Charles Dickens and the Victorian Child: Romanticizing and Socializing the Imperfect Child

Although Dickens didn’t write specifically for children, his works were enjoyed by middle class families, adults and children alike. Malkovich (British literature, children’s & young adult literature, and gender & cultural studies, Concord U., US) examines the theme of the perfect child ideal during the Victorian era and the strong appeal--and the many layers and implications of that appeal--of the imperfect child. The study looks at Dickens’ works as well as works by Kingsley, MacDonald, Stretton, Rossetti, and Nesbit. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)