Dickens and Thackeray: Punishment and ForgivenessAttitudes toward punishment and forgiveness in English society of the nineteenth century came, for the most part, out of Christianity. In actual experience the ideal was not often met, but in the literature of the time the model was important. For novelists attempting to tell exciting and dramatic stories, violent and criminal activities played an important role, and, according to convention, had to be corrected through poetic justice or human punishment. Both Dickens' and Thackeray's novels subscribed to the ideal, but dealt with the dilemma it presented in slightly different ways. At a time when a great deal of attention has been directed toward economic production and consumption as the bases for value, Reed's well-documented study reviving moral belief as a legitimate concern for the analysis of nineteenth-century English texts is particularly illuminating. |
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... Lord is far cannier than his unsupportive son and easily outflanks the youngster . Lord Crabs suggests that Lady Griffin , whom Deuceace has rejected in favor of her stepdaughter , buy up Deuceace's English debts , which she does , and ...
... Lord Blandford is her first significant conquest , but he sickens and dies . Esmond is never really in the run- ning because his position seems so inferior to Beatrix , whose sights are set very high . Rachel warns Esmond about Beatrix ...
... Lord Kew anti - plot reverses expectations . The predictable course of events might involve Lord Kew's death in the duel and Ethel's repentance for her frivolous behavior . Instead , the young rake repents and reforms while Ethel feels ...
Contents
Attitudes Toward Punishment and Forgiveness | 3 |
Some of the contents of this study appeared elsewhere in different form Mate | 28 |
Education | 30 |
Copyright | |
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