In Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" texts, social complaints mainly cover two aspects:
inhumane treatment in workhouses and the exploitation of children. Workhouses were public
institutions where poor people could receive assistance in exchange for work. However,
these institutions were often known for the inhumane conditions in which they forced their
inhabitants to live. Dickens strongly denounces the brutal and inhumane treatment of the
poor within the workhouses through the detailed description of the living conditions of Oliver
Twist and the other orphans. The author highlights the lack of compassion and indifference
of the authorities towards the most basic needs of the weakest. Through these social
denunciations, Dickens harshly criticizes the system of public institutions and the lack of
compassion and humanity towards the weakest in Victorian society. His writing helped raise
public awareness of the social injustices of his time and inspired reforms in the British social
welfare system.
The aestheticism in the preface of Oscar Wilde, particularly in "The Picture of Dorian Gray,"
emphasizes art for art's sake. Wilde argues that art should not serve moral or didactic
purposes but should exist solely for its own intrinsic beauty and pleasure. He criticizes
conventional morality and champions individual freedom in the pursuit of beauty. Wilde's
aestheticism is characterized by its rejection of utilitarian values and its exaltation of the
importance of beauty and artistic expression….Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is a poem that
reflects on the nature of art and the immortality of beauty. The urn depicted in the poem
becomes a symbol of timeless beauty and aesthetic perfection. Keats explores the tension
between the permanence of art and the transience of human existence. The poem
celebrates the enduring beauty captured in art, suggesting that artistic creations can
transcend the limitations of time and mortality. While both Wilde and Keats express
admiration for beauty and art, they differ in their approaches to aestheticism. Wilde's
aestheticism is more overtly rebellious and provocative, challenging societal norms and
values. In contrast, Keats' exploration of aesthetic themes is more introspective and
contemplative, focusing on the timeless qualities of art and beauty.
