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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from Martin Chuzzlewit, by Charles Dickens

I conceive that the sordid coarseness and brutality of Jonas would be
unnatural, if there had been nothing in his early education, and in the
precept and example always before him, to engender and develop the vices
that make him odious. But, so born and so bred, admired for that which
made him hateful, and justified from his cradle in cunning, treachery,
and avarice; I claim him as the legitimate issue of the father upon whom
those vices are seen to recoil. And I submit that their recoil upon that
old man, in his unhonoured age, is not a mere piece of poetical justice,
but is the extreme exposition of a direct truth.

I make this comment, and solicit the reader’s attention to it in his or
her consideration of this tale, because nothing is more common in real
life than a want of profitable reflection on the causes of many vices
and crimes that awaken the general horror. What is substantially true of
families in this respect, is true of a whole commonwealth. As we sow,
we reap. Let the reader go into the children’s side of any prison in
England, or, I grieve to add, of many workhouses, and judge whether
those are monsters who disgrace our streets, people our hulks and
penitentiaries, and overcrowd our penal colonies, or are creatures whom
we have deliberately suffered to be bred for misery and ruin.

The American portion of this story is in no other respect a caricature
than as it is an exhibition, for the most part (Mr Bevan expected), of
a ludicrous side, ONLY, of the American character--of that side which
was, four-and-twenty years ago, from its nature, the most obtrusive, and
the most likely to be seen by such travellers as Young Martin and Mark
Tapley. As I had never, in writing fiction, had any disposition to
soften what is ridiculous or wrong at home, so I then hoped that the
good-humored people of the United States would not be generally disposed
to quarrel with me for carrying the same usage abroad. I am happy to
believe that my confidence in that great nation was not misplaced.

Explanation ​

This excerpt from the Preface to Martin Chuzzlewit (1844) by Charles Dickens serves as both a moral and artistic defense of his novel, particularly its portrayal of the villain Jonas Chuzzlewit and its satirical depiction of America. Below is a detailed breakdown of the passage, focusing on its themes, rhetorical strategies, literary devices, and broader significance, while grounding the analysis in the text itself.

1. Context of the Excerpt ​

Martin Chuzzlewit is one of Dickens’ lesser-known but thematically rich novels, exploring greed, hypocrisy, and moral corruption in both England and America. The preface was added after the novel’s serialization (1842–44) to address criticisms—particularly from American readers—about its unflattering portrayal of their country. However, the excerpt also defends Dickens’ social critique, emphasizing that environment and upbringing shape character, a recurring theme in his works (e.g., Oliver Twist, Great Expectations).

The passage can be divided into three key sections:

  1. Jonas Chuzzlewit as a product of his upbringing (a critique of nurture over nature).
  2. A broader social indictment (how society breeds crime and vice).
  3. A defense of his satire of America (clarifying his intent was not malice but observation).

2. Line-by-Line Analysis & Literary Devices ​

A. Jonas Chuzzlewit: The "Legitimate Issue" of a Corrupt Father ​

"I conceive that the sordid coarseness and brutality of Jonas would be unnatural, if there had been nothing in his early education, and in the precept and example always before him, to engender and develop the vices that make him odious."

  • Thesis: Jonas is not a monster by birth but a product of his environment.
  • Literary Device:
    • Conditional Hypothetical ("would be unnatural if...") – Dickens preemptively counters the argument that Jonas is an exaggerated villain by insisting his depravity is logical, given his upbringing.
    • Alliteration ("sordid coarseness") – Emphasizes the visceral disgust Jonas evokes.
    • Diction ("engender and develop") – Suggests nurture over nature; his vices are cultivated, not innate.

"But, so born and so bred, admired for that which made him hateful, and justified from his cradle in cunning, treachery, and avarice; I claim him as the legitimate issue of the father upon whom those vices are seen to recoil."

  • Key Ideas:
    • "Admired for that which made him hateful" – Society rewards his vices (e.g., his father, Anthony Chuzzlewit, praises his ruthlessness).
    • "Legitimate issue" – Legal term implying inheritance; Jonas is the natural result of his father’s influence.
    • "Recoil" – Violent imagery (like a gun kicking back) suggests karmic justice; the father suffers from the same system that created Jonas.
  • Literary Device:
    • Metaphor ("legitimate issue") – Frames Jonas as the inevitable offspring of a corrupt system.
    • Parallelism ("so born and so bred") – Reinforces the inevitability of his moral decay.

"And I submit that their recoil upon that old man, in his unhonoured age, is not a mere piece of poetical justice, but is the extreme exposition of a direct truth."

  • Defense of Realism:
    • Dickens rejects the idea that Jonas’ downfall is melodramatic ("poetical justice"); instead, it’s a realistic consequence.
    • "Direct truth" – Asserts that his fiction reflects social reality.
  • Literary Device:
    • Antithesis ("not... but") – Contrasts fiction with truth, elevating his narrative as morally instructive.

B. Social Critique: "As We Sow, We Reap" ​

"I make this comment, and solicit the reader’s attention to it in his or her consideration of this tale, because nothing is more common in real life than a want of profitable reflection on the causes of many vices and crimes that awaken the general horror."

  • Purpose:
    • Dickens directly addresses the reader, urging them to think critically about the roots of evil.
    • "Want of profitable reflection" – Society fails to examine how it contributes to crime.
  • Literary Device:
    • Apostrophe (addressing the reader) – Creates intimacy, making the argument personal.

"What is substantially true of families in this respect, is true of a whole commonwealth. As we sow, we reap."

  • Key Ideas:
    • Microcosm → Macrocosm: If families breed vice, so does society at large.
    • "As we sow, we reap" – Biblical proverb (Galatians 6:7) reinforcing moral accountability.
  • Literary Device:
    • Synecdoche – Using the family to represent society as a whole.

"Let the reader go into the children’s side of any prison in England, or, I grieve to add, of many workhouses, and judge whether those are monsters who disgrace our streets, people our hulks and penitentiaries, and overcrowd our penal colonies, or are creatures whom we have deliberately suffered to be bred for misery and ruin."

  • Scathing Indictment:
    • Prisons, workhouses, penal colonies – Institutions that fail the poor, creating criminals rather than rehabilitating them.
    • "Deliberately suffered to be bred" – Accuses society of complicity in producing crime.
    • "Monsters" vs. "creatures" – Rhetorical question forcing the reader to confront whether criminals are born evil or made evil by neglect.
  • Literary Devices:
    • Anaphora ("people our hulks... overcrowd our penal colonies") – Builds a litany of societal failures.
    • Pathos ("I grieve to add") – Dickens expresses sorrow, making the critique more persuasive.

C. Defense of the American Satire ​

"The American portion of this story is in no other respect a caricature than as it is an exhibition, for the most part (Mr Bevan expected), of a ludicrous side, ONLY, of the American character..."

  • Clarification:
    • Dickens acknowledges his satire is exaggerated but not malicious.
    • "Ludicrous side, ONLY" – He focuses on what was most visible to his characters (Young Martin and Mark Tapley), not a comprehensive portrait.
    • Exception (Mr. Bevan) – A rare positive American character, showing Dickens didn’t wholly condemn America.

"As I had never, in writing fiction, had any disposition to soften what is ridiculous or wrong at home, so I then hoped that the good-humored people of the United States would not be generally disposed to quarrel with me for carrying the same usage abroad."

  • Consistency in Satire:
    • Dickens equally critiques England (e.g., Bleak House’s legal system, Hard Times’ industrialism).
    • "Good-humored people" – Flatters Americans while defending his right to satire.
  • Literary Device:
    • Parallel Structure ("as I had never... so I then hoped") – Reinforces his fairness.

"I am happy to believe that my confidence in that great nation was not misplaced."

  • Diplomatic Closing:
    • Softens the blow by expressing faith in America’s maturity.
    • Irony? – Given the backlash he faced, this may be polite fiction.

3. Major Themes in the Excerpt ​

  1. Nature vs. Nurture

    • Jonas is not born evil but shaped by his environment (his father’s greed, society’s praise of cunning).
    • Dickens rejects innate depravity, aligning with social reformist views.

  2. Social Responsibility & Moral Accountability

    • Society creates its own monsters through neglect and corrupt values.
    • "As we sow, we reap" – A warning that collective actions have consequences.

  3. The Role of Satire in Exposing Truth

    • Dickens defends exaggeration as a tool for revelation.
    • His American satire is not hatred but observation of flaws (just as he critiques England).

  4. Justice as Inevitable, Not Poetic

    • Jonas’ downfall is not melodrama but logical outcome of his upbringing.
    • Reinforces Dickens’ belief in moral cause-and-effect.

4. Significance of the Passage ​

  • Literary Significance:

    • Exemplifies Dickens’ social realist approach—fiction as a mirror to society.
    • Prefigures psychological realism (e.g., Jonas as a product of trauma, not just a villain).
    • Defends satire as moral instruction, not mere entertainment.

  • Historical & Cultural Context:

    • Reflects Victorian anxieties about industrialization, crime, and moral decay.
    • The American section was controversial—Dickens had visited the U.S. in 1842 and was disillusioned by its slavery, materialism, and lack of copyright laws (which affected his earnings).
    • His critique aligns with transatlantic tensions—many Americans saw his portrayal as unfair, while Dickens saw it as honest.

  • Modern Relevance:

    • Systemic critique: Still applicable to discussions on poverty, crime, and institutional failure.
    • Satire’s role: Debates on free speech vs. offense (e.g., modern political satire).
    • Parenting & society: The nature vs. nurture debate remains central in psychology and criminology.

5. Conclusion: Why This Matters ​

This excerpt is not just a preface—it’s a manifesto of Dickens’ moral and artistic philosophy. He argues that:

  1. Villains are made, not born (a radical idea in an era that often blamed inherent wickedness).
  2. Society must examine its role in breeding vice (a call for reform).
  3. Satire, even when harsh, serves a purpose (defending his unflinching social commentary).

Dickens challenges the reader to look beyond surface-level morality and ask: How do we, as a society, contribute to the evils we condemn? This passage remains powerful because it demands self-reflection—from individuals, families, and nations alike.