Available online
Description
This programme looks at childhood as it is portrayed in Dickens and, briefly, in other Victorian novelists.
This programme looks at childhood as it is portrayed in Dickens and, briefly, in other Victorian novelists.
| Module code and title: | A302, The nineteenth century novel and its legacy |
|---|---|
| Item code: | A302; 04 |
| First transmission date: | 21-03-1973 |
| Published: | 1973 |
| Rights Statement: | Rights owned or controlled by The Open University |
| Restrictions on use: | This material can be used in accordance with The Open University conditions of use. A link to the conditions can be found at the bottom of all OUDA web pages. |
| Duration: | 00:24:39 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Paul Kafno |
| Contributor: | Angus Wilson |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Dombey and Son; Great Expectations; Lord of the Flies |
| Footage description: | Angus Wilson discusses the importance placed upon a child's need for self expression. William Golding's 'Lord of the Flies' is briefly mentioned. Angus Wilson considers the history of the idea of childhood and the adult's attitude to children. He isolates the Victorian period as that in which the child as child gained some importance from a social and literary point of view. Wilson isolates reasons for this elevation of childhood and quotes examples from Dickens novels. Angus Wilson considers the importance of certain childhood experiences in the creative work of Dickens and the essential nature of Victorian society. With the aid of two Victorian paintings of child subjects, Angus Wilson enlarges on the nature of Victorian society. This he links to Dickens' own experience, and turns to a brief consideration of 'Dombey & Son' as being one of the first novels to contain a character modelled on someone within Dickens' lived experience, of his childhood. Angus Wilson also discusses the character of Pip in 'Great Expectations'. Angus Wilson discusses the child in Dickens' work before 'Dombey & Son', he also considers Joe the crossing sweeper, a character which he compares with Blake's chimney sweep. Angus Wilson continues with a further analysis of the child in Dickens' novels and he attempts to determine Dickens' own point of view. Angus Wilson returns to characters already considered e.g. Paul Dombey. He discusses briefly the ailing child and contrasts Dickens' treatment of the childlike adult with his treatment of the child. Angus Wilson pursues his subject of the child in literature turning now to other novelists, i.e. Butler, James, Austen and others. He finally turns to a consideration of Dickens as technical innovator. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/70778 |
| Production number: | 00525_3004 |
| Videofinder number: | 617 |
| Available to public: | no |
