Comments on: Contradictory Dickens

By: Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie

Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:29:37 +0000

There is little doubt that Dickens’ novels reflect Victorian transformations from industrial to financial capitalism. But it is remarkable that this great writer says so little about the metropolis of empire. London does not get the sort of moral indignation Dickens reserves for domestic institutions. When he was born, the British slave trade had just been abolished, but colonial slavery continued until 1838 the year Oliver Twist was published. When Dickens died, the empire was alive and well and expanding. Imperial benchmarks should be as important as those of capitalism, a point too often glossed over in the commentaries of George Orwell, Raymond Williams, Terry Eagleton, and others.

By: Little Richardjohn

Little Richardjohn — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:23:35 +0000

Only one use of the word ‘radical’? And that in passing.
Nowadays we try to extradite ‘radicals’ to Jordanian prisons, not bury them in Westminster Abbey.

By: Marius Kwint

Marius Kwint — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:49:03 +0000

Agreed: spot on.

By: Eugene Egan

Eugene Egan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:21:28 +0000

Very true