The document discusses how several famous authors used London as a setting in their works and portrayed different aspects of the city. Charles Dickens depicted London as divided into three social levels. William Blake feared the effects of industrialization and described the terrible living conditions in London. Virginia Woolf set her novel "Mrs. Dalloway" in London to examine the evils and hypocrisy of English society. Louis Stevenson's novel "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" portrayed a disappointed and economically troubled London. Oscar Wilde set "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in London to criticize the city's corruption and sins. George Orwell depicted a cold, decadent future London in his novel

1. The London Map

2. Charles Dickens
London for Charles Dickens is the most important setting, the city
is divided in 3 social levels. The first is the parochial world of the
workhouse, the people who belongs to this world are insensible
and hypocritical. The second is the criminal world, in which there
are all the criminals who are forced to break the laws because of
the poverty of the time, those criminals often live in slums and they
usually die in a miserable way. The last level is represented by the
victorian-middle class, which appeared to believe in human rights
and in human dignity.

3. William Blake
William Blake is one of the most famous English poet, his
works are very much focused on London and the link between
the city and the corruption of the humanity. He fears the
Industrial Revolution because, in his opinion, it corrupts human
beings and he decides to defend the people who are
annihilated by the Industrial Revolution. In “London”, one of his
most famous poem, he describes the city and the evils of the
industrialization. In “London”, Blake also describes the terrific
conditions of living in London and the corruption of his time,
which was a cancer for the society.

4. Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf like many other writers, decides to set one of
her most famous novel in London. The novel is “Mrs
Dalloway”, and is the narration of a particular day on the life of
Clarissa Dalloway, who revives old feelings linked to the city
and to the theme of war. In this novel Virginia describes the
product of the English society and Clarissa is the reincarnation
of all the evils and the hypocrisy that are part of the London of
her time.

5. Louis Stevenson
Louis Stevenson is a Scottish writer, his life wasn’t easy at all.
Since he is little his health is fragile and because of that he
spent most of his childhood in bed, then he travelled a lot
trying to find a chill place to live. His most iconic novel is “The
strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”, which is set in
London, this novel develops the theme of the double and this
novel is a sort of representation of the disappointment of the
english society related to the Darwin’s discoveries. That’s why
he set the story in a London disappointed and in serious
danger because of the economic crisis.

6. Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde is one of the most writer of all time, he lived an
enviable life, success and notoriety where a big part of his life.
He was an esthete, and he believe in the concept of “Art for
Art’s Sake”. He wrote many novels, one in particular ; “The
Picture of Dorian Gray”, in which he added the theme of the
double. The story is set in London and is a complaint to the
corruption and sins of the city, the moral of the novel is that
every excess must be punished and reality can’t be escaped.

7. George Orwell
George Orwell was born in India but for all his life he lived in
England and, thanks to his experiences, he wrote many
successful novels. One in particular is “1984”, set in London, in
which he describes the city “of the future” like a cold and
decadent city. This novel is an opposition towards all the
totalitarian regimes that controlled every single human being
under their control. This novel is also a sort of provocation
towards the english intellighenzia, that he reputed far from his
ideals.