Dickens' World Of Mystery

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is one of the most important writers in English literature history. Almost each of his novels can be regarded as masterpiece, and widely accepted by the public. As a classical novelist, his technique has reached a pinnacled status, with vivid and fabulous figures, integrated and logical layouts and humorous and terrific tongue. However, the"famous classical novelist"is one of the most prominent titles of Dickens'. If we call him a"great pioneer of detective stories", we are not making a blunder.In the primary period of Dickens'writing, he had already set a classical murder in Barnaby Rudge. Moreover, in his middle and late period of writing, with the influence of newly-born detective stories in the mid 19th century, several of Dickens'major novels present with features of that genre. From his break through in Bleak House, which brings the first Inspector into the literature world; the deeper probe in Great Expectations and other novels, which successfully utilize suspense and inference, to the integrated design in Mystery of Edwin Drood, which almost forms a style of detective genre, his research on this field has lined a trace, from superficial to significant.This essay is to analyze the detective elements in the several novels mentioned above one by one, try to dig out another style and feature of Dickens'classical novels, and aim to explore a mysterious but not fully recognized world of him, and thus, to research on his influence to the detective history and pitch a suitable place for these elements.In the introduction part, this thesis briefly introduces Dickens'writing career, other critics'comments and researches on him and the scope and significance of my thesis. In Chapter II, it focuses on the influence of social and literary backgrounds towards Dickens. From Chapter III to Chapter V, it probes into the trace of detective elements in Dickens'novels by vertically analyzing several of them, and also researches on the specialties of these features by horizontally comparing his novels with other detective stories. At last, in Chapter VI, it explores his influence on detective novelists and detective literature and tries to present the readers a more all-around Dickens.