THE IMAGE OF CHILDHOOD IN CHARLES DICKENS'S NOVELS

Childhood occupies a central position in Victorian literature as both a literary motif and a social construct reflecting the moral and cultural values of nineteenth-century England. Among Victorian novelists, Charles Dickens stands out for his profound portrayal of children whose experiences reveal the realities of poverty, neglect, exploitation, and social injustice. This paper examines the image of childhood in Dickens’s major novels, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and Bleak House. Drawing on literary criticism and historical perspectives on childhood, the study explores the ways in which Dickens constructs child characters as moral agents, victims of institutional failure, and symbols of hope and resilience. The analysis demonstrates that childhood in Dickens’s fiction is not merely a stage of human development but a powerful narrative device through which the author criticizes the social inequalities of Victorian England and advocates humanitarian values. Furthermore, the study argues that Dickens’s representation of childhood contributed significantly to changing public attitudes toward children’s rights, education, and welfare. By combining realistic characterization with social criticism, Dickens transformed childhood into one of the most influential themes in English literature. The findings highlight the enduring relevance of Dickens’s novels for literary studies, childhood studies, and Victorian cultural history.