Racism in the work of Charles Dickens: Difference between revisions

The topic of '''racism in the work of Charles Dickens''' has been discussed in scholarly circles, increasingly so in the 20th and 21st centuries. While [[Charles Dickens|Dickens]] was known to be highly sympathetic to the plight of the poor and disadvantaged in [[British society]], like many other authors of the period he expressed attitudes which have been interpreted as [[Racism|racist]] and [[Xenophobia|xenophobic]] in his journalism and works. Dickens frequently defended the privileges held by Europeans in overseas [[Colonialism|colonies]] and was dismissive of what he termed "[[Barbarian|primitive]]" cultures. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English Literature'' describes Dickens as a [[Nationalism|nationalist]] who frequently stigmatised non-European cultures.<ref>Kastan, David Scott (2006). ''Oxford Encyclopedia of English Literature, vol 1''. Oxford University Press. p. 157. {{ISBN|0-19-516921-2}}, 9780195169218</ref>

Some scholars have disputed the charge of racism by Dickens, such as the Dickens scholar Priti Joshi, who maintains that he never advocated any form of [[scientific racism]] in his works, but held extreme antipathy for non-European peoples, and steadfastly believed in their [[Cultural assimilation|assimilation]] into [[Western culture]].<ref name=":0">Joshi, Priti (2011). ‘Race.’ In ''Dickens in Context,'' edited by Sally Ledger and Holly Furneaux, Cambridge University Press. pp. 297–299. {{ISBN|0-521-88700-3}}, 9780521887007.</ref> Other scholars, such as Grace Moore, claim that Dickens' racism abated in his later years, while historian Patrick Brantlinger and journalist William Oddie have instead claimed that his racism intensified during the period. Moore contends that while in his later years Dickens became more aware of the mistreatment of non-European peoples under the system of [[colonialism]], he never lost his antipathy for their culture, consistently maintaining that it was inferior to Western culture.<ref>Grace Moore, ''Dickens and Empire: Discourses Of Class, Race And Colonialism In The Works Of Charles Dickens'' (Nineteenth Century Series) (Ashgate: 2004).</ref>