Through the depiction of the father of Victorian literature, Charles Dickens, Victorian society is vividly portrayed by distinct characters, each illustrating the lives in the Victorian era and its ideals, revealing the multifaceted society. In his novels—David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations—Charles Dickens illustrates three boys’ journey towards maturity, exploring distinct life situations through differing protagonists and depicting unique experiences that eventually shape their lives. Throughout the three-boy series, the author portrays characters that reflect society and Victorian values, exploring female roles and their distinctive lives in society and illustrating the power of women and their roles in the Victorian era. In Charles Dickens’s three bildungsroman novels, he portrays various women characters that demonstrate Victorian ideals, societal expectations, and their influence on characters’ development, each playing a pivotal role that reflects the society at that time. From “dolls” to strong and independent figures, each female role demonstrates their beauty, intelligence, strengths, and willpower, showcasing varying female roles in the Victorian era. Through the lenses of the three protagonists—David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Pip Pirrip—Charles Dickens offers a conspicuous portrayal of female roles in the Victorian era, each possessing unique characters and experiences that form their lives, revealing the societal expectations of women in the era, the complexities of one’s experiences, and the divergent facets of strengths and weaknesses in womanhood.
Through the novel David Copperfield, Charles Dickens skillfully illustrates womanhood and reveals the gender roles of the Victorian era, portraying various female characters who experienced different lives, and shaping them into unique individuals. Through diverse characters, Charles Dickens highlights the complexities of women’s experiences and societal expectations during the Victorian era. Through David Copperfield’s mother, Clara, and his first wife, Dora Spenlow, the author illustrates the dependence, naivety, and beauty of women, showcasing the Victorian ideal of females being innocent and reliant on men. However, their innocence makes them childlike, unable to do housework or manage finances as they were raised with care by their parents, eventually causing their tragic ending of death as they are unable to accompany their husbands the way the men expected. For instance, before the death of Dora, she explained to David her inability to offer companionship:
“I was very happy, very. But, as years went on, my dear boy would have wearied of his child-wife. She would have been less and less a companion for him. He would have been more and more sensible of what was wanted in his home. She wouldn't have improved. It is better as it is” (Dickens, 53).
Through the depiction of Dora Spenlow and Clara Copperfield, the author explores the unrealistic societal expectations of women in the era, which emphasizes one’s beauty and innocence, viewing women as a “doll.” Contrastingly, Aunt Betsy Trotwood, an independent and generous woman, has experienced a lot during her early years, which impacted her personality and caused her to put on a cold façade, protecting herself from the heartbreak of her abusive ex-husband in her youth, showing the impacts of one’s experiences. Similarly, little Em’ly, desiring to become a lady, was influenced by the Victorian era’s expectations and values, highlighting the effects of societal pressures on women’s choices and actions. The portrayal of Agnes Wickfield, embodying all the good virtues and a perfect sample of a good wife, exemplifies the role model of an ideal woman. Through her illustration, Charles Dickens depicts the perfect portrayal of a female character in the Victorian era, which is referred to as an “angel,” being virtuous, sympathetic, and self-sacrificing. In the novel, the author explores the complexities of female characters, illustrating the societal expectations towards women and the power of female roles.
In his other novel, Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens critiques the Poor Laws of the Victorian era and illustrates the criminal lives in society through the journey of the young eponymous protagonist. Through his experiences, the author explores the lives of females in the Victorian background. Through the depiction of Nancy, a young prostitute and criminal in the gang, Charles Dickens illustrates the impact of the environment on women and the complexities of one’s character, illustrating the power of women through her help for Oliver. Due to poverty and her unfortunate childhood, Nancy became a prostitute and committed numerous crimes with her lover, Sikes, yet she also revealed her power and strength when she sacrificed her life to protect Oliver. Through the intricate character of Nancy, Charles Dickens reveals the harsh realities faced by women living in poverty and their limited opportunities, such that Nancy says in the novel: “I am chained to my old life. I loathe and hate it now, but I cannot leave it. I must have gone too far to turn back,-- and yet I don’t know” (Dickens, 46). Through the depiction of Nancy, the author explores the impact of the environment and the complexities of one’s experiences. Furthermore, through characters such as Rose Maylie and Mrs. Maylie, Dickens illustrates the beauty of virtue and the nurturing aspect of femininity in the Victorian era, portraying them as kind, generous, and empathetic characters. For instance, Rose Maylie is portrayed as a beautiful young lady who possesses all the good qualities of a woman:
“The younger lady was in the lovely bloom and spring-time of womanhood; at that age, when, if ever angels be for God’s good purposes enthroned in mortal forms, they may be, without impiety, supposed to abide in such as hers” (Dickens, 29).
On the other hand, Charles Dickens also depicts women such as Mrs. Bumble, a selfish character who works in a workhouse and treats the orphans cruelly, constantly beating them and taking away the money given to the paupers. Mrs. Bumble is distrustful, cruel, and power-hungry, and through her portrayal, Dickens illustrates the negative qualities that may exist in some individuals. Through the depiction of various characters in the novel, Charles Dickens reveals the complexities of the diversity of female characters, each shaped by their unique experiences and environment.
In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens presents an exploration of female roles through characters such as Biddy, Estella, Joe, Miss Havisham, and Clara, with each woman embodying different aspects of femininity, with their experiences reflecting societal expectations and constraints imposed on women in the Victorian era. Biddy plays a pivotal role in the novel, representing the ideal of Victorian female virtue through her role as a caregiver and friend of Pip, building a stark contrast with Estella and Miss Havisham. Due to her limited social position and poor background, she demonstrates her resilience and pragmatic approach to her life, demonstrating the modesty and virtue of women despite adversities. On the other hand, Estella portrays the consequences of societal expectations and the objectification of women as tools for social climbing, illustrating the damaging effects of her upbringing. As introduced in the novel, Estella is portrayed as a beautiful yet cold girl who’s emotionally distant:
“That girl’s hard and haughty and capricious to the last degree, and has been brought up by Miss Havisham to wreak revenge on all the male sex” (Dickens, 22).
From the experiences of Estella, the author critiques the social class and upbringing of women’s behavior and values. Similarly, Miss Havisham, a wealthy and somehow eccentric woman, lived under her personal trauma, causing her to become revengeful towards men. After being jilted by Compeyson, she is determined to raise Estella to “break the hearts” of all men. Through Miss Havisham, Dickens depicts the impacts of personal issues and societal pressure in shaping one’s life and values. In addition, the illustration of Pip’s sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, reflects the harsh aspects of Victorian society’s portrayal of women, characterized by her domineering and resentful personality. As described in the novel, Pip revealed the harsh treatment of her sister:
“I had known, from the time when I could speak, that my sister, in her capricious and violent coercion, was unjust to me [...] I Through all my punishments, disgraces, fasts, and vigils, and other penitential performances, I had nursed this assurance; and to my communing so much with it, in a solitary and unprotected way, I in great part refer the fact that I was morally timid and very sensitive” (Dickens, 8).
Mrs. Joe Gargery’s treatment of Pip highlights her dissatisfaction with her social position, revealing the limitations experienced by women in the era and the societal pressure on women to conform to societal expectations as she fears abandonment due to her loss in the early years. Lastly, Clara Barley, Herbert Pocket's love and fiancée, is a gentle girl who reflects the Victorian ideal of dependence on male support, illustrating her as "natural and winning," "confiding, loving, and innocent." Through the illustration of Clara, the author reinforces the idea of dependency and the significance of domestic norms in Victorian society. Through the depiction of the female roles in Great Expectations, Charles Dickens presents a diverse portrayal of women, reflecting the distinct facets of females, and exploring the gender roles and societal expectations in the Victorian era.
Charles Dickens’s portrayal of female roles in his three novels—David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations—offers a comprehensive depiction of womanhood in the Victorian era. Through characters such as Dora Spenlow, Clara Copperfield, and Clara Barley, Dickens illustrates the idealization of women’s beauty and innocence. Through Aunt Betsy Trotwood, the author demonstrates the independence and resilience of women, and through Agnes, Biddy, and Rose Maylie, the author explores the ideal portrayal of women in the Victorian era. Through contrasting characters such as Little Em’ly, Estella, and Nancy, the author critiques the harsh realities faced by individuals in the era, demonstrating the impact of one’s environment and social status, and revealing the societal pressure placed on women in the era. Similarly, through Miss Havisham, Mrs. Joe Gargery, and Mrs. Bumble, the author explores the multifaceted nature of women, depicting the complexities of one’s experiment and the influences of one’s experiences, highlighting how societal expectations and personal experiences shape one’s life. Through the diverse characterization of female roles in the novels, Charles Dickens reveals the complexities of Victorian gender roles, critiquing the constraints and limited opportunities at that time. In the Boy series, Dickens explores the roles and perceptions of women in society, demonstrating the power of women reveals the struggles faced by individuals at that time.
Reference:
Dickens, Charles. “David Copperfield,” Gutenberg.
Dickens, Charles. “Oliver Twist,” Gutenberg.
Dickens, Charles. “Great Expectations,” Gutenberg.
Comments