Dickens dared speak directly to his readers. Sometimes he exhorted them, roused them to indignation, even buttonholed them, about the injustices of their world.
Click on the films above to hear John Mullen discussing the ways in which Dickens used literature to campaign against injustices in the world, such as the appalling conditions of the Yorkshire Schools; and Simon Callow reading a description of Wackford Squeers from Nicholas Nickleby. Filmed at the Dickens Museum, London.
Then explore the historical and literary sources to find out more.
Historical & Literary Sources
Newspaper Article: Trial of William Shaw, 1823
This newspaper article describes the legal trial in which Bowes Academy (a Yorkshire School) was investigated for negligence.
Advert for Bowes Academy, 1817
This is an advertisement for Bowes Academy, the nightmarish school on which Dickens based Dotheboys Hall in Nicholas Nickleby.
Preface to the 'Cheap Edition' of Oliver Twist
Dickens's handwritten preface to the 'cheap edition' of Oliver Twist
Dickens's letter on execution, 1849
In 1849, Charles Dickens, along with 30 thousand other spectators, watched the hanging of a notorious pair of murderers, and was appalled by what he saw.
