engleski

The Child Chimney Sweep in English Childrenʼs Literature

Although we now consider child labour to be inhuman and cruel, it was standard practice during the 18th century, especially when the Industrial Revolution in Britain (approximately 1760–1840) created an increased need for workers. Among numerous occupations for children, probably the most interesting and intriguing was chimney sweeping, which required children to enter chimneys and manually clean them. The need for protecting children’s rights was quickly recognized, but social and legislative changes were slowly introduced. This thesis examines the contribution of the British engraver and poet William Blake (1757–1827) and the British novelist Charles Kingsley (1819–1875) to the campaign against the exploitation of children in 18th and 19th-century Britain. It analyses and compares literary representations of the chimney sweeper in Blake’s two “Chimney Sweeper” poems (1789, 1794) and Kingsleyʼs novel The Water Babies (1863), and gives an overview of the status of chimney sweepers in Croatia.

Charles Kingsley ; child chimney sweepers ; literature ; social reform ; William Blake

nije evidentirano