Melissa Simon Blog 1


Melissa Simon's Blog 1 - Feb. 25, 2019 - Seven Dials
A place we traveled to that was intriguing to me was Seven Dials. Having completed the Charles Dickens’ reading prior to the excursion, I was truly able to comprehend his detailed explanation of the place. As soon as we arrived, I knew I was “lost” in the maze to which Dickens was referring. Since his novel was written in the 1830s, I was surprised that I would have described the physical construction of the place in the exact same way, as if nothing had changed since Dickens’ time. However, there were other characteristics of Seven Dials that Dickens described, mainly the excessive “bewilderment” and “quarrel” amongst the people, that was not as apparent to me. Dickens stated, “The stranger who finds himself in ‘The Dials’ for the first time, and stands Belzonilike, at the entrance of seven obscure passages, uncertain which to take, will see enough around him to keep his curiosity and attention awake…” (Dickens, 2). When we got to Seven Dials, I truly felt as if I was exploring a complicated maze. The narrow streets reminded me of an array of caves leading to different destinations. The sun dial in the middle of the streets, which “dart in all directions,” seemed to act as a meeting point if one got lost. While I certainly disappeared within the confusing maze, the sun dial acted as my safe haven that I could always turn to when I needed to find my bearings. While Dickens’ illustration of Sun Dials as a maze truly resonated with me, I did not necessarily notice the constant arguing and conflict amongst the people that Dickens described. Dickens explained that “the peculiar character of these streets…by no means tends to decrease the bewilderment.” He then preceded to describe the flaws of the place, such as the constant quarrel and gossip and the extremely dirty streets. Dickens creates a drastic contrast between the unique construction and “immortalization” of Seven Dials on the exterior and the imperfection of the community itself on the interior. Dickens focuses on the impoverished people in the unsanitary town, touching on the theme of class distinction. When I visited the area, I saw people minding their own business, yet frantically rushing to their destinations. The busy traffic around the sun dial also contributed to the cluttered streets. On the other hand, I also noticed more relaxed people who were enjoying the outdoors as they strolled. I did not see any outward quarrel as Dickens described, but it made me ponder whether I was just seeing the perfect exterior presentation. While it is often difficult to notice people’s hardships from simply looking at them from the outside, everyone has their own internal issues. The construction of Sun Dials has a unique beauty to it, but perhaps it hides the imperfections and struggles of the individuals of urbanized London who are overwhelmed by the workforce.

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