The Inimitable Characters and Caricatures of Charles Dickens | by Emory Cooper

It had been a while since I had read anything of Dickens. But as I began to read Bleak House, it all came rushing back. The methods he uses to convey imagery in his descriptions were unmistakable. In chapter One, especially, his style and wit are clearly defined; for they provide the details upon which the rest of the book depends. It is to a couple of these details that I now turn my attention.

First, there is the way in which Dickens bestows animate qualities to inanimate objects. That is, he describes the nonliving environment in a way that makes it seem alive and active. He tells of the "implacable November weather" (page 5, line 2), as if it were the name of some disagreeable person. The waters in the next line were not diminished; rather, they "retired." The reason behind the soot-flakes was that the smoke had "gone into mourning, one might imagine" (line 8). Dickens certainly would have imagined it, as he imagined the streets to be some kind of mud bank, collecting "new deposits" and "accumulating at compound interest" (lines 14, 16). In lines 21-26, The fog is a highly active chap, with all his creeping, lying, hovering, drooping, and toe- pinching.

Second, there is the way in which Dickens actually attempts the exact opposite, and bestows the qualities of nonliving objects to actual people. This he achieves with hilarious effect. Thrice he refers to these "two or three maces, or petty-bags, or privy purses, or whatever they may be, in legal court suits." (Page 7, lines 13-14. See also page 8, line 30; and page 9, 36-37.) He introduces Mr. Blowers as "the eminent silk gown" (page 8, lines 26-27)! And at page 9, lines 28-29, Dickens replaces Mr. Tangles "learned friends" with eighteen hammers in a piano!

Truly, Charles Dickens stands as a one-of-a-kind descriptive wonder. One might even call him a "genius."

[I commented on the posts by Bug and Samantha.]

Comments

  1. I also enjoyed Dickens's use of imagery, and the techniques he uses are extremely enjoyable. His word choice is vital in creating the ironic tone for other sections of the novel, and we first see his skill with words in this beginning chapter of the book.

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  2. I haven't read any Dickens in a long time as well. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed his imagery and the humor he instils in it. He uses the word Fog especially well as he muses about how annoying its presence in London is, and also uses fog to introduce the chancery.

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