Realism in Jane Austen and Charles Dickens : parallelisms, similarities and differences : a study of selected works

Abstract

This dissertation explores the ways in which two nineteenth century writers, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, approach realism. While both writers clearly criticise their societies, their approach is markedly different. The different sensibilities of the two writers, their different genders and their contrasting position in society affect the way in which they write about their communities, and the way in which they create a sense of realism in their novels. Despite the disparities between the two authors’ writings, there are certain similarities which can be found at several points in their works. Even though almost all, if not all, of the authors’ works can be used as examples for this endeavour, I have decided to focus on two novels per author. Therefore, my dissertation will make close reference to Jane Austen’s Emma and Sense and Sensibility and to Charles Dickens’s Hard Times and Oliver Twist. The first chapter will explore the differences in Jane Austen and Charles Dickens’s societies, how the changes occurring in their respective societies, as well as their position in them, had an effect on their writings and helped them depict the realities around them. The second chapter will then focus on the various ways in which aspects of characterisation helped Austen and Dickens make their characters close to real human beings. Therefore, my dissertation will demonstrate how the manner of portraying realities differs from one author to another due to a number of factors. However, I will also show the similarities and parallelisms that still exist amidst the differences.