Little Dorrit: A Study in Viewpoint
Graduation Date
Spring 1958
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Degree Granting Institution
Catholic University of America
Program Name
Humanities
Abstract
It is my intention to analyze and evaluate Dickens' use of limited viewpoint in the character of Arthur Clennam, not completely since Little Dorrit is a very long novel, but in enough detail to indicate his importance in the structure of the novel. I plan to show, first, that the unity of his consciousness is a key factor in the organizing principle governing plot structure; secondly, that as the various plots progress, and as Arthur becomes more or less personally involved, Dickens shifts the voice structure from subjective to objective methods of presentation, sometimes with more subtlety than he generally is given credit for; thirdly, that other characters, such as Amy Dorrit and Daniel Doyce, complement Clennam's role as observer and balance his subjectivity.