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Dream Children by Charles Lamb, Study notes of English Literature

This passage is from Charles Lamb's essay, “Dream Children: A Reverie”. The essay narrates Lamb's reflections on his childhood, family, and memories through the imagined conversation he has with his two imaginary children, Alice and John. James Elia, which is Charles Lamb’s pen name, is telling a story to his imaginary children, Alice and John. They ask him about their great-grandmother, Mrs. Field, and the large house she lived in.

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2023/2024

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Dream Children: A Reverie
-Charles Lamb
This passage is from Charles Lamb's essay, “Dream Children: A Reverie”. The
essay narrates Lamb's reflections on his childhood, family, and memories
through the imagined conversation he has with his two imaginary children,
Alice and John.
James Elia, which is Charles Lamb’s pen name, is telling a story to his
imaginary children, Alice and John. They ask him about their great-
grandmother, Mrs. Field, and the large house she lived in.
Mrs. Field, their great-grandmother, was not the owner but the caretaker of a
grand house. The actual owner had built a newer, more fashionable house and
left the old one in Mrs. Field’s care. Elia describes the charm and beauty of this
house from his childhood. He mentions a carved chimney piece that told the
story of two orphaned children from the “Ballad of the Children in the Wood”,
whose cruel uncle left them in the woods to die. The ghosts of these children
were rumoured to haunt the house, though Mrs. Field wasn’t afraid of them
because she believed they were innocent souls.
Mrs. Field was a tall, graceful, and strong woman. Even though she suffered
from cancer, which caused her pain, she remained brave and kind-hearted. She
wasn’t scared of sleeping alone in the big, supposedly haunted house, unlike
Elia, who admits he was too frightened to do so.
Mrs. Field was so loved and respected by many people that her funeral was
well-attended. Elia describes her grace, and while he talks about her ability to
dance, Alice, his imaginary daughter, makes a small dancing movement with her
feet. He praises Mrs. Field’s courage and faith, contrasting it with his own fears.
Elia recalls how his grandmother allowed him and his brother to play in the
large gardens during the holidays. He loved wandering around the house and the
gardens, sometimes staring at the marble statues of the Twelve Caesars until
they felt alive. While he enjoyed the beauty of the place, other children would
have focused on the fruits in the garden, like grapes. Hearing this, John, who
was about to eat grapes, puts them down, feeling embarrassed.
Elia talks about his uncle, John L., who was strong, handsome, and Mrs. Field's
favourite. He was a skilled horseman and joined the hunters. Elia was lame-
footed and would often be carried on John L.'s back for long distances.
However, John L. also became lame later in life, and Elia regretted not being as
kind to his brother as John L. had been to him. When John L. passed away, Elia
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Dream Children: A Reverie

-Charles Lamb

This passage is from Charles Lamb's essay, “Dream Children: A Reverie”. The essay narrates Lamb's reflections on his childhood, family, and memories through the imagined conversation he has with his two imaginary children, Alice and John. James Elia, which is Charles Lamb’s pen name, is telling a story to his imaginary children, Alice and John. They ask him about their great- grandmother, Mrs. Field, and the large house she lived in. Mrs. Field, their great-grandmother, was not the owner but the caretaker of a grand house. The actual owner had built a newer, more fashionable house and left the old one in Mrs. Field’s care. Elia describes the charm and beauty of this house from his childhood. He mentions a carved chimney piece that told the story of two orphaned children from the “Ballad of the Children in the Wood”, whose cruel uncle left them in the woods to die. The ghosts of these children were rumoured to haunt the house, though Mrs. Field wasn’t afraid of them because she believed they were innocent souls. Mrs. Field was a tall, graceful, and strong woman. Even though she suffered from cancer, which caused her pain, she remained brave and kind-hearted. She wasn’t scared of sleeping alone in the big, supposedly haunted house, unlike Elia, who admits he was too frightened to do so. Mrs. Field was so loved and respected by many people that her funeral was well-attended. Elia describes her grace, and while he talks about her ability to dance, Alice, his imaginary daughter, makes a small dancing movement with her feet. He praises Mrs. Field’s courage and faith, contrasting it with his own fears. Elia recalls how his grandmother allowed him and his brother to play in the large gardens during the holidays. He loved wandering around the house and the gardens, sometimes staring at the marble statues of the Twelve Caesars until they felt alive. While he enjoyed the beauty of the place, other children would have focused on the fruits in the garden, like grapes. Hearing this, John, who was about to eat grapes, puts them down, feeling embarrassed. Elia talks about his uncle, John L., who was strong, handsome, and Mrs. Field's favourite. He was a skilled horseman and joined the hunters. Elia was lame- footed and would often be carried on John L.'s back for long distances. However, John L. also became lame later in life, and Elia regretted not being as kind to his brother as John L. had been to him. When John L. passed away, Elia

didn’t immediately feel much sorrow, but over time, he realized how deeply he missed him. As Elia talks about John L., the children ask him to stop and talk about their mother, Alice. Lamb reflects on courting a beautiful woman, possibly based on Ann Simmons, whom he loved. As he continues, he notices that Alice and John are fading away, and he suddenly realizes they aren’t real—they aren’t his children at all. Elia wakes up from his daydream in his bachelor chair, realizing it was all just a dream, and he is left alone, unmarried, with no children. This essay highlights Lamb's nostalgia for his lost loved ones and childhood, blending reality and imagination to evoke a deep sense of longing and regret.

Analysis:

Charles Lamb's essay “Dream Children: A Reverie” is a personal reflection on his unfulfilled wishes and deep emotions. In a simple and conversational style, Lamb uses the stream of consciousness technique, which means he writes his thoughts as they come, mixing reality and imagination. He tells a story to two imaginary children, Alice and John, switching between the real world, where he sits in his chair, and the dream world of his memories. Although there’s humour, the essay mainly expresses feelings of nostalgia, regret, and sadness. Lamb remembers his childhood at his grandmother Mrs. Field's house, thinking about her death from cancer and the early death of his brother, John. He also talks about his sister Mary, called "faithful Bridget," who never married due to her mental health struggles and was his only companion in life. The essay shows Lamb's unfulfilled wish to marry Ann Simmons, who married someone else, leaving Lamb single. The imaginary children represent his deep desire for a family, but by the end, he realizes they don’t exist—they were just part of his daydream. The title "Dream Children" reflects his longing for children he never had. The humour fades, and the essay ends with a sad truth: Lamb’s loneliness.

Key Themes and Points in Dream Children: A Reverie:

Nostalgia : o Lamb reflects on his childhood at his grandmother Mrs. Field’s house. o His memories evoke a longing for the past and those he loved.