Alton Locke (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Kingsley
- First Published: 1850
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1840’s
- Setting: London and Cambridge, England
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Authors or writers, Nineteenth century, Class consciousness, Poetry or poets, England or English people, Working class, London, Colleges or universities, Victorian era or Victorianism, Tailoring or tailors, Clay
- Locales: London, England, Cambridge, England
Characters Discussed
Alton Locke, a poor London tailor, self- taught poet, and political radical. Apprenticed to a tailor with the help of his rich uncle, Alton begins questioning both his widowed mother’s strict Baptist faith and the political system that oppresses the poor. His coworker John Crossthwaite introduces him to Chartism, a movement to give political rights to the working classes, and Sandy Mackaye, a philosopher and owner of a used book shop, encourages him to write. Through his rich cousin George, Alton meets and falls in love with Lillian Winnstay, whose father...
[The entire page is 884 words long]
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