Difficult Childhood

Not even a war can stop Brontë scholar research:

Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education 

Department of Philology 

Beregszász, Ukraine – 2023

The Theme of Difficult Childhood in Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre" and Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist"

Bachelor’s Thesis Presented by: Bettina Lupcsó 

As Shakespeare famously declared in Hamlet, the purpose of art is “to hold as twere the mirror up to nature” (Shakespeare, 2011, p. 78). And in the novels of Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens, we see this sentiment come to life. Brontë's "Jane Eyre" and Dickens' "Oliver Twist" are two masterful works of literature that hold up a mirror to the harsh realities of the Victorian era, revealing the struggles and hardships of children growing up in a society that often neglected their wellbeing. 

Through  their  respective  narratives,  Brontë  and  Dickens  shed  light  on  the difficult childhoods of their young protagonists, giving voice to issues such as poverty, neglect, and abuse that were all too common during their time. "Jane Eyre" tells the story of a young girl who endures a lonely and oppressive upbringing at the hands of her cruel aunt and cousins before finding solace in a boarding school that is itself rife with suffering and hardship. In "Oliver Twist," we follow the eponymous  orphan  as  he  navigates  a  world  of  workhouses,  gangs,  and  corrupt  officials,  all  the while struggling to find a place to call home. 

But these novels are not simply tales of woe and suffering. They are also works of great compassion  and  empathy,  offering  a  nuanced  portrayal  of  the  complex  lives  of  their  young protagonists. Through their vivid and compelling characters, Brontë and  Dickens demonstrate a profound understanding of the human condition, revealing the struggles and triumphs that define our shared experience. 

The  aim of the bachelor’s thesis is  to  analyze  and  compare  the  depictions  of  difficult childhood  in  these  two  literary  works,  while  also  examining  the  historical,  social,  and  cultural background of Victorian England that influenced their creation and investigate whether learning about them can develop critical thinking skills in students.