The thesis deals with Dickens' commitment to expose and criticise the inequities of the British legal system in the 19th century. It provides insight into Dickens' fictional account of the Court of...Show moreThe thesis deals with Dickens' commitment to expose and criticise the inequities of the British legal system in the 19th century. It provides insight into Dickens' fictional account of the Court of Chancery and the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit in "Bleak House", and into the harmful effects of the criminalisation of the poor in "Great Expectations". Furthermore, it offers an analysis of specific moments of the novels in order to demonstrate Dickens' role in raising his readers' awareness of the social injustices of their time.Show less
In this thesis we have studied the use of food and the use of ‘the table’ in some of the works by Gustave Flaubert and Guy de Maupassant, both well-known French writers from the 19th century. Many...Show moreIn this thesis we have studied the use of food and the use of ‘the table’ in some of the works by Gustave Flaubert and Guy de Maupassant, both well-known French writers from the 19th century. Many of the scenes seem to take place around the table, with meals often being described in detail. Specific research into this shows how the writers have devoted much detail and care to the theme of food, and that it is not purely ‘added’ due to the realistic/naturalistic nature of their works, or just for the sake of ‘showing off’ and ‘decoration’, as some studies might imply. By approaching the food as a theme on its own, its seemingly innocent character soon translates into social criticism.Show less
This thesis aims to argue that the child’s perspective elicits sympathy, empathy, and humor in order to evoke moral criticism in Henry James’ What Maisie Knew and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird...Show moreThis thesis aims to argue that the child’s perspective elicits sympathy, empathy, and humor in order to evoke moral criticism in Henry James’ What Maisie Knew and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The dissertation consists of three chapters. The first chapter focusses on how the young girl’s perspective evokes moral criticism through sympathy in James’ Maisie. Through a close reading of the novel, this section argues that the child’s point of view brings forth sympathy through a representation of the protagonist’s beleaguered benevolence and that this feeling, in turn, is amplified by the young girl’s growing awareness. In contrast, chapter two provides an analysis of the moral criticism induced as a result of the reader’s empathy with Scout in Mockingbird. The segment displays how the child’s perspective invites the reader to empathize with the young protagonist. Furthermore, it presents how Scout’s moral development highlights the amorality of the Maycomb community. The final chapter contains an exploration of the satirical sense in both James’ Maisie and Lee’s Mockingbird. The chapter analyzes how the young girl’s perspective elicits irony and thereby criticism of characters in the novels.Show less
