Children and childhood as depicted in oliver twist by charles dickens and harry potter series by j k rowling

Children and Childhood as Depicted in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Harry Potter Series by J... UNIVERSITY OF DANANG UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES STUDENT SCIENTIFIC RESEA

Children and Childhood as Depicted in

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling

Danang, May 2021

UNIVERSITY OF DANANG UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES

STUDENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

REPORT

Academic year: 2020 - 2021

CHILDREN AND CHILDHOOD AS DEPICTED IN

OLIVER TWIST BY CHARLES DICKENS AND HARRY POTTER SERIES BY J K ROWLING

Area: English literature

Student: Nguyen Nhat Ha

Class: 17SPA02

Faculty: Foreign Language Teacher Education

Danang, May 2021

ĐẠI HỌC ĐÀ NẴNG

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ

THÔNG TIN KẾT QUẢ NGHIÊN CỨU CỦA ĐỀ TÀI

1 Thông tin chung:

- Tên đề tài: Children and childhood as depicted in Oliver Twist by

Charles Dickens and Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling

- Sinh viên thực hiện: Nguyễn Nhật Hà

- Lớp: 17SPA02 Khoa: Sư phạm ngoại ngữ Năm thứ: 4

2 Mục tiêu đề tài:

- Tìm hiểu sự thay đổi của quan điểm lịch sử xã hội đối với trẻ em và thời thơ ấu

- Nghiên cứu cách nhà văn Charles Dickens và J K Rowling phác họa hình ảnh đứa trẻ và thời thơ ấu

- Chỉ ra điểm giống nhau và khác nhau trong cách thể hiện hình tượng đứa trẻ và thời thơ ấu của hai nhà văn vào hai giai đoạn lịch sử khác nhau

- Tìm hiểu thông điệp của nhà văn qua việc thể hiện nhân vật đứa trẻ và phác họa thời thơ ấu của chúng

3 Tính mới và sáng tạo:

Nghiên cứu hình ảnh đứa trẻ và thời thơ ấu trong một tác phẩm điển hình của dòng văn học hiện thực phê phán Anh thế kỷ 19 và một kiệt tác văn học thời hiện đại của Anh thế

kỷ 20

4 Kết quả nghiên cứu:

- Hình ảnh đứa trẻ và thời thơ ấu trong tác phẩm Oliver Twist thế kỷ 19

- Hình ảnh đứa trẻ và thời thơ ấu trong tác phẩm Harry Potter thế kỷ 20

- So sánh hai tác phẩm Oliver Twist và Harry Potter

5 Đóng góp về mặt kinh tế - xã hội, giáo dục và đào tạo, an ninh, quốc phòng và khả năng áp dụng của đề tài:

- Cung cấp cho sinh viên chuyên sâu lĩnh vực tiếng Anh và các cá nhân có niềm đam mê đọc sách tiếng Anh kiến thức về lĩnh vực văn học

- Làm giàu năng lực ngôn ngữ, năng lực tư duy phản biện, cảm thụ ngôn từ biểu đạt trong diễn ngôn văn học của sinh viên chuyên ngành tiếng Anh

6 Công bố khoa học của sinh viên từ kết quả nghiên cứu của đề tài: Chưa

Xác nhận của Giáo viên hướng dẫn

Đà Nẵng, ngày 17 tháng 05 năm 2021 Sinh viên chịu trách nhiệm chính

thực hiện đề tài

(ký, họ và tên)

ĐẠI HỌC ĐÀ NẴNG

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ

THÔNG TIN VỀ SINH VIÊN CHỊU TRÁCH NHIỆM CHÍNH THỰC HIỆN ĐỀ TÀI

I SƠ LƯỢC VỀ SINH VIÊN:

Họ và tên: NGUYỄN NHẬT HÀ

Sinh ngày: 30 tháng 01 năm 1999

Nơi sinh: Đà Nẵng

Lớp: 17SPA02 Khóa: 2017 - 2021

Khoa: Sư phạm Ngoại ngữ

Địa chỉ liên hệ: 33 Đoàn Quý Phi, phường Hòa Cường Nam, quận Hải Châu, thành phố

ABSTRACT

English literature has attracted a great deal of attention from language students

and those who have the desire to study about English people, culture and history Oliver

Twist and Harry Potter Series are two of the most typical English masterpieces Even

though some previous work has been conducted to examine these two novels, the

comparison of Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series has been left untouched This

research aims to approach a shared characteristic of the two literary works: child characters and their childhood It is expected to provide language students and those who are concerned a better insight into the image of children and childhood as reflected

in literature in general and in English literature in particular

Key words: research; literature; Oliver Twist; Harry Potter series, child, childhood

TÓM TẮT

Văn học Anh có một sức hút mạnh mẽ đối với những sinh viên ngoại ngữ và cả

những cá nhân đam mê tìm hiểu về con người, văn hóa và lịch sử Anh quốc Oliver

Twist và Harry Potter là hai trong số những áng văn chương tiếng Anh tiêu biểu nhất

Mặc dù đã có một số nghiên cứu trước đó về hai tác phẩm này, có rất ít công trình nghiên cứu so sánh hai kiệt tác tương ứng với hai thời kỳ lịch sử khác nhau Mục đích chính

của nghiên cứu này là tiếp cận một đặc điểm chung của Oliver Twist and Harry Potter:

nhân vật đứa trẻ và thời thơ ấu Mong rằng bài viết này cung cấp cho sinh viên ngoại ngữ và những người quan tâm một cái nhìn tốt hơn về hình ảnh đứa trẻ và tuổi thơ được thể hiện trong văn học nói chung và văn học Anh nói riêng

Từ khóa: nghiên cứu; văn học; Oliver Twist; Harry Potter, đứa trẻ, thơ ấu

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT i

TABLE OF CONTENTS ii

ILLUSTRATED PICTURES iv

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims and Objectives 1

1.3 Scope of Study 2

1.4 Research Questions 2

1.5 Significance of Study 2

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2

2.1 Previous Studies and Comments on Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist 2

2.2 Previous Studies and Comments on J K Rowling and Harry Potter Series 3 3 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 3

3.1 Children and Childhood in Literature 3

3.2 Critical Realism 4

4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 5

4.1 Research Design 5

4.2 Research Methods 5

4.3 Data Collection and Analysis 5

5 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 6

5.1 Depiction of Children and Childhood in Oliver Twist 6

5.1.1 Perceptions of Childhood and Children 6

5.1.1.1 Conflicted Viewpoints according to Social Classes 6

5.1.1.2 Harsh Childhood - Reflection of the Reality 6

5.1.2 Child Character 7

5.1.2.1 Oliver as a Pitiful Child 7

5.1.2.2 Oliver Twist with His Resistance to Crime 7

5.2 Portrayal of Childhood and Children in Harry Potter 8

5.2.1 Perceptions of Childhood and Children 8

5.2.1.1 Childhood as a Fear of Adults 8

5.2.1.2 Childhood as the Formation and Development of a Child 9

5.2.2 Child Character 9

5.2.2.1 Harry Potter as an Independent Child 9

5.2.2.2 Harry Potter as a Self-sacrificing Child 9

5.3 Comparison between Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series 11

5.4 Underlying Messages of Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series 14

6 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 15

REFERENCES 16

OLIVER TWIST Written by Charles Dickens

vi

J K Rowling (born 31 July 1965)

Author of Harry Potter Series

Seven books of HARRY POTTER SERIES

Written by Charles Dickens

Concerning the themes of literature, it is undeniable that children and childhood are successfully depicted in various English literary works Since literature is a mirror

of the contemporary society in both historical and cultural terms, the portrayal of children and childhood is significantly influenced by distinctive social patterns as well

as human attitudes

Of all the authors, Charles Dickens and J K Rowling were chosen for this research as their works have been favoured by a large number of readers Both of them create their stories which revolve around children and children-related issues While Dickens is a typical author of the Victorian Age, Rowling has contributed significantly

to postmodern literature (Post-World War II period) Although these two authors live in two distinctive historical periods, they have shared some commonalities especially in the way they show great sympathy towards disadvantaged children while holding a firm belief in human virtues Nevertheless, there still exist some differences in the way Dickens and Rowling portray their child characters and the concepts of childhood For Charles Dickens, his child protagonists like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield or Esther were never affected by the unfavourable environments of the bourgeois society,

remaining their perfect purity and innocence In contrast, in the Harry Potter Series

written by J K Rowling, all the characters including children have flaws in their personality and actions

It is my interest in two of the world’s most renowned novels Oliver Twist and

Harry Potter Series that has encouraged me to choose the topic “Children and Childhood

as Depicted in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Harry Potter Series by J K

Rowling” for this piece of research I hope that what can be drawn from this study can provide further insight into the theme of children and childhood in literature to those who have the passion for Charles Dickens and J K Rowling’s works in particular, and those learners of English who have great appreciation into literary values and the power

of language for thematic communication in general

1.2 Aims and Objectives

The research aims to investigate the depiction of children and childhood in two

pieces of literature - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Harry Potter Series by J K

Rowling It seeks to provide readers insight into the appreciation of literary values, especially the art of illustrating childhood and children in literature since the 19th century

through two literary representatives, namely Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series To

achieve the above aim, the following objectives are set:

- to examine the theme of childhood as depicted in Oliver Twist and Harry Potter

Series;

- to explore the image of children being portrayed in accordance with the historical and social changes since the 19th century in Britain;

- to figure out the underlying message concerning children and childhood implied

in Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series;

- to put forward some implications for the teaching and learning of English literature and for the appreciation of literary values in particular

1.3 Scope of Study

This research examines two great literary works produced in two different eras

However, due to limited ability and time, the paper is confined to Oliver Twist and Harry

Potter Series While the former is a typical novel of the greatest realist Charles Dickens,

the latter has already generated a phenomenon (the Harry Potter phenomenon) among young adults since the 1990s

3 What are the similarities and differences in the depiction of children and

childhood in Oliver Twist and the Harry Potter Series?

4 What can be some underlying messages which can be implied concerning

children and childhood in Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series?

1.5 Significance of Study

Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series are undoubtedly appealing to the majority

of English learners as well as those who are interested in reading literature Without doubt, these masterpieces focus on the themes of children and childhood Therefore, it

is important for readers to scrutinise child characters and their childhood in order to have

a more refined appreciation of the underlying messages implied in the novels This research contributes to a better understanding of how the two authors depicted the images of children and the notion of childhood in their works By analysing the changes

in the representation of children and childhood over time, this paper is hoped to enhance the critical and creative thinking of language students and those who are keen on literary works of art, and enriching their appreciation of literary and humanistic values via pieces

of work in literature

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Previous Studies and Comments on Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens is one of the most English renowned writers His novels are full

of realistic and humanitarian values, which has attracted those who are interested in the

19th century England In addition, since Charles Dickens is great lover of children, it is noticeable that the majority of his works focused on children and their childhood For Richard Locke, the use of child image in Dickens’ novels is viewed as “art” of writing

He claimed in the book Critical Children: The Use of Childhood in Ten Great Novels

(2013):

In Oliver Twist, most paradoxically, the flagrantly reductive depiction of a child, his employment as a device in propaganda, produces a most surprising and daring aesthetic exfoliation The static, external, voyeuristic use of a child as a conventionally pathetic, essentially pre-psychological figure permits extreme structural and stylistic variety – all

in the service of a large moral and cultural lessons: if a child’s unchanging innocence can be preserved by sympathetic adults, a world of heavenly goodness and mercy will follow A little child shall lead them Much-abused and much-rescued Oliver is a useful lamb

(Locke, 2013, p 22)

On the other hand, a Vietnamese researcher, Le Thi Thuy Mai, analysed the depiction of children and childhood as figurative symbols of the real life in her graduation thesis More exactly, she examined the similarities and differences between

the portrayal of children in Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, thereby presenting the

truthful reflections of poor children during the Victorian age

2.2 Previous Studies and Comments on J K Rowling and Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter is a series of seven novels telling an adventure of a wizard boy It

has gained global popularity since the release of the first novel Harry Potter and the

Philosophy’s stone in 1997, becoming a pop cultural icon all over the world Due to the

widespread prevalence of the series, J K Rowling and her works received many positive reviews

Concerning the theme of Harry Potter Series, Markell siblings (2008) sympathized with child losses as expressed in the book The Children Who Lived: Using

Harry Potter and Other Fictional Characters to Help Grieving Children and Adolescents:

When people have experienced the death of someone they care about, it is common for them to wish that they could see that person again The longing for the dead person may also be a longing for the end to the pain of grief, and a wish for “everything to be back

to normal.” While there is no “right way” for a child to grieve, some children may spend

so much longing for the person they have lost, and for the past with that person have lost, and for the past with that person, that they have trouble living their lives in the present and planning for the future

(Markell, 2008, p xxii)

By contrast, Roni Natov in her the article entitled Harry Potter and the

Extraordinariness of the Ordinary (2011), displayed her admiration for Harry She

claimed that a series of obstacles including the loss of parents are perhaps the prime motivation behind his determination to become stronger and to achieve greatness later

in his life

It is undeniable that Charles Dickens and J K Rowling as well as their novels have drawn great attention from literary critics and researchers However, as far as I am

concerned, Oliver Twist and Harry Potter Series are often analysed separately in

researches, studies and articles Noticeably, I have not been able to find studies on the

comparison of Oliver Twist and the Harry Potter Series as well as the overall changes

in the ways the writers approach childhood and examine the image of children over time This has given me the impetus to choose the topic “Children and Childhood as Depicted

in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling” in an

effort to fill the gap, to the best of our knowledge, in the literature

3 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

3.1 Children and Childhood in Literature

‘Children’ and ‘Childhood’, as a concept, have been defined in different ways and from different perspectives From a biological point of view, a child is either a boy

or a girl between the infancy and the puberty According to the United Nations