Briefly discuss the difference between Dickens' early works and later works.
IN HIS WORK, DICKENS SETS OUT A FULL MAP AND A LARGE SCALE CRITICISM OF THE 19TH CENTURY ENGLAND, PARTICULARLY LONDON. MOST OF HIS WORKS ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THAT PETTY-BOURGEOIS URBAN WORLD.(1) IN HIS EARLY NOVELS, HE ATTACKS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC SOCIAL EVILS IN EACH: FOR EXAMPLE, THE DEHUMANIZING WORKHOUSE SYSTEM AND THE DARK, CRIMINAL UNDERWORLD LIFE IN OLIVER TWIST; LEGAL FRAUD IN THE PICKWICK PAPERS; THE DEBTOR’S PRISON IN DAVID COPPERFIELD; THE MONEY-WORSHIP THAT DOMINATES PEOPLE’S LIFE, CORRUPTS THE YOUNG AND BRINGS TRAGEDY TO MR. DOMBEY’S FAMILY IN MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT AND DOMBEY AND SON, ETC.(2) THE LATER WORKS SHOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF DICKENS TOWARDS A HIGHLY CONSCIOUS ARTIST OF THE MODERN TYPE. THE PHYSICAL SETTINGS HERE ARE SOMETIMES A MIXTURE OF THE CONTEMPORARY AND THE RECOLLECTED PAST, THE STORIES ARE MUCH BETTER STRUCTURED, AND THE INSTITUTIONS ARE IMPORTANT NOT ONLY IN THEMSELVES BUT AS METAPHORS FOR A REPRESSIVE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. ALL OF THE WORKS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A TALE OF TWO CITIES, PRESENT A CRITICISM OF THE MORE COMPLICATED AND YET MOST FUNDAMENTAL SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND MORALS OF THE VICTORIAN ENGLAND.
