Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, or The Parish Boy's Progress

Hisup Shin

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Grace Moore (University of Otago)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1837 - 1839

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel
Children's Literature
- Young Adult

Resources

Oliver Twist, subtitled “The Parish Boy's Progress”, represents a defining moment in Dickens' career since it marks the beginning of his serious commitment to fictional writing. It also displays the first noteworthy appearance of the unique mélange of different outlooks and stylistic approaches that is one of the most often remarked aspects of Dickens's literary works. Published in monthly numbers between 1837 and 1839 – its first complete three-volume edition appearing in 1838 – the novel set the tone of what was to follow in his prolific literary output, as it hinges on the clash between individual desire and harsh social realities, the hallmark of modern realist prose fiction. Noticeably free of the extemporaneous and …

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1540 words

Citation: Shin, Hisup. "Oliver Twist, or The Parish Boy's Progress". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 October 2002 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3083, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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