While he lived through this era, Dickens didn't shy away from exposing its darker aspects. He focused on:
* Social inequality: The stark divide between the rich and the poor, especially in London.
* Poverty and deprivation: The plight of the working class, including child labor and the unsanitary living conditions.
* Corruption and exploitation: The injustices faced by the vulnerable, particularly in institutions like the legal system and the workhouse.
* Hypocrisy and materialism: The superficiality and moral decay he saw in Victorian society.
His novels like "Oliver Twist," "A Tale of Two Cities," and "Hard Times" vividly depict these issues, using characters and storylines to evoke empathy and ignite social change.