'Bleak House'
One interest of Bleak House lies in Dickens' vision of blockages, and the way they lead to stagnation, decay, and the poisoning of the social system both metaphorically and in reality. The novel tells the story of a legal case stuck for years in the Court of Chancery. A case that involves - note the name - Sir Leicester and Lady Dedlock. The property at the centre of the case decays in the course of the story into the horrific slum of Tom-all-Alone's, the home of Little Jo the crossing sweeper, who makes a miserable living by clearing a path across the filthy streets of London.
'People were dehumanised as "moral sewage" ...'
In the novel, Dickens weaves together the miseries endured by the inhabitants of Tom-all-Alone's, and the comforts enjoyed by the Dedlocks, showing how unfeeling actions lead to disaster for both rich and poor. The slum of Tom-all-Alone's becomes a person - Tom - with the same moral failings as the residents who live under his leaking roof.
People and place come together in the same vision, a common literary device in social reportage. People were dehumanised as 'moral sewage' who could, like real sewage, destroy and kill. The slum was personalised, bent on revenge like a depraved and corrupted individual.
Published: 2004-11-04
