第3个回答 2008-06-26
一生共创作长篇小说13部半，其中多数是近百万言的大部头作品，中篇小说20余部，短篇小说数百篇，特写集一部，长篇游记两部，《儿童英国史》一部，以及大量演说词 、书信 、散文、杂诗。他多次去欧洲大陆游历、旅居，两次访问美国 ，中年以后先后创办《家常话》和《一年四季》期刊两种，发现和培养了一批文学新人。
狄更斯生活和创作的时间，正是19世纪中叶维多利亚女王时代前期。狄更斯毕生的活动和创作，始终与时代潮流同步。他主要以写实笔法揭露社会上层和资产阶级的虚伪、贪婪、卑琐、凶残，满怀激愤和深切的同情展示下层社会，特别是妇女、儿童和老人的悲惨处境，并以严肃、审慎的态度描写开始觉醒的劳苦大众的抗争。与此同时，他还以理想主义和浪漫主义的豪情讴歌人性中的真、善、美，憧憬更合理的社会和更美好的人生。
狄更斯早期的小说，气势宏伟，通俗流畅，幽默泼辣而又充满感伤情调，其中对社会的揭露批判，一般只限于局部的制度和领域。如《奥列佛·特维斯特》、《尼古拉斯·尼克尔贝》、《老古玩店》、《马丁·朱述尔维特》、《圣诞欢歌》等。
从《董贝父子》以后，狄更斯的创作更为成熟。这部小说通过当贝先生与儿子保罗、女儿弗洛伦斯的关系，探讨了财势对人类美好天性的侵蚀，体现了作家对人类社会前途的忧患感。狄更斯的重要代表作《大卫·科波菲尔》进一步深入探索人生的奋斗历程，具有自传性，是反映19世纪中叶英国中下层社会的长幅画卷。主人公大卫是当时社会中为善良而奋斗、坚持正义的中产阶级青年的楷模。《荒凉山庄》、《艰难时世》、《小杜丽》是3部政治意识很强的重头作品。《荒凉山庄》以错综复杂的情节揭露英国法律制度和司法机构的黑暗；《艰难时世》直接描写罢工斗争，是对英国宪章运动的策应；《小杜丽》详尽描绘了负债人的监狱生活，同时也更为深入地揭露了英国官僚制度和机构的冗繁、腐朽。
狄更斯的后期作品明显地反映出创作主题的不断深化、技艺方面的成熟和多方面的探索。《远大前程》可以视为《大卫·科波菲尔》的负面，但探讨人生道路方面更有现实性和警世性，而作者早年的乐观态度明显减少。主人公匹普也是孤儿，但经不起环境的诱惑丧失了原有的淳朴天性，经历严酷的磨难后才翻然悔悟，重新生活，整个小说在结构上也更精练。《我们共同的朋友》是又一部广泛深入社会的批判小说，其中所包含的人性探索和生活哲理也更见深刻，作品运用的象征主义和侦探小说手法更增添其艺术魅力。狄更斯最后一部小说《埃德温·德鲁德之谜》虽仅完成23章，从中也可见其精雅文笔、严谨构思以及诱人的悬念和神秘色彩。
狄更斯的小说作品中，早期的《巴纳贝·拉吉》和后期的《双城记》是历史小说。《巴纳贝·拉吉》以18世纪末英国清教徒反对天主教统治的高登暴动为背景；《双城记》以法国大革命为背景。两部小说同样具有明显的讽喻性和警戒性，旨在说明不合理的制度和统治必定导致人民奋起反抗，而奋起的群众(狄更斯称之为“暴民”)犹如洪水猛兽，会一发而不可收拾，形成巨大的非理性破坏力量。两部小说无疑都代表了狄更斯的改良主义立场和悲观主义历史观，而《双城记》中以牺牲自己生命换取自己所爱女子的幸福的西德尼卡尔登，是狄更斯最高道德理想的化身，也是他的小说中反复颂扬的高尚情操的终曲。从这两部小说栩栩如生的描述、扣人心弦的情节，可以发现历史小说家司各特的明显影响。尤其是《双城记》，笔墨精雅深奥、结构简练完美、悬念重重设置以及对人生哲理和人物潜意识活动方面富有创造性的探索，历来被认为是狄更斯的最佳小说之一。
影响 ：
狄更斯以其小说创作篇幅宏大，气势磅礴，内容包罗万象，风格雅俗共赏、丰富多彩，生前即已饮誉国内外，是英国19世纪小说繁荣时期最杰出的代表作家，影响遍及欧美以及世界各国。他的作品以及根据这些作品演化而成的各种通俗、儿童读物和娱乐节目在世界范围内流传更广。在中国，早在20世纪初林纾等人就翻译过狄更斯的小说，许多优秀名作都有了中文译本。
Character Profiles
Agnes- Oliver’s mother who died giving birth. The only thing she left was a locket with her name inscribed.
Nurse- Woman who delivered Oliver, and later died in the workhouse revealing the story of the locket and the night Oliver was born.
Oliver Twist- The main character of the story, Oliver is an affection-starved little boy who will not commit crimes. He was abused as a young child, and only wants to be loved. His adventures make him the best of friends and the worst of enemies.
Mrs. Mann - The woman who raised Oliver for the first nine years. She treated him and her other orphans very poorly by beating and starving them.
Mr. Bumble- The town beadle who thinks very lowly of Oliver. He eventually marries Mrs. Corney and makes Oliver’s life more difficult.
Mr. Gamfield- A chimneysweeper who wanted Oliver as an apprentice.
Mr. Sowerberry- A coffin maker that Oliver was apprenticed to. He generally treated the boy well, but chose his wife’s lies over Oliver’s truths.
Mrs. Sowerberry- Wife of the coffin maker who disliked young Oliver.
Charlotte- Maid to the Sowerberry’s that ends up running away with Noah and beginning a life of crime.
Noah Claypole - Another worker for the Sowerberry’s, Noah antagonizes Oliver when he was there, and when he begins to work for Fagin, his actions lead to the death of Nancy.
Young Dick- A friend of Oliver’s at Mrs. Mann’s who loves him.
Jack Dawkins- “Artful Dodger” is a young accomplished thief who finds Oliver on the road to London and introduces him to Fagin.
Fagin- The main antagonist in the story, “The Jew” takes Oliver under his wing and tries to make a pickpocket out of him. He is a powerful crime leader who has an affection for only money and will kill anyone who stands in his way.
Charley Bates- Another one of Fagin’s thieves who tends to laugh at everything in life.
Betsy- A woman who works for Fagin.
Nancy- A woman who works for Fagin and tries to help Oliver which eventually leads to her death. She is passionate, caring, and loves Sikes, who eventually kills her.
Mr. Brownlow- A man who Oliver’s thief friends rob on the street. He takes Oliver in, and discovers his true parentage.
Mrs. Bedwin- Mr. Brownlow’s housekeeper who nurses Oliver back to health.
Mr. Grimwig- A friend of Mr. Brownlow who is very cynical of the boy but eventually helps to keep him safe.
Mr. Sikes - Another evil character who is a member of Fagin’s gang. He has a little white dog that follows him everywhere. He threatens Oliver and reluctantly leaves him to die in a field after the boy was shot. He kills Nancy in a rage, and eventually kills himself.
Tom Chitling- Another petty thief of Fagin’s
Toby Crackit- A “flash” man who helps Sikes attempt to commit the robbery.
Barney- A thief who helps Sikes.
Mrs. Corney/ Mrs. Bumble- The matron of the workhouse Oliver was born in who eventually marries Mr. Brumble and here’s the confession of the nurse on her deathbed. She finds the evidence of Oliver’s parentage, and sells it to Monks.
Giles- The butler of the Maylie household, he is the man who shot Oliver.
Brittles- The “boy” of the Maylie household who was also there the night Oliver was shot.
Rose Maylie- The adopted niece of Mrs. Maylie who turns out to be Oliver’s Aunt. She is kind, loving, and a great joy in Oliver’s life.
Mrs. Maylie- An old woman who accepts Oliver into her home and finally gives him a loving atmosphere to live in.
Mr. Losberne - The doctor and friend of Mrs. Maylie who helps Oliver in his adventures. He is impatient and earnest, but also happy and kindhearted.
Blathers Duff- The two Bow Street Runners who come to investigate the attempted robbery. They are filled with stories to tell, and are suspicious of Oliver.
Harry Maylie- The son of Mrs. Maylie, Harry is deeply in love with Rose and would do anything to marry her. He befriends Oliver and adds to the boy’s loving atmosphere.
Monks/ Edward Leeford- Oliver’s older half brother who does not want to split his inheritance with the bastard child. He destroys the evidence of Oliver’s mother, and is a cohort of Fagin and his gang