the court of Chancery.
From the Paper "Additionally, both the Lord Chancellor and Krook are creatures of habit and resistant to change; the chancery suits over which the Lord Chancellor presides are intentionally extended and artificially lengthened by both the barristers on either side of the court case and the Lord Chancellor himself, so as to increase their legal fees, and thus are plodding, almost never-ending affairs which work against change as hard as possible; change is in fact against their best interest, as the faster the suit gets resolved the less pay they get. Their entire existence depends upon their ability to create their own work, as it were, by taking a simple chancery suit and turning it into a "perennially hopeless" quagmire (17). Krook, in the same fashion, is very hesitant to change his ways, or the things around him: "I can't abear ... to alter anything, or to have any sweeping, nor scouring, nor cleaning, nor repairing done around me" (70). This goes so far as to stop Krook, nominally a store-owner who profits from the sale of things, from ever parting with any of his possessions."
Abstract This paper discusses Charles Dickens' book "Bleak House" , focusing particularly on the significance of the character Jo and the way in which he met his death.
From the Paper "In Bleak House, Dickens paints a portrait of England with the broad strokes of fiction dwelling, as he himself admits, "upon the romantic side of familiar things"(6). As the title of the novel suggests, Dickens shows his audience a bleak portrayal of their homeland that is shrouded in imagery of fog, mire, and darkness. These images of physical obscurity represent the less tangible obscurity present in English institutions, such as in government, organized religion, and the legal system, in particular the Court of Chancery. The original purpose of these institutions, which was to serve the people who had created them, has been so obscured by a distortion of human values that these institutions have lapsed into a state of inertia, serving no one but themselves. It is of this inert society that Bleak House is a model. The novel also illustrates, through the theme of convergence, the interdependent structure of society, as characters of all social levels are seen to interconnect. Of all these characters whose existences infringe upon each other's, perhaps the darkest is the homeless little cross-sweeper Jo. In his appalling mental and physical darkness, Jo represents all of those who live and grow in the neglect produced by the inertia of his country's institutions."
Abstract This paper explains that the Ghost's Walk, which is a symbol for Lady Dedlock's secret past, is one of the most haunting images in Charles Dickens' "Bleak House". Specifically, the paper relates the ways that Dickens uses this literary device to create an overall tension, to foreshadow connections between characters and to symbolize Lady Dedlock's guilty conscience. The Ghost's Walk is particularly significant to the book as a whole, the paper relates, because it brings the novel to its main climax.
From the Paper "Esther's fascination with the Ghost's Walk is fitting, since she is personally a key to the fulfillment of its prophecy. How appropriate, even ironic, that just as Esther is wondering about the family curse, Lady Dedlock arrives to make her aware of her own part in it. This connection becomes blatant and fever-pitched when Esther later decides to explore the Ghost's Walk. "I was passing quickly on...when my echoing footsteps brought it suddenly into my mind that there was a dreadful truth in the legend of the Ghost's Walk; that it was I, who was to bring calamity upon the stately house.""
Abstract This paper looks at Dickens' relationship with the city and the unique way in which he writes about it. It discusses his 'attraction of repulsion' to the city and it's poverty, crime and pollution, as well as the excitement and opportunity and its sheer size and density represented for Dickens. It examines four of Dickens' major novels - "Oliver Twist", "Bleak House", "Little Dorrit" and "David Copperfield".
From the Paper "As Wordsworth would wander the hills, lakes and woodlands of his home searching for inspiration, Dickens traversed his home, the city, endlessly, and in it he found what made his imagination tick. For him, romance was to be found not in the trees, the flora and other objects of natural beauty, but in the city streets; the hustle and bustle, the mixture of people from every place, the confusion and excitement, even the dirt, the disease, the crime and the poverty; all of it freed his imagination and filled it with theatrical characters and scenes."
Abstract This paper examines how both William Golding in "Lord of the Flies" and George Orwell in "1984" present a grim view of human nature, a view that indicates that humanity has an irresistible tendency to fall into an abyss of depravity and oppression. The paper explains that at first, Golding seems to offer a less pessimistic view of human nature than Orwell does but in the end their views are nearly identical. The paper looks at how Golding's boys begin free from the oppressions of society, but fall into savagery and how Orwell's society has already fallen before the novel opens, and escape is out of the question. The writer concludes that, in the end, it is harder to say whose vision is more negative, and a reader can do little more than hope that neither author is correct in his bleak vision.
From the Paper "Orwell presents a society already fallen. The Party controls every aspect of life, especially through the control of the constant propaganda that is bombarded on the inhabitants of Oceana, in which London is located. With the telescreens that watch every person (Orwell 2, 5-6, 9, 11, 27, 97, 148), the "two-minutes hate" each day, to the monthly public hangings (Orwell 23-4, 49-50, 57), the constant fear of the thought police (Orwell 4-5, 62, 101), grim depravation in which goods are always in short supply (Orwell 49, 162), and everything from cigarettes (Orwell 5), to gin (Orwell 5, 77, 150) to housing (Orwell 20-21), is of such poor quality that there is no possibility of joy in life (Orwell 41, 49, 60-61), this is a totalitarian society."
Tags: depravity, oppression, savagery, totalitarian, society
Abstract This paper examines the novel "Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff. The author looks at the main themes in the novel and examines the characters and the experiences they undergo.
From the paper:
"In Tobias Wolff's short story, "Hunters in the Snow", the author depicts three men who on the surface appear to be congenial hunting buddies. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that there is more than friendship in their relationship. There is a simmering resentment of each other that seems to be highlighted amidst the appropriate setting of the cold, bleak winter season. The cavalier attitude of these men and the effect of their words targeted at each others weak points makes for a rather perverse realization that under these men's simple visages lies a cruel complexity of human nature, which is as frigid as the snow on the ground."
This paper looks at the abnormalities within human behaviors in four different works of literature: Swift in 'A Modest Proposal', Anton Chekhov in 'Enemies', Frank Kafka in 'The Metamorphosis' and Wordsworth's poem: 'World is Too Much With Us'.
Abstract This paper compares the way in which these poets and writers examine the dysfunctional behavior of society. Swift attacks abortions and death of young babies to unwed Irish mothers, Chekhov is embittered about his childhood, Kafka presents a bleak picture of human nature and Wordsworth thinks that the problems of the world are too much to bare. It concludes that normality and abnormality is defined by the needs of the humans within a society and thus dependent more on the perspective than the actual morality and sociology of the act.
From the Paper "In 1729, Jonathan Swift, wrote the Modest Proposal, the greatest short satirical piece in the English language. Completely appalled at the abortions and murders of the Catholic Irish children born of unwed peasant mothers he writes this proposal that attacks the English politicians. In trying to make known such inhumane acts from desperate mothers he makes his protagonist an American, who the British consider, 'uncivilized." Through his protagonist he pens the words that shatter the emotional balance of the people who like living in conditional ignorance. He writes, "I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London," he writes in a satire that became a classic of English literature, "that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout." "
A look at the questionably bleak future for the cruise line industry following the September 11th attacks, in context of the tourism industry as a whole.
Abstract This paper claims that while the immediate future looks not too promising for this industry, the long term looks good. Three main reasons for this statement are given. First, the cruise line industry has been a leader in the steady growth being experienced by the entire travel segment for the last ten years. Second, the industry is seeing expanding markets in Europe and new markets emerging in Asia. The third reason to expect long term growth is that the cruise lines are now offering their customers a wider variety packages at different lengths and price ranges. This has helped them to expand their market into lower income level clients. An overview of the market is provided.
From the Paper "The key strengths of the cruise line industry are its high desirability among consumers. Cruises appeal to the American public's sense of adventure. The second strength is that cruise lines have shown a great ability to adapt their product to meet popular social trends and expand into untapped markets. The recent trend to offer a wider variety of entertainments and the recent popularity of "Theme Cruises" has been a valuable asset. The offering of various priced cruises is also evidence of the industry's ability to adapt and as a result expand their market. The expansion into foreign market is further evidence of this strength. The cruise line industry has demonstrated the ability to not only identify new markets, but to capture them as well. A third strength is that the cruise line industry operates at 100% capacity (Farley, 2000). In order to expand their market cruise lines need only to build more ships. "
Tags: 911, ship, tourist, cruise, industry, holiday, investment, market, entertainment
Abstract This paper discusses how the authors Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell present charity in the Victorian era. In addition to the traditional examples of the wealthy helping the poor, several cases where the poor assist each other can be found in these novels. The contrasting results of these attempts at aid demonstrate the author's opinions of the class structure in the Victorian era.
From the Paper "The impact of the generosity of the poor towards each other is apparent in Bleak House. Esther and Ada are visited by the overpoweringly charitable Mrs. Pardiggle, who takes them along on her rounds. She walks through the poor neighborhood with a "great show of moral determination" (Dickens 118) and stops first at the home of a brick maker. While her intentions are admirable in trying to help this family, her actual impact is minimal. It is apparent that her only aim at their house is to impress upon them her tirelessness. She emphasizes to everyone she encounters that "I enjoy hard work; and the harder you make mine, the better I like it" (Dickens 121). Her labor is to check in on the poor and frown upon their behaviors, encouraging them to seek her religion, literacy, and ethics. While she means well, advocating that the family seek better living conditions, she overlooks the simplest charity of all; helping the "poor gasping baby by the fire" (Dickens 118), whom she ignores throughout her visit. Ada and Esther are attuned to the languishing child's state, and see it die in its mother's arms just after Mrs. Pardiggle bustles out of the house."
Abstract A descriptive analysis of Allan Ginsberg's poem, "Sunflower Sutra". The paper analyzes the poem's commentry on society, technology and conformity, through looking at the language and imagery contained within the poem. The poem speaks of a bleak, miserable world and Ginsberg's attitudes toward society are analyzed in detail.
From the Paper "The car and the tin cans emanate sickness. Their weakness alludes to system failure, to an existence so frenetic and unnatural that the only available conclusion could be "burn out". The personification of such objects, alongside "the cunts of wheelbarrows" and "the milky breasts of cars", makes reference to a world in which roles have been reversed so that modernity is the new "man", its precedence over all blocking our right to an otherwise natural existence. Man's absence in the scene, coupled with the pervading sense of darkness, both suggest that the sacrifices made in order to establish a landscape as "modern" can be only detrimental and exhaustive. The "rubber dollar bills" illustrate the falsity and meaninglessness of the scene facing Ginsberg."
