THE INFLUENCE OF AUTHOR ON HIS WORKS
“OLIVER TWIST NOVEL”
(From OLIVER TWIST novel by Charles Dickens)
By.
Desti Laela Setiawati
(Neziala Elsa Raudhina)
1. THEORY
Wellek and Warren said that biographic model was the oldest approach.
Biographic approach is systematical study about creativity process. And creator or author considered as the origin literary works. From the case, we can give suggestion that literary works relatively means purpose, air, massage’s author.
As a member of society, the author by himself more able to describe society where he life and life situation that really felt by him.
There were three kind of author, they are:
· Author who make literary works by his experience
· Author who make literary works by his ability to growing up story unsure.
· Author who make literary works by his strong imagination.
Although like that, creativity process, in generally depend on collaboration between them.
In literary, author biography help to understand creative process, genesis art works. Biography expands and limited analyze process. In social science, generally biography related with facts reconstruction process background, help explain a specialist thinking, world face, for example: ideology system, scientist paradigm, and cultural social general frame in that situation.
Biography is past experience dimension, by personal, individual, or collective. Which in sometimes will appear again.
In practice daily life, author has high position. This case connected to soul (rohani) quality. Such as intellectuality, emotionality, morality, and spirituality, didactic and ideology, that in generally faced has positive characteristics. The author in this case considered has double functions. Even less, Author is always said poet (pujangga), kawi, and empu. The author elemental function makes a research on totality understanding to subject. Analyze not only focus on works but also on personal identity research, as biography. And we have to know that the glory biography study nineteenth century.
Connected to growing in west, author has long history. Teeuw (1988: 155-169) said, the author has talked since first century by Longinus writing. That explain the influence of sense in create process. This opinion appears again and got glorious era in nineteenth century, in romantic century. Biography approach leaves in twenty century since use structuralism theory.
As we have known that structuralism characteristic was ergocentric analyze. When in east Europe, especially in formalism and structuralism, in the West Europe, then in USA, appear some tendency who focus on analyze, interpretations, and evaluation in each other literary works. The same approach called by ergosentric: individual works (Greeks: ergon) as focus attention. Often used literature critics statement means criticism (English).
2. BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES DICKENS
Charles Dickens, English author. Charles Dickens ranks as one of the most popular writers in the history of world literature. Although Dickens typically weaved social criticism, strong character development, and powerful detail into novels about contemporary 19th-century society, the same revealing qualities go into A Tale of Two Cities (1859), one of his infrequent ventures into historical fiction. A Tale of Two Cities takes place during the French Revolution. The book’s opening lines, recited by an actor, set a tone of ambiguity for the story of a man’s discovery of his own conscience in the midst of tumultuous historical forces.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870), probably the best-known and, too many people, the greatest English novelist of the 19th century. A moralist, satirist, and social reformer, Dickens crafted complex plots and striking characters that capture the panorama of English society.
Dickens’s novels criticize the injustices of his time, especially the brutal treatment of the poor in a society sharply divided by differences of wealth. But he presents this criticism through the lives of characters that seem to live and breathe. Paradoxically, they often do so by being flamboyantly larger than life: The 20th-century poet and critic T. S. Eliot wrote, “Dickens’s characters are real because there is no one like them.” Yet though these characters range through the sentimental, grotesque, and humorous, few authors match Dickens’s psychological realism and depth. Dickens’s novels rank among the funniest and most gripping ever written, among the most passionate and persuasive on the topic of social justice, and among the most psychologically telling and insightful works of fiction. They are also some of the most masterful works in terms of artistic form, including narrative structure, repeated motifs, consistent imagery, and juxtaposition of symbols, stylization of characters and settings, and command of language.
Dickens established (and made profitable) the method of first publishing novels in serial installments in monthly magazines. He thereby reached a larger audience including those who could only afford their reading on such an installment plan. This form of publication soon became popular with other writers in Britain and the United States.
Dickens was born in Portsmouth, on England’s southern coast. His father was a clerk in the British Navy pay office—a respectable position, but with little social status. His paternal grandparents, a steward (property manager) and a housekeeper, possessed even less status, having been servants, and Dickens later concealed their background. Dickens’s mother supposedly came from a more respectable family. Yet two years before Dickens’s birth, his mother’s father was caught embezzling and fled to Europe, never to return.
The family’s increasing poverty forced Dickens out of school at age 12 to work in Warren’s Blacking Warehouse, a shoe-polish factory, where the other working boys mocked him as “the young gentleman.” His father was then imprisoned for debt. The humiliations of his father’s imprisonment and his labor in the blacking factory formed Dickens’s greatest wound and became his deepest secret. He could not confide them even to his wife, although they provide the unacknowledged foundation of his fiction.
Soon after his father’s release from prison, Dickens got a better job as errand boy in law offices. He taught himself shorthand to get an even better job later as a court stenographer and as a reporter in Parliament. At the same time, Dickens, who had a reporter’s eye for transcribing the life around him, especially anything comic or odd, submitted short sketches to obscure magazines? The first published sketch, “A Dinner at Poplar Walk” (later retitled “Mr. Minns and His Cousin”) brought tears to Dickens’s eyes when he discovered it in the pages of The Monthly Magazine in 1833. From then on his sketches, which appeared under the pen name “Boz” (rhymes with “rose”) in The Evening Chronicle, earned him a modest reputation. Boz originated as a childhood nickname for Dickens’s younger brother Augustus.
Dickens became a regular visitor at the home of George Hogarth, editor of The Evening Chronicle, and in 1835 became engaged to Hogarth’s daughter Catherine. Publication of the collected Sketches by Boz in 1836 gave Dickens sufficient income to marry Catherine Hogarth that year. The marriage proved unhappy.
Dickens also is one of Victorian novelist or writer, he has known as a talented novelist, especially in creating works that could be said as Multi plot novel.
Comparison with Trackeray shows that Dickens was the less complete artist; so that is claim to be the greater seems to rest on such qualities as the energy of his symbolic realism Yet on a broader view one can see that Dickens’ art was creative enough to develop form after form subsequently found useful. Among these, the most significant is probably the MULTIPLOT NOVEL, the large expensive novel with several plots. The extraordinary device of telling several stories…(Fowler, 1987:293)
3. ANALYZES
The works of literature is always depends on the writer, and the most important one who make plot of story is writer. So hard to debate that literature is an imagination of an author. It is simply a “fictional” work that names literature; nevertheless, it cannot be produced by an author does not observed his / her environment. So, literary work can not be separated from the environment of the author. Shortly, an author through his/ her imagination based on the surroundings produces a literary work. (Feri Susanto’s thesis ii).
As we have talked before that in story of literary work, the imagination of story came from imagination’s writer although in fictional story. It is ok we say that fictional story is very different with nonfictional story, which nonfictional story at least ninety percent but in the fictional story, it is always taken by idea or imagination’s author.
There are some stories that can be related with Dickens’ experience or social fact in Victorian age:
From Oliver Twist’s story we can know that it was focus on social life and describe the middle society in English. Dickens mixes grim realism, and merciless satire as a way to describe the effect of industrialism on 19th century England and to criticize the harsh new poor laws.
‘Boy’, said the gentleman in the high chair, ‘listen to me. You know you’re an orphan, I suppose?”
‘What’s that, sir?’ inquired poor Oliver. (Oliver Twist; page 6).
The members of this board were very sage, deep, philosophical men; and when they came to turn their attention to the workhouse, they found out at once, what ordinary folks would never have discovered—the poor people liked it! It was a regular place of public entertainment for the poorer classes; a tavern where there was nothing to pay; … (Oliver Twist; page 7).
… they made a great many other wise and humane regulations, having reference to the ladies, which it is not necessary to repeat; kindly undertook to divorce poor married people, in consequence of the great expense of a suit in Doctors’ commons;… (Oliver Twist; page 7).
‘You see, ‘pursued Mr.Brownlow; ‘placing this poor girl enterily out of question, and supposing it were possible to bring these scoundrels to justice without compromising her safetly, what good should we bring about?’. (Oliver Twist; page 207).
From those statements, we can find so many poor words that used on this novel. Although, the content of words different it appears that Dickens want to describe people or society situation that time in the middle age of England. Poorer class is England society who become industrialize worker when progressing of industrial in English democracy time. And then in the second paragraph, there are “Philosophical men” words it describe that in the 19th Century novel was always focus on issue the consequence rise of a materialistic philosophy.
Whereas most philosophical essays are concerned solely with ideas, the focal point for the philosophical novel is the consequence of ideas on ordinary lives. For example, Greek philosopher Plato and French writer Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote works that present ideas of how children should be raise, English novelist Charles Dickens in Hard time (1854) shows how theories about family life translate into everyday living. In this novel, a theory of education has tragic consequence for the theorist’s own children.
Dickens novels criticize the injustices of his time, especially the brutal treatment of the poor in a society sharply divided by differences of wealth. But he presents this criticism through the lives of characters that seem to live and breathe.
Much of the first of Oliver Twist challenges the organizations of charity run by the church and the government in Dickens’s time. The system Dickens describes was put into place by the poor Law of 1834, which stipulated that the poor could only receive government assistance if they moved into government workhouse. Residents of those workhouses were essentially intimates whose rights were severely curtailed by a host of onerous regulations. Labor was required, families were almost always separated, and rations of food and clothing were meager. The workhouses operated on the principle that poverty was the consequence of laziness and that the dreadful conditions in the workhouse would inspire the poor to better their own circumstances.
Although I am not disposed to maintain that being born in a workhouse, is itself the most fortunate and enviable circumstance that can possibly befall a human being, I do mean to say that this particular instance… (Oliver Twist; page 1)
Using of “Workhouse” in this novel may be imagination by Dickens experience.
The family’s increasing poverty forced Dickens out of school at age 12 to work in Warren’s Blacking Warehouse, a shoe-polish factory, where the other working boys mocked him as “the young gentleman”. His father was then imprisoned for debt. The humiliations of this father’s imprisonment and his labor in the blacking factory formed Dickens’s greatest wound and became his deepest secret. He could not confide them even to his wife, although they provide the unacknowledged foundation of his fiction. (Dickens’s Biography).
From Dickens biography we can know that he has worked in Warren’s Blacking Warehouse. His experience at 12 years old became labor in a shoe-polish factory. We know that he was an unfortunate man who in the young age he has to work as a labor in the factory, his father too, he was as labor in the blacking factory who imprisoned for debt. So, we can take point that Dickens grow in the poor family and unfortunately life.
His back ground gave influence into his novel, Oliver Twist. He took his young experience in the poor law society into his novel. If we know that much of the first part of Oliver Twist novel challenges the organizations of charity by the church and government in his time. The system Dickens describes was put into place by the Poor Law of 1834, which stipulated that the poor could only receive government assistance if they moved into government workhouses.
The workhouse operated on the principle that poverty was the consequence of laziness and that the dreadful conditions in the workhouse would inspire the poor to better their own circumstances. May be the economic dislocation of the Industrial Revolution made it impossible for many to do so, and the workhouses did not provide any means for social or economic betterment.
With the rise of capitalism during the industrial Revolution, individualism was very much in vogue as a philosophy. Victorian capitalists believed that society would run most smoothly if individuals looked out for their own interests. Ironically, the clearest pronunciation of this philosophy comes not from a legitimate businessman but from Fagin, who operates in the illicit businesses of theft and prostitution.
Besides that, this story tale situation condition that time, which this book tale about consequence that brought into revolution Industry, it was change in economic structure west country produced in period from middle age 18th, that signed by capitalism, because them appears industry and machine.
The capitalism gave facility modern technology progressive because built an economic system that lay on money to get economic benefit.
The change from a “barter economic” into a “money economic” with international credit structure (gold, cek, bill of exchange) growing scientist thinking unusual. It will promote abstract thinking unusual, pragmatic needing and quantitative.
The machines, factory production and new need to complete society need. May be machine is not yet find or spread quickly without benefit added intensive. Technique has big debt with capitalism and with fight.
The period before industry revolution signed by quick diffuse knowledge because introduction printing machine in Europe, new arm progressive caused progressive in mining and industry and enter new product in Europe because big geography finding.
The scientist spirit and science in modern make big progressive in math, fhisic, biology, and chemistry. In the relation in technology, technique progressive still depend on the using empiric method.
After 1750 year, industry gets new rank, with energy source, material, and the purpose different social. This revolution brought into life quantitative. The Britania industry that helps built the hegemony in poleotechnic rank, the first rank from industry revolution. That working is not become necessity to life, become final.
The transaction repeatedly and lately in dirty environment. The decreasing paying because the competition of machine not ever long upon subsistent.
For a week after the commission of the impious and profane offence of asking for more, Oliver remained a close prisoner in the dark and solitary room to which he had been consigned by the wisdom and mercy of the board. It appears, at first sight not unreasonable to suppose, that, if he had entertained a becoming feeling of respect for the prediction of the gentleman in the white waistcoat, he would have established that sage individual’s prophetic character, once and for every, by tying one end of his pocket-handkerchief. … (Oliver Twist: page 9).
From that paragraph we can know that in separate time in the dark and solitary room, Oliver remained by a prisoner. And it’s appearing that he had given him a surprise condition and actually he can’t know what happened, it seems an unreasonable to suppose and he was like a gentleman, prophetic character for every one in the white waistcoat. And we know that he was pickpocket.
If we give analyze from that statement, it’s appear that someone who know that there was grieve man who can entertained him and he was a gentleman who became him self as prophetic character but some one who felt entertained by him felt that he was bad people who has bad unusual or behavior and in this story it describe by pick pocket.
In my opinion, Dickens has special back ground about that phenomenon. In this story we can see there was soul conflict in the author soul, Dickens’s soul conflict. If we look into Dickens’s biography we can find there was his father experiences became a prisoner.
“His father entered into London prison”
From this statement we know that Dickens’ father was entered into prison. So, it was possible that Dickens made this story and one of the problems in his story is a prisoner. We can judge that Dickens was imagination by his father experience.
Sometime we have opinion or analyze that Oliver describe the author, because some of condition or plot story has connected with his experience and history life when Dickens life that time in the middle age of English.
Depend on the Dickens’ biography, Dickens spends his time in London and Kent, and those times were place that often takes in his works. He had born at February 7th 1812, in Porstmouth. He start enter to school at nine years old, but his study has disturb when his father fall in PNS, and in 1824th enter into prison because he could not pay his debit.
In chapter VIII, there was theme that explains to specific place “London”. It was “Oliver walks to London; he encounters on the road a strange sort of young gentlemen”.
“The stone, by which he was seated, bore, in large characters, intimation that it was just seventy miles from that spot to London. The name awakened a new a wakened a new train of ideas in the boy’s mind”
“London! --- that great place! Nobody --- not even Mr. Bumble could ever find him there! He had often heard the old men in the workhouse, too, say that no lad of spirit need want in London; and that there were ways of living in that vast city, which those who had been bred up in country parts had no idea of. It was the very place for a homeless boy, who must die in the streets unless some one helped him. As these things passed through his thoughts, he jumped upon his feet, and again walked forward”.
“He had diminished the distance between himself and London by full four miles more, before he recollected how much he must undergo ere he could hope to reach his place of destination…”. (Oliver Twist: page 33).
From those paragraphs we can know that there was a special place, which is London. Dickens has special purpose take London place into his story. If we look into Dickens’ biography, Dickens spends time in London.
All the injustices and privations suffered by the poor in Oliver Twist occur in cities --- either the great city of London or the provincial city where Oliver is born. When the Maylies take Oliver to the countyside, he discovers a “New existence”. Dickens asserts that even people who have spent their entire lives in “close and noisy places” are likely, in the last moments of their lives, to find comfort in half – imagined memories “of sky, and hill and plain”. Moreover, country scenes have the potential to “purity our thoughts” and erase some of the vices that develop in the city. Hence, in the country, “the poor people are so neat and clean,” living a life that is free of the squalor that torments their urban counterparts. Oliver and his new family settle in a small village at the novel’s end, as if a happy ending would not be possible in the city. Dickens’s portrait of rural life in Oliver Twist is more approving yet far less realistic than his portrait of urban life. This fact does not contradict, but rather supports, the general estimation of dickens as a great urban writer. It is precisely Dickens’s distance from the countryside that allows him to idealize it.
So, we can suggest that Dickens used London as country that present in his novel. Because there was a specific that happened in his life there, and Dickens felt that London was great place, because he, him self spend his early time or child’s time in London.
4. Closing
From that explanation, we can know that the basic thing of a story that is always influenced by the author, although it was just a fiction story it’s always take from the fact or the author’s experience. For example, in Oliver Twist novel. Some of story was explain Dickens life.
So, biographical approach into a literary works can be a way to know problematical aspect in a story, history, life background of author, culture, place, time, even, and so on.
DAFTRA PUSTAKA
Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist Novel. 1996.
Kutha Ratna, Nyoman. Penelitian Sastra. 2009. Pustaka Pelajar: Yogyakarta.
Van Luxemburg, Jan,dkk. Pengantar Ilmu Sastra. 1992. Gramedia: Jakarta.
Thesis “psychological Aspect of Oliver and Nancy in Charles Dickens’ Novel ‘Oliver Twist’: A Study of Literary Psychology by Feri Susanto.
Ms.Encarta premium 2009.
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