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Equality Everyone who writes about Dickens and Tocqueville first and foremost start with quotation. Both authors do have many brilliant sayings and, therefore, nothing can prevent us from doing the same. Tocqueville claims that the history can be compared to the art gallery with few originals and plenty of copies. We prefer examining originals, so Tocqueville's and Dickens American experiences may be examined as the most contradictory books that have so much in common. Both authors came to the same conclusion (although it was expressed in different words): democracy is a perfect instrument but should be used cautiously due to a simple reason: improper use by improper hands can spoil the most brilliant idea.
Both writers were realistic and practical people, who built their hypotheses on the basis of rich historical information and facts of those days. This quality combined with deep and thorough analysis of inquire into questions brought the authors world recognition. Tocqueville was more optimistic in relation to the concepts of American democracy. He considered that the basic equality of citizens is very important. The development of equality is a providential fact that has all signs of it: it exists all over the world, it constantly develops and becomes stronger and stronger, and all people and events serve to its development. Tocqueville rationalistically claims that the aims of equality along with the democracy are more useful compared to aristocracy.
Equality corresponds to the principle of social justice that has an objective to achieve welfare for at least the majority of citizens. Democratic laws emanate from the vast majority of citizens. The citizens can make mistakes, but cannot have interests that are in counter position to themselves. Aristocracy guarantees welfare for the minority of citizens. Although the member of democratic society is poorer than aristocrat, democratic nation is stronger due to the principles of equality.
At the same time, aristocracy has more advantages in relation to public administration and legislation: it has far-reaching designs and is able to retain them until there will be a good chance for accomplishment. In contrast to it, democratic principles are almost always unsatisfactory and untimely, thats why democracy often works against itself. Finally, as far as democracy can easily be a plaything of political passions, it is very important to protect it from dangers. According to Tocqueville, democratic power allows even the poorest citizens having an idea of political rights, as well as allocation of wealth allows all members of society having an idea of property.
Nevertheless, Tocqueville was not the only writer, who was interested whether such rough equality will be retained in conditions of industrial system growth, when society divides into industrial workers and new entrepreneurial elite. Other people were shocked by rapid growth and huge vital force of America rich in original evidences of economic blossom and rapid growth of agriculture, commerce and public works. Yet, others were not so optimistic. Charles Dickens had quite skeptical attitude concerning American experiment of democracy and equality. Dickens observed the things that made him upset very much. He tried to find honest people, bound together in the sacred names of Liberty and Freedom (Dickens, 1996).
Instead he saw only the wheels that move the meanest perversion of virtuous Political Machinery that the worst tools ever wrought (Dickens, 1996). According to Dickens, America turned out to be not the republic he expected to see. The more he thought about it youth and strength, the worse and useless it was. Dickens considered that all things America is proud of, except of education and care of poor children, are much lower than the pedestal America occupied in his thoughts.
So, no wonder that the writer believed that American society with its claims to support social and political equality, will fail. America generated feelings and expectations that didnt correspond to its more compound and prosaic reality. The spacious lands and cultural differences put obstacles on the way of generalization and created contradictions: America was both the country of freedom and slavery, democracy and whimsical byword of iniquity. Sources: Dickens, C. (1996). American Notes. Modern Library.
Tocqueville, A. d. (2000). Democracy in America. New York: Perennial Classics.
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