The Utilitarianism Repr In The Writings Of Charles Dickells,William Thackeray And Charlotte Bronte

This paper is divided into four chapters to discuss the Utilitarianism by British writers in Victorian Era, with a specific study of the writings on Charles Dickens, William Thackeray and Charlotte Bronte. The first chapter reviews the origins of Utilitarianism, the development and evolution of ideology and theory since ancient Greek period, and Chinese concept on Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism has its merits and demerits as a mainstream thought, as well as positive and negative impact on the society in Victorian Era. It also discusses Muller’s work on the improvement and development of Bentham’s utilitarian theory. The second chapter analyzes Charles Dickens’s novel Hard Times, to probe his attitude of utilitarianism, as well as his reasons for criticizing Utilitarianism. However, Dickens’s own limitations determine that he also had utilitarian temperament. The third chapter analyzes Thackeray’s novel Vanity Fair, to probe the descriptions of the various characters in the middle and upper classes, to render the thinking of the commodity economy and moral behavior standards, to discuss the critical thinking of the maximize commercial interests, as well as his reasons for criticizing Utilitarianism. The fourth chapter discusses how Charlotte Bronte thought of and wrote about Utilitarianism and her contradictions and confusion. Bronte opposed to the utilitarian concept of love and marriage, the background about British Empire’s overseas colonies in her novel reflects her thinking of the colonial consciousness, overseas expansion and commercial interests. Then it analyzes the reasons why Bronte criticized Utilitarianism, as well as her religious mysticism thought. The last chapter concludes the synchronic effect and the diachronic meaning of Utilitarianism in Victorian Era. As the mainstream philosophic thought, most of the writers at that time had been influenced by Utilitarianism on the ways of thinking and unique temperament. When criticizing Utilitarianism, they have the total performance of contradictions, hesitance and indecision. As time passes by, those writings still hold permanent attraction to people all over the world as special historical records and literary masterpieces.