Quote:
Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze
Although Dickens' admirers (and many credible historians) attribute social reform as both the primary motive for and the ultimate effect of his work, Dickens himself did not explore any constructive alternatives to the grim industrial world he portrayed
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Perhaps not in his novels, but don't forget that Dickens was also a journalist and the editor of several newspapers and magazines over the course of his career, and in his journalism he assuredly did campaign for social reforms such as universal education, working conditions for industrial workers, and the abolition of capital punishment.
I would also suggest that by bringing social problems into the public view in his novels, he was extremely influential in bringing about change, even if he didn't suggest solutions to those problems in the novels themselves. The classic example of that is the abolition of the infamous "Yorkshire Schools" that Dickens highlighted in his novel "Nicholas Nickleby". The public exposure of these dreadful places in the novel led directly to Acts of Parliament which resulted in their closure.