What is it about?
The article analyses Charles Dickens's sketch "The Black Veil" in its different literary and cultural contexts. It looks at the tale from the point of view of melodrama and gothic suspense, but also topicality, especially the social history of London (the development of the Metropolitan Police and lighting improvements) and grave diggers.
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Why is it important?
"The Black Veil” remains in literary circulation, being published independently and included in anthologies whose editors briefly discuss its thematic and generic aspects. Yet the information offered is either limited or imprecise. Given the popularity of the tale, the essay investigates its various contexts, as well as the manner in which Dickens creates its Gothic ambience via antitheses, fusing this fictional account with topicality, and implicitly pleading for social reform.
Perspectives
“The Black Veil” heralds the emergence of Dickens as an eminent fiction writer. It combines Dickensian humor with the author’s exceptional gift for description and with his striking ability to depict a character’s unease. The blend of suspenseful Gothic with the cultural background, which is only vaguely alluded to, rather than forcefully imposed, ensures its popularity and appreciation.
Ewa Kujawska-Lis
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Dickens’s “The Black Veil”: Generic and Cultural Contexts, Dickens Quarterly, January 2022, Project Muse,
DOI: 10.1353/dqt.2022.0001.
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