Victorian Literature: An Annotated Bibliography Analysis

This annotated bibliography examines various texts related to Victorian literature, focusing on the works of Charles Dickens. The bibliography begins with an analysis of Dickens' novel, "Oliver Twist," highlighting its portrayal of social issues such as poverty, child labor, and the exploitation of the working class within the context of Victorian London. The second entry provides a critical discourse on Dickens' writings, exploring his narrative techniques and insights into Victorian society. The third text delves into the role of suburbia in fictional writings, with a specific focus on Dickens' representation of London's suburbs. The final entry offers a historical overview of the concept of literature, providing a foundational context for understanding British literature during the time period. The bibliography aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the social and literary context of the Victorian era, highlighting the relevance of Dickens' works to contemporary society.

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Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist or the parish boy's progress. Strelbytskyy Multimedia,
2017.
Oliver Twist or the parish Boy’s progress is one of the most famous novels written by
celebrated British author Charles Dickens. The novel was originally published in 1838,
followed by several reprints, translations and adaptions into films and theatres across the
world in several languages. The novel revolves around the story of the protagonist, Oliver
Twist, a nine-year old orphan boy living off the streets of London. He was born in a
workhouse where he was abandoned and he never knew his parents. The story unravels
his journey as he escapes from the inhumane conditions of the workhouse and leaves for
Londin with the hopes of better life. However, instead of finding a good future, Oliver
ends up amidst a gang of criminals, mostly a bunch of thieves and pickpockets who
employed little children to beg and steal. He suffers from poverty, hunger and torture by
the powerful men, as well as by the overt negligence and hate from the common people.
The novel is a powerful narration of the social evils of the Victorian London, which is
still relevant in today’s society. It portrays the problem of child labour, child crime as

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well as hunger, crime, poverty and exploitation. Apart from the protagonist’s story, it also
paints a picture of the social misbalance of wealth and unfair social justice, which is to a
considerable extent similar to many parts of the contemporary society, irrespective of the
region or economic condition of the states. Thus, it fits perfectly within the requirements
of the essay that instructs to analyze a British literature that pinpoints particular social
problems relevant to today’s society.
Mengham, Rod. Charles Dickens. Oxford University Press, 2018.
This article presents a critical discourse on Charles Dickens’ writings, especially those
with a first person narrative to analyze the development of Dickens as a writer. It
contends that through those writings Dickens reveals his own identity to the readers as
well as his insights that constructs of his contemporary Victorian subjectivity. It touches
several social aspects of the Victorian society such as culture, poverty, orphans, fallen
women, crowds, money, exploitation etc. Therefore, from this text, a concise insight of
Dickens’ attitude ti poverty and orphans could be extracted.
Pope, Ged. Reading London's Suburbs: From Charles Dickens to Zadie Smith. Springer,
2015.
This particular text is one of the most resourceful literature to understand the role of
suburbia in the fictional writings, as it links the real places with its fictional
representations in the writings set in London-suburbia. It develops a meaning and
legibility of home and habitat for individuals, while pointing out the challenges that
suburbia poses to literature. Dickens is one of the most writers the text emphasizes, as it

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investigates the realities of the London suburbs and tries to link with Dickensian
representation.
Reiss, Timothy J. The meaning of literature. Cornell University Press, 2018.
In this investigative and exploratory text, the author seeks to expound how the concept of
literature as accepted in today’s timeframe has come to be, and how the very idea took shape
between the mid-sixteenth century and the early 17th. It draws on philosophical, political and
literary works from Western and Central Europe to construct the central theme. For the present
assignment, this text serves as an introductory guide to the history of British literature.