“Writing the Right Length and Depth for Top Marks”
This blog task is assigned by the head of the department of English(MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the link to professor's YouTube video guide:
Question A (for 10 marks): Based on the video, discuss what factors affect how much one should write in exam or assignment responses (for example: word count, depth of content, structure, relevance, and clarity). Drat an answer to this question - :......" . Your answer should be well organized, with an introduction, main body (covering multiple factors), and conclusion within the word limits suggested in this video.
Question B (for 5 marks): Similarly, answer this question - "......." in 5 marks as per the instructions in the source video.
Que. “Write a critical comment on Charles Dickens as the social critic of Victorian society”
(In 10 marks):
Ans:
Introduction:
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) occupies a central place in Victorian literature, not only as a storyteller but also as a keen observer and critic of his age. Through his novels, journalism and public readings, Dickens illuminated the moral, social and economic problems of nineteenth-century Britain. His works combine narrative power with an urgent call for reform, making him one of the most significant social critics of the Victorian era.
Main Body:
1. Exposure of Industrial Exploitation and Urban Poverty:
Dickens’s novels vividly portray the grim realities of industrial towns, child labour, and slum conditions. Hard Times presents Coketown, a fictionalised version of industrial Manchester, where rigid utilitarianism and factory discipline crush individuality. By giving emotional life to statistics, Dickens turns social issues into human stories.
2. Critique of Workhouses and the Poor Law:
In Oliver Twist, Dickens attacks the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act and the inhumane treatment of the destitute in workhouses. The novel’s opening chapters ridicule official hypocrisy and expose the gap between Christian charity and institutional cruelty.
3. Injustice within Law and Bureaucracy:
Bleak House offers a biting satire of the Chancery Court, whose endless lawsuits ruin families and reflect the wider inefficiency of Victorian bureaucracy. Similarly, Little Dorrit explores debtors’ prisons, highlighting the moral and economic consequences of systemic failure.
4. Sympathy for the Marginalised:
Across his fiction, Dickens gives voice to orphans, street children, debtors, and the working poor figures often ignored by polite society. His memorable characters, from Tiny Tim to Jo the street-sweeper, embody innocence crushed by social neglect, encouraging readers’ empathy and prompting reformist sentiment.
5. Reformist, Not Revolutionary:
Though Dickens criticised institutions sharply, he remained a moralist rather than a political radical. His emphasis was on compassion, personal responsibility, and gradual improvement, reflecting the reformist, middle-class spirit of Victorian liberalism rather than a call for revolution.
Conclusion:
As a novelist, Dickens transformed social criticism into compelling narrative art. By exposing poverty, institutional cruelty and class injustice, he made Victorian readers confront the human cost of their society’s progress. Yet his solutions are moral and humanitarian rather than structural, reflecting both the possibilities and the limits of mid-Victorian reform. Dickens’s enduring power as a social critic lies in his ability to blend indignation with vivid storytelling, ensuring that the problems of his time still resonate today.
Que. “Write a critical comment on Charles Dickens as the social critic of Victorian society”. (In 5 marks)
Ans.
Charles Dickens as a Social Critic of Victorian Society
Introduction:
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was not only the most popular novelist of the Victorian age but also one of its sharpest social critics. Through vivid characters and gripping plots, he exposed the injustices of industrial society, making readers confront issues often hidden behind progress.
Industrial Exploitation:
In Hard Times, Dickens creates Coketown, a grim portrait of industrial Manchester. Here, factory discipline and utilitarian education crush imagination and individuality. By humanising statistics, he makes industrial exploitation emotionally real.
Critique of Workhouses and the Poor Law:
Oliver Twist attacks the 1834 Poor Law and the cruelty of workhouses. Dickens uses satire and pathos to show officials preaching charity but practising neglect and hypocrisy.
Legal and Bureaucratic Injustice:
In Bleak House, the endless Chancery lawsuits symbolise Victorian bureaucracy’s inefficiency. Little Dorrit exposes debtors’ prisons and the stifling power of officialdom.
Sympathy for the Marginalised:
Characters such as Tiny Tim and Jo the street-sweeper give voice to orphans, debtors and the working poor, stirring readers’ compassion and a sense of shared humanity.
Reformist Outlook:
Although Dickens condemned institutions fiercely, he was a reformist rather than a revolutionary. He advocated moral responsibility, compassion and gradual improvement, reflecting mid-Victorian liberalism.
Conclusion:
By blending indignation with vivid narrative art, Dickens humanised social issues and urged reform. His novels remain powerful critiques of Victorian society and continue to resonate as models of socially engaged literature.
References:
1. DoE-MKBU. “How Much Am I Supposed to Write to Score Good Marks? | English Studies |DescriptiveEssayTypeAnswers.” YouTube, 19 July 2021,
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