"Little Dorrit" is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. It tells the story of Amy Dorrit, a young woman who has spent most of her life in debtors' prison, along with her father and brother. Despite her circumstances, Amy is a kind and compassionate person who cares for her family and others around her.
The novel is set in London and Italy, and it follows the lives of several characters as they navigate their way through a society that is often cruel and unfair. One of the central themes of "Little Dorrit" is the corrupt and oppressive nature of the British class system, which allows some people to live lives of luxury while others struggle to survive.
The story begins with the arrival of Arthur Clennam in London. Clennam is a young man who has recently inherited a large sum of money from his father, and he is determined to use it to do good in the world. Clennam becomes interested in the Dorrit family when he learns that Amy's father, William, has been imprisoned for debt for many years. Clennam sets out to help the Dorrits, and in the process, he becomes friends with Amy and her brother, Frederick.
As Clennam investigates the Dorrits' situation, he becomes entangled in a web of deceit and corruption that stretches across the upper echelons of society. He learns that William Dorrit's imprisonment was the result of a plot by a wealthy businessman named Rigaud, who wanted to seize the Dorrits' assets. Clennam also discovers that his own family is involved in the scheme, and that his mother played a key role in the plot against the Dorrits.
Despite the challenges they face, Amy and her family remain optimistic and hopeful, and they are able to find happiness and security through their love and support for each other. In the end, Clennam is able to bring Rigaud to justice and help the Dorrits reclaim their rightful inheritance, allowing them to live the comfortable lives they deserve.
"Little Dorrit" is a poignant and powerful tale of love, family, and the corrupting influence of wealth and power. It is a reminder of the importance of compassion and kindness in a world that can often be harsh and unfair.
Little Dorrit Summary
New York: Viking Press, 2002. She is happy to see her son pursue Amy and encourages him in the beginning. However, Fanny angrily argues that she is trying to defend the social position of the Dorrit family against people who would snub them, and that Amy does not understand the social burden of the family reputation having fallen into ruin. However, the status of the Dorrit family is undeniably complex because people imprisoned for debt often came from moderate to high social standings, and would likely be better educated and more sophisticated than many prisoners convicted of other crimes. The unfortunate and the deprived. Arthur Clennam Arthur is a 40-year-old man at the start of the novel, freshly returned to England after spending 20 years living in China. He wants to know in a tentative, almost frightened voice that lets us know, immediately, that he has fallen irrevocably into love with her.
Little Dorrit Summary and Analysis (like SparkNotes)
Little Dorrit is no exception, and it is in this novel that Dickens explores the dark and, curiously, light sides of the criminal justice system by locating much of the action in this Dickens novel within the Marshalsea Prison. Dickens and the Children of Empire. Young Martin is a developing hero whose American experiences and the selflessness of his companion Mark Tapley bring him to recognize his flaws, while his father, Old Martin, serves in his wealth and eccentricity as a touchstone for cupidity. Arthur encounters him in his persistence first to learn the creditor who keeps William Dorrit in debtors' prison, then to get the patent for Doyce's invention, two unsuccessful ventures. Meanwhile Little Dorrit does not realize that the son of the Marshalsea jail warden is in love with her. Tattycoram's outburst violates conventions of how a young woman would be expected to behave in the Victorian era, as well as class-based notions that she should be grateful for everything the Meagles family has done for her.
Little Dorrit Book 1, Chapters 1
Frederick dies soon after, and Tip becomes ill. Arthur has infantilized Amy so much that he is astonished to even think about her being the object of someone's desire. In studying the cumulative effects of selfishness, Dickens portrays a number of family groups and also presents an effective psychological study of a murderer. Arthur's business partner returns from Turkey a rich man and Arthur is released from jail. Accompanied by Frederick Dorrit and Fanny, however, thrives in her new position, and when she runs into Meanwhile, Arthur has been taking care of the Meagles's house, since they have gone to visit their daughter. Crushingly, he eventually ends up with his own debt and himself becomes a prisoner. Arthur Clennam has returned to England from a twenty year stint in China, working with his father.
Little Dorrit Characters
She is young, small of stature, and modest. William Dorrit's business decision was foolish but not malicious: if anything, he was the victim of his partner's unethical decisions, but he is the one who now pays for it. Dorrit HARRIET BEADLE CALLED TATTYCORAM : an orphan girl the Meagles adopted that is very passionate MRS. The two parts of the film contain many of the same scenes, seen from different points of view and remembered differently, so that half a line of throwaway dialogue in the first version may turn out, in the second version, to have been absolutely crucial. Amy Dorrit is another; she must grow up and then willfully become as a child again for the benefit of Arthur Clennam, who needs to be convinced of his worth. The prison guard brings them their noonday meal. We also begin to feel those years, as he sits in his chair by the window and we inventory the pathetically short list of his possessions.
Little Dorrit Summary
The gathering of English travelers creates a comical synthesis of individuals with varying ranges of worldly experience. Flintwinch comes upon her standing in the hall. Buy Study Guide Summary Curious to learn more about As he tries to make his way out of the prison, Arthur realizes that he has stayed too late, and is now trapped inside. Arthur becomes reacquainted with his former fiancée Flora Finching, the reason he was sent away to China, who is now a widow and who takes care of the aunt of her late husband. Analysis The novel opens with a prison scene, but not one set in the prison that will dominate the remainder of the plot. Meanwhile, Rigaud, who has been released for lack of evidence, approaches Mrs Clennam under the name Blandois, and blackmails her and Flintwhich into giving him a place in her business. He realizes he has loved her all these years as well.
