Mistaken Identities and Other Failures of Observation: Thematic Unity in Sketches by Boz

Abstract: Traditionally, Dickens's Sketches by Boz has been analyzed by scholars as exactly what it appears to be – distinct, individual works, each having their own separate thematic import and purpose. Alternatively, Sketches by Boz has often been read through the analytical "hobby-horses" of each individual scholar (e.g. " Sketches by Boz and Theater," " Sketches by Boz and Authorship," " Sketches by Boz and the Law," etc.). However, as insightful as these readings are, none of them gets to the heart of the work itself. Is it possible that a work with such a fragmented nature can have a central, unifying theme? I argue that it can, and that the theme running through the entirety of the Sketches is that of repeated failures of observation. These failures occur in every one of the fifty-six sketches, and can be categorized according to their type as "Perception," "Deception," and "Imitation."