Charles Dickens

Dicken's work is certainly different than most of what we've read so far this semester. Reading "A Visit to Newgate" left me feeling somewhat depressed. Unlike most of what I read, I did not find anything inspiring so to speak. While I felt uninspired, I think Dicken's chose to write this particular passage on the behalf of those people who live in Newgate. He felt that these people were calloused to the reality inside the prison. He argued that the working men of Newgate "...would pass the building without bestowing a hasty glance on its small, grated windows, and a transient thought upon the condition of the unhappy beings immured in its dismal cells". With this observation, Dicken's proved that people become creates of habit. When that happens, we oftentimes become numb to the harsh conditions in the world around us and so it becomes ordinary rather than out of the ordinary. There are many aspects of life today that would also fit this pattern of denial. For example, hearing of people being ruthlessly murdered does not affect us the way it may have years ago; we just shake our heads and call it a shame, and then continue on with the routine of our day. I think Dickens acknowledged the negativity that surrounds this kind of mind set and thus sought to inform the people of Newgate of the reality of Bedlam Prison; this was an attempt to increase their sensitivity towards the people inside.

Upon entering the prison, Dickens begins by describing all of the many doors and the maze of hallways that led them to the women's quarters of the prison. He describes the area which the women inhabit and then describes in detail, interactions between two prisoner and their visitors. After all, it was not his intention to "...fatigue the reader with any statistical accounts of the prison," but to see "...the prisoners." The first account that the mentions is between a young female prisoner and her mother who came to visit. While the mother seems to have visible "...mental anguish," the daughter, the prisoner, "...was perfectly unmoved" and "hardened beyond all hope of redemption." I was surprised to find that the girl's mother, the visitor, seemed to be in more despair than the girl living inside the prison. The girl seems to be completely desensitized to the world around her; she seems hopeless and therefore does not care about her mother or what she has to say. I think Dicken's description of this scene is important because he is conveying a loss of childlike innocence within the walls of the prison. This girl is young, yet immune to the joy in life. Dickens strengthens this argument as he describes the interaction between an imprisoned mother and her daughter who comes to visit: "...neither hope, condolence, regret, nor affection was expressed on either side." While it may not be surprising for the mother to be hopeless, (after all, she is in prison and probably lived a hard, depressing life) I was not expecting the daughter in the scene to be equally numb. While she has the freedom to live in the outside world, she too is unhappy and lifeless. Dickens explains that "barely past her childhood...born and bread in neglect and vice, who have never known what childhood is: who have never been taught to love." For Dickens, this loss of innocence in children is tragic. He points out that she has been forced to experience "...the stern realities and miseries of life..." and they have left her feeling unable to make a difference in the world. While the reader is unable to really know how all of these women and their daughters are feeling, the description that Dickens relates is very strong. It evinces the effect that harsh reality has on both the mothers and daughters in these families.

Dickens continues on his way in the prison to the women's apartment areas. He describes the situation and the tasks that the women partake in to pass the time. Other than these basic descriptions of everyday life for these women, he does not go into any detail about the feelings or emotions that these woman are experiencing. I think Dickens mentions this section as part of his tour, but is essentially unmoved by what he sees in this part of the prison.

As Dickens leaves the women's quarters of the prison, he approaches the 'school' area filled with young men. All of these boys have been placed in prison of charges of "...pocket-picking." The scene that he depicts here is also indicative of his focus on the loss of innocence that exists within the walls of the prison doors. He seems very saddened by what he sees in this part of the prison: "...such terrible little faces we never beheld.--There was not one redeeming feature among them...they were evidently quite gratified at being thought worth the trouble of looking at." At this point, Dickens fails to see anything positive about the learning environment in the prison. The boys he witnesses seem to be shameless and proud of the mis-conduct that leads them to the prison. Once again, I feel that Dickens portrays the situation with the boys the way that he does so that the reader is called to understand the wretched life these boys are living. Their lives were so bad on the street, that they are somehow proud to be locked up with their freedom taken from them. Dickens believes that children are intended to be sheltered from the reality of life, and is heart-broken at this scene. He again reminds the reader that life is not supposed to be this way for these children.

As Dickens leaves the school area of the prison, he is introduced to the the men's quarters. He again seems unimpressed by what he sees in this area of the prison, much like his experience with the women's quarters. He does not go into any detail about the way these people may be feeling, but instead points out that the men are "...all alike in one respect, all idle and listless." This is an exact contrast to the women who were busy working and finding ways, like sewing, to help the time pass by more quickly. I am not sure why Dickens makes this comparison between the men and women, but perhaps to show that men are not inspired to work unless they have a reason to do so. In the outside world, men work to provide a life and home for his family. Inside the prison, these men have no family to provide for, so perhaps they feel any amount of "work" would be in vain.

The next part of Dicken's account of the prison seems to be a turning point in "A Visit to Newgate." In the beginning of his work, Dickens mainly focuses on what he sees on his journey. He never actually calls the reader to experience the journey from the view of the prisoner. This all changes when he comes to the chapel. He description that he gives of the chapel is very ominous. He describes "...THE CONDEMNED PEW" and asks the reader to "imagine what have been the feelings of the men whom that fearful pew has enclosed...of the hopeless clinging to life...wild despair." I think at this point, Dickens wants the reader to really change his or her point of view and try to feel what the condemned felt. Asking the reader to have feelings like these inspires a different kind of reaction; it makes the reader more aware of what being in the prison on death row would be like, thus helping the reader acknowledge the reality of prison life that has for so long been ignored.

"A Visit to Newgate" become even more intense as Dickens comes to the condemned ward in the prison. He describes many aspects of the scenery as he has before, but eventually comes to focus on a prisoner on death row. Dickens once again almost forces the reader to see the world from the perspective of this man: "Conceive the situation of a man, spending his last night on earth in this cell." Dickens wants the reader to understand what being in the situation would be like if it were happening to them. Dickens describes the many thoughts that are running through this man's head as he prepares for his execution in the morning (if one can truly prepare for this experience). He attempts to read the Bible in a desperate attempt to gain forgiveness from God, but cannot focus on the words and eventually gives that up. Finally, his thoughts and the ringing of the bell lead him to fall asleep and he has a vivid dream. He sees his wife and remembers how poorly he treated her at times. This feeling of guilt in this hour calls him to ask her forgiveness for the way he treated her previously. In his dream, he falls "...on his knees before her and fervently beseech her pardon for all the unkindness and cruelty that wasted her form and broke her heart." While it matters not that the prisoner recognizes the error of his ways while dreaming, it does convey to the reader how desperately this man longs to right his wrongs. He feels responsible for his wife's unhappiness and wants to tell her that he is sorry for all that he has done. As he continues to dream, he comes to trial but fears not because "...no matter; he will escape." In this dream, this man is able to escape his death and feels a surge of joy because he is free again. Of course, this is just a dream and "he wakes, cold and wretched." The man is a bit confused upon his awakening, unaware of how to separate the dream world from reality. In a moments time, he realizes he has been dreaming and knows that "he is the condemned felon again, guilty, and despairing; and in two hours more will be dead." The man on death row has only the night during his dream to escape his troubles. Dickens does an excellent job connecting the reader and the feelings of this man; I felt as if I were in this man's position and for the first time while reading this work, really understood what it might feel like to be a prisoner on death row. What a powerful way to invoke action! I think if someone from Newgate read this work, they would for once recognize the reality that exists within the prison that they often pass by, thus breaking the habit of the ordinary and changing the perceptions of their once-constant mindset of denial.