Novels by Charles Dickens

[Juuk]

Can someone please help me? I need to find the links between some of Charles Dickens' novels. I need to find what binds them together. What do they have in common?

[Sam Gamgee]

Well, they are all social criticism

[doug Arnold]

Can someone please help me? I need to find the links between some of Charles Dickens' novels. I need to find what binds them together. What do they have in common?

Juuk, try looking outside the books themselves. Look for hints of symbolism and cynical metaphor.

Other influences of his day: Thomas Carlyle, J.S.Mill. Particularly Utilitarianism and the establishment church are major targets of Dickens, along with the justice system, Bleak House, Hard Times, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist. they all carry these themes.

[LLBowen]

I agree with the fact that there is quite some social critisism in all of his books. That's a 'link', no doubt. Another link, I suppose, would be the 'flatness' of his fictional characters. Another link: Dickens always creates a clear distinction between 'good' and 'bad', I think. The lack of sexuality as an essential part of human existence, seems to be another link. His faith in 'God' seems to seep through in most of his writings, which might be considered yet another link.
Another link might, I think, be distinguished in his development as a writer: he starts of writing picturesque stories, where people travel a lot so that the change of scenery is the machine that keeps the story going, and later on he writes rather heavily constructed stories where the characters themselves 'create' the story. This is a link, I think, because of the consistency of this, his literary development.

[Jay]

Or there could be this thing - several of his main characters are kids, many of them are orphans. I haven't read many Dicken's books, hope it's true (about what I said) in general.