Dickens and the Social Order

Dickens and the Social Order by Magnet, Myron. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781932236378.

The noble savage is a monstrous fiction. Man in his natural state is hardly man at all, but rather a warlike animal ruled entirely by his own aggressive and antisocial instincts. By restraining mans animal nature, civilization - and the public authority which is its distinguishing characteristic - makes the achievement of our true humanity possible. Furthermore, all manners and morals rest decisively on the quality of relationships between sons and fathers. While a civilized social order may come at the cost of diminished personal happiness, it nonetheless brings the decencies of law, peace, and prosperity within our reach. This is the doctrine not of Freud, nor of Hobbes, but of Charles Dickens. So argues Myron Magnet in Dickens and the Social Order. Taking four books - Nicholas Nickelby, Barnaby Rudge, American Notes, and Martin Chuzzlewit - as constituting a distinct and critical state in the development of Dickenss social philosophy, Magnet shows that a surprisingly traditional worldview lies at the heart of Dickenss artistic achievement. He also contends that Dickenss essential conservatism is inextricably intertwined with the liberal reformism for which the great novelist is so well known.