Part 1: Introduction
The life of Dickens
The life and the novels
Dickens and his time
Dickens and his public
A note on the setting
A note on the text
Part 2: Summaries
A general summary
Detailed summaries
Part 3: Commentary
The plot
Themes
Style
Humour
Symbolism
Characterisation
The major characters
Part 4: Hints for study
Choosing what to study
Quotations
Planning your answers
Specimen questions and answers
fut S: Suggestions for further reading
The author of these notes