Charles Dickens create his characters Essay

Charles the Tempter is a great writer who has been successful throughout his spiritedness. He has written numerous novels for all age groups which consist of Great Expectations (1860-61) and Hard Times. Dickens techniques of writing were much noticed by readers, especially his substances of creating characters. There are a number of ways to how dickens would create his characters, he congeals them in revealing or appropriate settings and describes their physical appearance. He in addition, allows them to speak so that we instruct their vocabulary and tone of voice. His characters actions and movements are well depict because he shows how other characters react to them.To understand dickens techniques more clearly, I will be examine two characters, Abel Magwitch of Great Expectations and Thomas Gradgrind of Hard Times. Great Expectations is about a young orphan named Philip Pirrip, known as Pip. The novel has been set in the Kent Marshes. Pip lives with his shrewish sister and her husband, the simply, kindly, blacksmith Joe Gargery. Chapter one of this novel opens in the country churchyard where Pip is terrified by the appearance of Magwitch, an escaped prison gyp who threatens him with awful vengeance unless some food and file for his fetters are obtained smartly.Pip manages to get over some of his own supper, steals more food from the pantry, and after an encounter with a different younger convict, he finds the original one and leaves him filing off his exhorts. The setting of Great Expectations is in the Kent Marshes. Pips first meeting with Magwitch was in the nearby churchyard. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard. Dickens uses the adjective bleak which also subject matter bare and dreary this suggests that the churchyard is a place that doesnt get many visitors.Also overgrown with nettles implies to us that the churchyard isnt cared for, it contains sharp and mortifying pl ants which doesnt attract visitors. Therefore, we can understand why Magwitch chose to hideout at the churchyard, it is a good place for a convict to hide. Dickens also uses the adjective raw which also supports the idea of an unattractive churchyard. The synonyms for the word raw are chilly and damp these two words strongly describe the churchyard as an isolated area. Raw is a harsh and cold word. The reader may also con officer the churchyard as a boring and timid place because dickens has used low leaden line of river.This describes the river as a heavy, dark and foreboding line cutting across the churchyard. Dickens has deliberately described the churchyard as a boring place with these negative adjectives in order to make the reader believe that it has no visitors. Once again this implies that the churchyard is a good hideout for Magwitch. By now, it is noticeable that the setting in Great Expectations reflects Magwitchs character because Dickens also describes the churchyard wi th scattered cows which suggests an unpleasant place that is not taken care of actually much.The term savage lair from which the wind was rushing is a metaphor which is an implicit comparison. It is the masking of a word or phrase to somebody or something that is not meant literally, but to make a comparison. The same way, this metaphor brings the wind out to life and impersonates it as a ludicrous animal by using the noun lair. A lair is a den or hiding place where predators would hide from preys, this relates back to Magwitch whom is hiding just like a predator and preys out to poor little orphan Pip. Dickens creates a negative characterisation of Magwitch by the way he describes him because he uses terms such as A man.Straight away this puts a mysterious thought to the readers mind. At this depict the reader is busy building up an cast of Magwitch in their minds. Dickens also describes Magwitch in coarse grey uniform, this gives the reader a full image in their minds of Ma gwitch as a prison convict, which builds up the negative impression. The adjective coarse is a synonym for rough and harsh which allows the reader to consider Magwitch as an untidy and messy person. In order to make it sound more obvious that Magwitch is an escaped convict Dickens uses terms such as iron on legs.This suggests to us that Magwitch has shackles on his legs which bring the reader to certainty that Magwitch is an escaped convict. He is a bad man Dickens has also mentioned that Magwitch is not wearying a hat. This implies that Magwitch is no gentleman, he is not well bred and he doesnt have a decent background. Dickens describes Magwitch through a list of injuries he faces. soaked in water, smothered in mud, lamed by stones, cut by flints, stung by nettles and torn by briars. Dickens has listed all these injuries to show how Magwitch has been through a lot.He has travelled tough which suggests that he was very determined to get out of prison. It also suggests that Magwit ch is a strong and dread(a) man who is able to resist a lot, he is a frightening man. Old rag tied around his head. From this we can understand that Magwitch is severe to hide his injury or as a disguise. We can understand that Dickens has done a clever job with creating a negative impression of Magwitch. Dickens has deliberately used the name Magwitch which also creates a negative impression because it contains the word witch. This symbolises evil and fear.Dickens has used exclaiming marks to illustrate shouting. Tell us your name Said the man. From this technique we can understand that Magwitch was a very temperamental and furious man. pint out the place, this suggests that his accent is also different. Dialect has been used which is when a characters speech is often grammatically incorrect. In Magwitchs case, his use of dialect suggests to us that he has lack of education. We can understand that he may have been on the prison ship for a long time. Magwitch is also very violent as he speaks. He threatens Pip in a way to show readers that he is the villain of this novel.Also, we can realise that Dickens has made Magwitchs speech short with shuddering sentences. This implies that Magwitch is afraid of being caught he is shortening his sentence to hurry up the conversation and get back into hiding. Dickens has also used imperatives, You get me a file. Imperatives are performed by a character to give orders they are used to express a command or request. Magwitch has used his power advantage. Dickens has also used strong language which reflects Magwitchs character once again, uncouth and coarse. Magwitchs actions are very violent and threatening.While threatening little Pip he tends to keep looking over his shoulder. This implies that he is nervous and afraid of getting caught. The violence side of Magwitch is exposed when he turns Pip upside down and shakes him. By now, the reader is afraid of Magwitch, and he is definitely the villain of this novel. However, the reader may also odor pity for Magwitch from the way he limps and shivers. This explains how Dickens was able to create two sides of the character Magwitch, this way the reader is able to feel some sympathy but, they are also afraid of him because he is a criminal and he is relying on the help of a child.Magwitch tries to be evil, but between that he shows his vulnerable side. Dickens uses adjectives such as ravenously. The purpose of this is to give the reader an image of a wild animal in their minds. Dickens is comparing Magwitch with a wild animal to once again remind the reader that Magwitch is uneducated and deprived. Magwitch used his gaze to overpower Pip. This suggests that Dickens was able to write in a way to show whos in power. Also, Magwitch tilts Pip over a grave to frighten him and show power. However, we can understand from the novel that Magwitch is also afraid of the sculpture as he creeps over them.