Moral And Aesthetic Ideals In Dickens’s Fiction: Problems And Perspectives

Abstract

This study investigates the moral and aesthetic ideals in Charles Dickens’s novels, emphasizing the tension between human virtues and social constraints. Using critical realism, Dickens portrays characters whose simplicity, compassion, and ethical integrity are both affirmed and challenged by societal injustice, class divisions, and human weakness. Through the typology of “eccentric characters” and “honest gentlemen,” he constructs a complex moral universe: the former embody heartfelt devotion and humanity, while the latter combine intellect, social awareness, and ethical deliberation. Figures such as Joe (Great Expectations), Mr. Boffin (Our Mutual Friend), and John Harmon exemplify the interplay between personal virtue, social experience, and collective action. Dickens employs irony and narrative nuance to show both the strengths and limitations of human morality. Ultimately, his novels suggest that the realization of moral and aesthetic ideals requires not only individual virtue but also knowledge, social engagement, and communal solidarity, reflecting the ethical and social challenges of nineteenth-century England.