The Ideas of Dangerous Education: Modification of the Pedagogical Novel in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and “The Gemini” by Taras Shevchenko

Abstract

The article deals with usage of the pedagogical genre in the novels Oliver Twist by Victorian writer Charles Dickens and the story “The Gemini” by Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko. It demonstrates that in the novel Oliver Twist by Dickens and the story “The Gemini” by Shevchenko there are some distinct genre features of the pedagogical novel: in both works, one can observe the development of authors’ experiments—the main heroes are placed in specific pedagogical circumstances. Unlike Shevchenko, Dickens promotes the idea of “noble” heredity, which is important for further formation of personality with high moral and ethical principles of the character that is able to resist the negative impact. Despite the external similarities with biblical motifs and themes, the plot of the novels is based on archaic components: the motif of the amazing rescue of the infant and dual organization of the myth about brothers (twins), where the first represents consistency of Good and the other Evil. In both works, antagonists are infantile individuals who revolt against their loving mothers. The writers construct images of wise mentors without whom ideal characters would not form successfully.