Charles Dickens's novels and the popular songs of their time

Literary criticism often neglects intertexts drawn from popular signs and, conversely, specialists of popular culture seldom study canonical literature. The reason for this mutual distrust is probably partly related to the fact that popular songs are associated with the idea of lowbrow culture while literature is related to the notion of highbrow culture. However, one of the specificities of Dickens's writing is that it transcends these divides, since it is both firmly anchored in the literary canon and strongly influenced by forms of popular literature, such as melodrama, tales or songs. Any attempt to ignore the links between Dickens's novels and popular culture is therefore tantamount to missing one of the essential aspects of this work. In the musical field, Dickens was particularly influenced by the popular songs and ballads of his time. These musical references are woven into the very texture of his novels. The novelist also refers to other musical forms and references, such as the opera, but these latter forms are secondary compared to the importance of popular songs and ballads in his writing. The aim of this study is to show how the novelist inserts these popular musical forms and references into his novels and to analyse the impact and the function of these insertions.