This thesis, focusing on Dickens' early work ('Our Parish'to The Old Curiosity Shop), explorers the nature and fictional expression of the author's faith and the historical ecclesiastical elements of his writing. Dickens passionately believed that the Church was failing in its Christian responsibility to the poor. Contrary to contemporary religious thought, he neither accepted that the appalling depravation endured by the poor esulted from their personal sin, or that the imperative of spiritual redemption negated the Church's responsibility to ease their physical distress. He also realised that among his predominately London-based middle-class readership there was genuine ignorance of the reality of the suffering endured by the poor. In his early fiction Dickens used a two stage approach to communicate his personal beliefs about the poor. The first, adopted in 'Our Parish' and the first seven chapters of Oliver Twist, involved the graphic description of the suffering endured by the poor and the exposure of the inadequacies of the parochial system upon which they depended. Next, Dickens introduces his readers to a series of characters who embody his perception of Christian charity. Mr Pickwick, Mr brownlow and Charles Cheeryble (collectively referred to in this thesis as 'Charitable Angels')are, contrary to parochial officials and those who participate in charitable activity for their own selfish ends, shown to make a difference in the lives of those they assist. Dickens hoped that his readers would be inspired to emulate their actions.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Freie Universität Berlin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 319-330).

Th. Ph. D.--English literature--University of London, 1990?

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Freie Universität Berlin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 319-330).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2006. / Title from PDF title page screen. Advisor: Keith Cushman, Annette Van; submitted to the Dept. of English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-79).

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1974. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-302). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf : 43).

[...] This thesis will be confined to a study of the benevolent gentlemen in Dickens novels, and will attempt to answer such questions as: Who were these men? For what purpose did Dickens create them? What function do they serve in the novels? How great, or how limited, is their scope of action? Did they provide Dickens with his ultimate answers to the problems of human behaviour? Chapter I will discuss the background, origin and characteristics of the benevolent gentlemen. Chapter II will describe the benevolent gentlemen of the early novels, Mr. Pickcwick (The Picknick Papers, 1836-37), Mr. Brownlow (Oliver Twist, 1837-39), the Cheeryble Brothers (Nicholas Nickleby, 1838-39), Mr. Garland and the Single Gentleman (The Old Curiosity Shop, 1840-41), and Scrooge (A Christmas Carol, 1843). Chapter III will be concerned with the benevolent gentlemen of Dickens' middle period, Mr. Jarndyce (Bleak House, 1852-53), Mr. Sleary (Hard Times, 1854), and Mr. Meagles (Little Dorrit, 1855-57). [...]