ANGELS OF THE HOUSE: DICKENS ’ VICTORIAN WOMEN

This article explores Charles Dickens ’ view of Victorian women and the effect of his perception of women on his creation of female characters in his novels. To this end, the gender issues in the Victorian era are presented along with the social reforms and industrial revolution in terms of their impact on the status of women in 19th century Victorian England. The role of actual female figures in Dickens ’ personal life is also examined in order to provide an insight into the motives and inspirations behind his creation of female characters. In view of the detailed account given as to the time period and background information provided, the main issue discussed in the article is the extent of Dickens ’ conformity with the Victorian ideology of women in his novels. Through the insight provided in the article, it is concluded that despite Dickens ’ overall faith in the ‘Angel of the House ’ concept, his fiction does not strictly follow the gender codes of the period