Class, you've accomplished a lot. If you've read all the assigned Dickens for this class, you have read over 1348 pages of his fiction (not counting the non-fiction and the critical material, which was significant). If you didn't read it all, well, you should feel guiltier than Pip leaving town without visiting the Forge. Hopefully you can go back to the texts in the next week as write and revise your final papers.
I'd like to dedicate the last blog to a discussion not of a specific passage, but rather to hear about your likes and dislikes. What was your favorite reading? Who was your favorite character? Is there a particular quote that sticks with you? If Dickens were alive today and sitting next to you on the subway, what would you ask him? I'd love to hear any and all feedback you have about the course: did you like focusing on a major author? What drove you crazy about Dickens's writing? Do you have a least favoriate character? Why? Did you like the books more as we went along? If so, why? If not, why not? Let the discussion begin!
Guess what I just finished reading? A Christmas Carol! Yes, I know I'm late, but it's been a hectic few weeks. I'm glad I did read it though because it will definitely be a part of my final paper.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite of the four novels would have to be Hard Times. I couldn't honestly say why it's my favorite, but one thing I appreciate is its illustrative style. Dickens always does a fantastic job when it comes to description; I just think he did a better job here. It was easier for me to envision the scenes play out with such vivid details in its settings. And, I have a soft spot for Sissy because she reminds me of my little cousin Cecilia, for obvious reasons. Answering each of Gradgrind's questions, then curtseying, is too adorable for words.
If I saw CD on a subway car, I'd ask, "Why are you taking the subway like us chumps if you're such a boss?" And of course, he'd reply with some pro-equality statement, but unlike Bloomberg who also rides the subway, I'd believe him.
Focusing on one author was certainly beneficial to me, and I'm awfully glad it was Dickens. I couldn't imagine ever going to graduate school and admitting I had never finished a Dickens novel (which was the case before LIT 400). It was nice to see the progression in his writing. A Christmas Carol is pretty spectacular and I just realized the movie, It's a Wonderful Life, completely ripped off ACC.
What drove me mad? There are way too many characters, and his writing style, which is brilliant, is so refined that sometimes I forgot which novel I was reading. Rundown London; I get it, man. I do.
Cheers, guys. It's been fun.
When we began this class and Professor Reitz said that Charles Dickens was this great social activist novelist, I was skeptical. I always heard that books could be used for justice like Uncle Tom's cabin but I did not really see it. But after I was introduced to the readings and the word “Dickensian”, my eyes opened up. I became to notice a lot of social activist movements and some forms of media such as movies and literature with a social activist bent had many of their influences from Dickens. I re-watched the movie "Matilda" with my little sister about a month ago and realized how Dickensian it was. The movie references Dickens and the movie like many of Dickens works critique social institutions such as schools and even provide solutions such as a good family and home. Another movie, "Good will hunting", I watched this week talked about the novel of "Oliver Twist" and its relation to understanding orphans. Both movies had children that were neglected but that had amazing gifts/talents like Dickens. I did not expect to find Dickens but there he was, everywhere. These were really eye opening to see.
ReplyDeleteReading Dickens novels it touches you as a reader. Dickens shows the vulnerability of some of his characters and the ruthlessness of some of his others. The novels leaves the reader at times feeling sympathy, outrage, and hope.
Favorite characters are hard. But if I had to choose I would say Pip because Dickens wrote from a first person perspective. As a reader it made me feel Pip's dreams, fears, despair, and shame. I still feel for Pip when he declares his love for Estella and she still chooses to marry Bentley. I also feel for Pip when he exclaims that he is not his sister's possession to be abused but a human beings, when he reflects on his sister abuses against him. Those scenes really touch me.
What bothered me about Dickens writings was his use of the word "Countenance." I don't know if it was just my editions for the books but especially in Oliver Twist he uses the word on almost every page. Dickens did calm down in his later books in regard with the word but it really drove me crazy in Oliver Twist. It was countenance this, and countenance that. At least it did make me curious to learn what it actually meant.
I don't know which I like more though Hard Times or Great Expectations. I think I am leaning more toward Great Expectations because I thought it a kind of an adventure and I thought it was an interesting shift in his writing. Dickens in Great Expectations addressed the reader directly, “you reader,” a number of times in the novel which really felt like you were talking with this dead famous author, it was kind of eerie and cool at the same time. The first person perspective I thought was really amazing though. What I loved in Hard Times can be summed up in two words: Thomas Gradgrind. I just felt that Gradgrind was such an interesting character. Maybe Gradgrind is my favorite character?! He is a man of strict principles who believes he is bettering society but he is instead destroying it. He is an unintentional villain, I just think that is so interesting.
An important lesson I learned from class is that I actually love his writings and want to know even more about his life. I don't know if he is my favorite author yet, but he is up there now. I’m glad I took this class and read Dickens.
"I did not expect to find Dickens but there he was, everywhere. These were really eye opening to see."
DeleteI must say, that tugged at my soul a little bit, man. Matilda is most definitely a modern day Oliver Twist. Her unusual powers = his unusual dialectic prowess.
I’ve also been noticing Dickens basically everywhere. Mainly films consist of the Dickensian features. One film that I saw a month back, with my little sister as well, that just yells Charles Dickens was Mary Poppins. The film opens with a man, Bert, singing and playing music for the rich to be amused and give him money like the woman in the streets singing. Bert then speaks directly to the views like Dickens in his writing when addressing the reader.
DeleteThen we meet the children, little boy and girl, that are rebels and make every nanny they have run out. The boy and girl immediately remind me of Tom and Louisa. The kid’s parents are never seen showing them any attention or affection. The kids wish for a nanny that is caring and fun. Mary Poppins flies in and shows the kids how to have an imagination alongside Bert. The kids are excited and share their adventures with their dad. Their dad does not want to listen to what he believes is nonsense just like Mr. Gradgrind.
If you listen closely to the lyrics of the songs in Mary Poppins they each speak to a specific theme Dickens portrayed in his novels.
I must say that I really enjoyed this class and that we focused on a specific author, because it allow me to deeply get involve with Dickens. My favorite reading is Oliver Twist because even though there were so many struggles, there was still a happy ending. My favorite character is Nancy, because she was a victim of Fagin and did bad things, but changed at the end. She became a new person and saved Oliver from the hands of Fagin and Sikes. If I were to have the opportunity of having Dickens next to me, I would ask him what motivated him besides his own childhood experiences to write these novels. I don't really have anything that bothered me about Dickens, I came to like him very much as a writer. I enjoyed reading his novels on my own and in class, because I was able to share my thoughts about the readings.
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite reading was Oliver Twist. It was the first novel by Dickens I've ever read and it just stuck with me and never wore off. Oliver is just a likable character that everyone roots for. My favorite character was Rose Maylie, simply because she represent everything that a woman should be. She was gentle, propper, feminine and loving. My least favorite character is Sikes. He's just a mascot for all the women-beaters out there.
If Dickens were sitting next to me on the subway, one of the questions I would as him is "Where do you get your inspiration for your character's names?" and "Does it suprise you that your novels are being taught in college classrooms?"
Nothing drove me crazy about his writing. Although, his underlining themes about poverty, women, children, and government were redundant through out, each novel forced me to look at each issue from different perspectives.
Focusing on one major author has its pros and cons. Reading Dickens all semester allowed me to be very familiar with his writing style.This was good because there were no real surprises and made it easier to think collectively about the final paper. It also drew my attention to alot of the issues he was concerned about.However, after the third novel and several of it non-novel literatures later,I wante a short temporary break from Dickens. I also think the museum vistit was incoorporate really well into the course. The exhibit provided better insight with helpful visual aides.
I love Dickens and what he stands for. To me, he seems like he was light years ahead of his time--tackling issues that not many people wanted to. His clever choice in words and his deeply descriptive details makes his novels so enticing that I can't put his book down. My favorite novel from Dickens has to be Great Expectations. It has a sense of realism to it--especially the ending. What I would have hoped for, which I think would be really cool, is another author to read besides Dickens. Although he is a brilliant writer, I believe that others had things to say too, just the same brave things Dickens had to say. Either way, I enjoyed his work; I wish he were alive now, and I will be reading more of his works.
ReplyDeleteComing into this seminar class I did not know what to expect, but when you told us on the first day that we will be focusing on a single author I felt the same way. In retrospect I really like that we focused the entire semester on a single author because as a student and a reader I am more informed about Dickens and the issues that he raises within his novels. I am greatly appreciative that we as a class had learned so much about him. I learned how Dickens is "attracted to repulsion," and his reasons why.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore I feel that it has been greatly beneficial for me as a student to go into depth on a single author rather than many, because it would have been to much to take it all in and I would not have really felt accomplished. Thank you Professor Reitz for making me a mini you, as far as knowing as much as I possibly can about Charles Dickens. Its been a pleasure.
My favorite reading of the class was Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist was the only book that allowed me to continue to turn the pages and not feel like I'm reading required reading for a class.
ReplyDeleteI've definitely benefitted from focusing on one author because I can officially say that I can recognize a Dickens novel within the first few pages of a text. I will be able to take that knowledge with me and by focusing on Dickens so much, i won't move on next semester and forget what we've read, but use my knowledge on these reading in other classes etc.
I can't tell you how much your comments mean to me, especially at this time when our hearts are so heavy. We've spent all semester talking about how valuing children is a profound act of social justice, and is at the heart of so many issues society struggles with from crime to educational opportunity to public health. I'm not sure that Dickens would recognize many of the issues surrounding these tragic events (indeed, I think the most blood-thirsty Victorian would be appalled by the notion of a right to own a semi-automatic weapon), but he certainly would have felt the depth of our sorrow and our need (hopefully more than just temporary) to do something about the conditions that caused this catastrophe.
ReplyDeleteBut if I could find the words, I'd say to Troy that I love that he kept on reading even when class time expired. My true objective for the course was not so much that students would read all 4 novels but that they would actually read a 5th Dickens novel at some point in their lives.
To Sean, I'd say that his idea of the unintentional villain is a spectacular one and certainly a lens through which to look at modern culture. If only our villains slunk around telegraphing their evil like Orlick, it would be much easier to deal with them.
To Mirianda, I'd say that her belief that people can change is a true Dickensian insight and one that cheers me when I think of all the at-risk teens that need to be helped to find a path that does not involve guns and violence.
To Christine, I'd say thanks for the shout-out to the field trip -- you will find, as Sean said, Dickens everywhere and if it takes you into some unexpected places (the hallway of the NYPL) all the better!
To Phylicia, I'd say that your insight that Dickens still speaks to us makes me look forward to your final paper!
To Tracie, I'd say I'm so glad that you threw yourself into the course with gusto and, as a result, learned a whole lot about Dickens.
To Devynn, I'd say sorry (bummer to have liked the first book best!), but also that I'm glad you can spot a Dickens novel a mile off -- that understanding of his narrative style will be something you can continue to think about in other courses or out in the world.
ReplyDeleteLikes and dislikes, where do I even begin.
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite of the books had to be Hard Times. It is just brimming with brilliance, from the satirical emphasis on Facts by the narrator on the first pages to the philosophically grounded call for change at the end. Though I loved the sheer magnitude of characters in each of the novels, especially their working together to tell one coherent story, the slurred warped speech of Sleary and Stephen were at times frustrating to get through (I wasn't a fan of having to mouth the jumbled letter combinations just to try and understand what they meant). I wouldn't be who I am without recognizing Charles Bates as one of my favorite characters. Why? The combination of a term meant to show respect for an individual, used to form the ingenious name Master Bates is perhaps the best, most obvious, insinuations ever and, if that weren't enough, he is the absolute jolliest of persons I've ever read about. In a philosophical view I also think his story parallels a close number two on my list, Pip, in the sense that there is a lack of understanding about how things are in life, that gets corrected and after which they live a moderately happy life. This attachment to Pip is nonetheless a product of the shifted narrative voice (third to first person) Dickens employs in Great Expectations, which fosters closeness to the character that the omnipotent third does not. And yes, Joe is awesome-sauce.
I absolutely do not like Oliver Twist as an example of an attempt at social reform. An orphaned rich boy, endowed with perfect speech, unequaled resilience, and an indomitable will (cause of his "good stock"), finds his “family” and lives happily ever after. Bleh. The novel screams “I was born better than you and it shows and pays off.” I just can't get over the feeling that it suggests people are born to be a certain way through its title character. I would have greatly preferred if it was titled after and focused more on Charles or Nancy, characters that change and embody the Dickensian philosophy. Of course we forgive all that since it was one of Dickens’s first works and an otherwise extremely captivating story.
All in all, the course was great (I only say great cause I didn't want it to sound like I was fishing for favor, which this sentence kind of defeats...). I read, I wrote, and most importantly I learned about one of the most iconic literary figures in history. I do regret not purchasing the actual novels as I missed out on the supplementary texts, since they seem to also contain a wealth of knowledge on so many topics.
I would probably feel two inches tall if I had an opportunity of speaking with Dickens (as I would feel if I could speak to just about any of the geniuses of the past), but would probably want to know his take on the equality we have reached thus far and see if he could offer any remedies for the contemporary issues.
To John, I'd say that his critique of OT is absolutely valid -- though the "problem" of the character of Oliver nicely lays bare the difficulty of trying to write uplifting novels about the lowest ranks of society for a mass audience. As Dickens said in his Preface to the Third Edition of the novel, we prefer to see our Vice dressed up in ribbons and velvet. While your point about OT is that with the characterization of Oliver errs on the ribbons/velvet side, we feel his struggle to get people to care about/root for starving, dirty, homeless children. And I'd also say thanks: I think I may have to get a t-shirt made that says: "Joe is awesome-sauce."
ReplyDeleteMy favorite novel is Hard Times I just like the way in which he allowed the characters to change so drastically and the develop so nicely. My all time Dickens favorite quote isn't by Dickens but rather about Dickens and was written by Van Ghert " People were becoming things..." I liked it because its so relevant to today. I'm not sure how many of my classmates can relate but when I was in high school heck even now when you got a new pair of Jordan's and someone step on your foot (OMG) you were ready to fight. And that is a prime example of the displaced value of things over people, it is sad that this feeling although maybe not constant has not gotten better only worse!! Honestly I loved Dickens and if I saw him on the subway I'd ask him to help me with my paper.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character would be Nancy. I too believe in redemption.
I loved all the books I didn't always finish on time but I can't say that one in particular I liked more than the others simply because all of them had pros and cons to them. The message that each book presented however, was great. If I had to pick a least favorite though I couldn't. Lol
When I finished reading our first novel, OT, I was so sure that it would be my favorite without having read any other Dickens novels. However, as we moved onto reading the other ones as well, I began to realize just how great of a writer Dickens was. I definitely and thoroughly enjoyed all of his works that we read for this class, but if I had to choose a single favorite, I would have to go with Hard Times. My favorite character out of all of the characters in all of our readings is Sissy Jupe. I couldn't help but admire her endearing qualities.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on a single author throughout the semester was definitely interesting. It allowed me to learn so much about him through his writing. It was pretty awesome to compare Dickens's characters and motifs that took play in the different Dickens novels we had read. It would most certainly be an honor to find myself sitting next to Dickens on the subway if he were alive today. I would first ask for an autograph (perhaps two autographs so I could bring one to you, Professor Reitz) and then I would ask him if he intended his readers (in his revised ending of Great Expectations) to believe that Pip and Estella were to be married to each other.
I really enjoyed this class. Thanks for a great semester everyone! Thank you, Professor Reitz!