Topics for Further Study
- Explore the history and social environment of Australia between 1850 and 1860, focusing on its role as an English penal colony where Magwitch resided. This period also marks Queensland's emergence as a separate colony from New South Wales.
- Examine the social conditions in the United States during 1842, the year of Dickens' first visit, and compare them to the state of affairs in 1868, when he returned for a reading tour. Pay attention to Dickens' recurring themes of class distinction and the disparity between reality and expectations. Consider pivotal events like the Gold Rush, the Emancipation Proclamation, John Brown's 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and the 1857 Dred Scott Decision.
- Research child labor in England prior to the legal reforms of 1875-1880, which aimed to limit work hours and improve hazardous factory conditions. Dickens' novels played a significant role in raising public awareness about the inhumane treatment of children and disenfranchised individuals by the industrial sector, contributing to these reforms.
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