His Life
Charles Dickens is much loved for his great contribution to classic
English literature. He was the quintessential Victorian author. His epic
stories, vivid characters and exhaustive depiction of contemporary life are
unforgettable.
His own story is one of rags to riches. He was born in
Portsmouth on 7 February 1812, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. The good fortune
of being sent to school at the age of nine was short-lived because his father,
inspiration for the character of Mr Micawber in 'David Copperfield', was
imprisoned for bad debt. The entire family, apart from Charles, were sent to
Marshalsea along with their patriarch. Charles was sent to work in Warren's
blacking factory and endured appalling conditions as well as loneliness and
despair. After three years he was returned to school, but the experience was never
forgotten and became fictionalized in two of his better-known novels 'David
Copperfield' and 'Great Expectations'.
Like many others, he began his literary career as a
journalist. His own father became a reporter and Charles began with the
journals 'The Mirror of Parliament' and 'The True Sun'. Then in 1833 he became
parliamentary journalist for The Morning Chronicle. With new contacts in the
press he was able to publish a series of sketches under the pseudonym 'Boz'. In
April 1836, he married Catherine Hogarth, daughter of George Hogarth who edited
'Sketches by Boz'. Within the same month came the publication of the highly
successful 'Pickwick Papers', and from that point on there was no looking back
for Dickens.
As well as a huge list of novels he published autobiography,
edited weekly periodicals including 'Household Words' and 'All Year Round',
wrote travel books and administered charitable organisations. He was also a
theatre enthusiast, wrote plays and performed before Queen Victoria in 1851.
His energy was inexhaustible and he spent much time abroad - for example
lecturing against slavery in the United States and touring Italy with
companions Augustus Egg and Wilkie Collins, a contemporary writer who inspired Dickens'
final unfinished novel 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood'.
He was estranged from his wife in 1858 after the birth of
their ten children, but maintained relations with his mistress, the actress
Ellen Ternan. He died of a stroke in 1870. He is buried at Westminster Abbey.
His Work
Wondering what books Dickens wrote? He was the author of 15
novels. (However, one of those is incomplete.) He also wrote short stories,
essays, articles and novellas.
The Pickwick Papers – 1836
The Pickwick Papers, also known as The Posthumous Papers of
the Pickwick Club, was the first novel of Charles Dickens. It was published by Chapman & Hall in monthly
installments from March of 1836 until November 1837. Dickens worked a very serious subject into comedic Pickwick
Papers, that of the injustice of the justice system.
Oliver Twist – 1837
The second novel of Charles Dickens was Oliver Twist. The
first edition had a longer title, Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. It was initially published in monthly installments that
began in February of 1837 and ended in April of 1839. The character Fagin was named after Bob Fagin, a fellow
employee that young Charles Dickens met when he worked at a blacking factory.
Nicholas Nickleby – 1838
The first installment of Nicholas Nickleby was published in
March 31, 1838 and the last installment was published in October 1, 1839. Dickens’s mother, Elizabeth Dickens, was the model for the
always-confused Mrs. Nickleby. Luckily for Charles she didn’t recognize herself
in the character. In fact, she asked someone if they “really believed there
ever was such a woman”.
The Old Curiosity Shop – 1840
The Old Curiosity Shop was published in installments in the periodical,
Master Humphrey’s Clock. The first installment was printed in April of 1840 and
the last was printed in February of 1841. Dickens was traumatized by the death of the book’s
character, Little Nell. As he was writing the novel he felt as though he were
experiencing the death of one of his children. It also brought back painful
memories of the death of his sister-in-law, Mary Hogarth.
Barnaby Rudge – 1841
Barnaby Rudge was published in installments from February to
November of 1841. It appeared in the magazine Master Humphrey’s Clock. The historical novel is set during the Gordon Riots of 1780.
Martin Chuzzlewit – 1843
Martin Chuzzlewit was first published by Chapman & Hall
in installments that began in January of 1843 and ran through July of 1844. The novel was written after Dickens traveled to America in
1842. The trip left Dickens with a very unfavorable impression of the United
States.
Dombey and Son – 1846
Dombey and Son was first published in installments that
began in 1846 and ran through 1848. Dickens gave a reading of the first installment of Dombey to
some of his friends. It went very well and gave Dickens the idea of doing
public readings.
David Copperfield – 1849
David Copperfield, Dickens’s eighth novel, was first
published as a serial. The first installment was published in May of 1849. The
last installment was issued in November of 1850. David Copperfield held a special place in Dickens’s heart.
In the preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens wrote, “like many fond parents, I
have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David
Copperfield.”
Bleak House – 1852
Bleak House was published in installments from March 1852
through September 1853. This novel has the distinction of being perhaps the only
work of classic literature featuring a character that dies by spontaneous
combustion.
Hard Times – 1854
The novel first appeared in Dickens’s Weekly periodical,
Household Words. Hard Times was published in installments that began in April
of 1854 and ran through August of 1854. Hard Times takes an unsympathetic look at Utilitarianism.
This no-nonsense movement relied heavily on statistics, rules and regulations.
Little Dorrit – 1855
Little Dorrit was published in installments from December of
1855 through June of 1857. The Marshalsea debtors’ prison plays a large part in Little
Dorrit. What very few people knew was that Dickens’s father had been sent to
Marshalsea for three months.
A Tale of Two Cities – 1859
The first chapters of A Tale of Two Cities appeared in print
in April of 1859. The last chapter was printed in November of that same year. A play, The Frozen Deep, was the inspiration for A Tale of
Two Cities. Not only did the play give Dickens the idea for A Tale of Two
Cities, it brought about lasting changes to Dickens’s life in the form of Ellen
Ternan.
Great Expectations – 1860
Great Expectations was initially published in All the Year
Round, a weekly periodical founded and owned by Charles Dickens. There were
nine monthly installments, running from December of 1860 until August 1861. In the novel Pip, like Dickens himself, dreams of becoming a
gentleman. However, Pip comes to realize that there is more to life than wealth
and station.
Our Mutual Friend – 1864
Our Mutual Friend is the last novel that Charles Dickens
completed before his death. An interesting feature of the novel is its focus on the
“dust” business.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood – 1870
The Mystery of Edwin Drood was the fifteenth novel of
Charles Dickens. Dickens was only halfway finished with the book when he died.
Rene Roustand
ReplyDeleteI learned that Charles Dickens loved to be a troublemaker. It suprised me because for an important author to be causing trouble is unheard of. What I expect to see in Oliver Twist is to see a villian named Bill Sykes, because in 6th grade, me and my class were acting it out.
Davis Blanch
ReplyDeleteI learned that Charles was regarded as someone who created some of the best fictional characters ever. His whole family was sent to Marshalsea his father being in bad debt. Charles also put some of his stories in the weekly newspaper so anyone would be able to read the stories. In Oliver Twist, I expect to have many cliff hangers, very suspenseful, and emotional.
Frankie Huntress
ReplyDeleteI learned that charles dickens was a man who emnt from rags tto riches like many of his charrenters. His father was bad with money and went into jail with family and changed his life. He has a sense of humor that he puts into his books. What i expect from his books is that the main charecter is ethier a orpihine from any class a poor boy but the main chareture is in a pitiful situation.There were nine monthly installments, running from December of 1860 until August 1861.The Marshalsea debtors’ prison plays a large part in Little Dorrit.. Hard Times takes an unsympathetic look at Utilitarianism.It appeared in the magazine Master Humphrey’s Clock. The historical novel is set during the Gordon Riots of 1780.Dickens’s mother, Elizabeth Dickens, was the model for the always-confused Mrs. Nickleby. Luckily for Charles she didn’t recognize herself in the character.His energy was inexhaustible and he spent much time abroad - for example lecturing against slavery in the United States and touring Italy with companions Augustus Egg and Wilkie Collins
Evan Brenner
ReplyDeleteI learned that Charles Dickens was born in 1812, Portland, England. He was born into the middle class. His wife was Catherine Hogarth. He was first moved from Rochester to England. Then in 1922 he was transferred to London. When Dickens was 12 his father was arrested for not paying off his debt. His family was brought to prison, and he worked at a shoe polish factory. After a year they were able to get enough money to pay off the debt and they were released from prison. He then worked at a warehouse. The warehouse was tough to work at, they didn’t have much food. They got bread on Sunday which was the best thing. His first creative writing he made on his own was the “Sketches By Boz”. In 1506 he was offered to work on the Pickwick Papers. He sold 40,000 copies of it (400 usual). Everybody read Dickens novels. Some of his most famous novels are the Pickwick Papers, Nicholas Nickleby, and Oliver Twist. In the novel, I expect to see many cliffhangers and making you think about what is going to happen next.
Drew Wachtel
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I learned from watching this documentary was how bad of a person Charles Dickens was. I used to think that Charles Dickens was a really nice guy and a role model to so many people in his time. I also didn’t know that he spent a lot of his childhood in a workhouse and poor. Another thing that I learned from this documentary is that he wasn’t really happy with his life at any point in his life before I watched this I thought he was a happy person but he really isn’t. With knowing more about Charles Dickens I think his Novel Oliver twist will be about his experiences in the workhouses and how lonely he was during his childhood. Also I think it will be about him working at the factories at a young age.
Sophia Lakos
ReplyDeleteI am still learning a lot about Charles Dickens but from what I have learned so far is that he has not had the easiest life. He was faced with many challenges when he was younger, including paying for his father's mistakes. Since going through those difficult times, I think it is what shaped him into such a great writer. You have to go through hard things to be able to relate to so many people, which is what he was so good at and a big reason he was popular. Seeing his documentary I am not expecting his book to be so cheerful since he is more focused on the realism of things.
ReplyDeleteJulia Campbell
Charles was known as the last favored author of his century. He had a difficult childhood but it gave him inspiration for his novels. Since most people in his time were poor or had been poor, they related to his work. What I expect to see in Oliver Twist is an indirect representation of Charles Dickens life; I anticipate this because that's what Charles Dickens does with all his work, he portrays his world through the eyes of people around him.
Ben Worthley
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens was born in 1812. His father was an navy clerk. in the early ages Dickens loved his life. He had a loving family and a good life. His father was not the best with money. When clarls was 9 his father was demoted and moved to london. He lived in the city until his father was arrested for being in debt. In the 1800 in london it was illegal to be poor. The government set up these work houses that were like prison. When charles was 12 his family was sent to prison. At this time charles’s family had a choice to go live with them or go to work. They choose to put him to work in a shoe polish factory. After one year his father was released from prison. Charles was not in prison, he was in the factory. His mother thought it was good to keep him there so they could get more money. His father disagreed so he was sent to school. I think in Oliver Twist he will resemble some of this hard conditions in the workhouses. In the workhouse charles dickens was exposed to a lower class of people. In the first chapter we see some of these people. The old women. I think oliver Twist will be focused on the lower class of people and the world around them.
Lucy Elerath
ReplyDeleteBased on the past of this renowned writer I think we will see hardships and can expect some devastation. He did not have the easiest life but he let that change him, something I learned from the documentary is he was not a great guy but from him comes some great writes. He had a passion and he shows what he went through in them. He worked in a factory to pay off his father debt and he was originally born into the middle class but treated like the smallest class. He used cliffhangers so ensure his career was preserved so I anticipate cliffhangers in Oliver Twist.
Peyton Levental
ReplyDeleteCharles dickens was one of 12 children. He stood out compared to most of them because of his skills in acting and writing. His father was named John dickens, he was very careless with money so he spent it all and their entire family was in dept and was transferred to London in 1822. Whens Dickens was 12 his father was put into jail and they had to work off their debt. Everyone had to live in that jail except for Charles, he had to live in the factory. Charles was to work in an assembly line and I think that would be very boring and tedious. Eventually they made enough money to leave and they moved out. Dickens wanted to become an actor but that didn't work out as he intended so he used his other writing skills and then Pickwick papers was created. His writing boomed as a success and started off strong. He made 40,000 copies of first novel. Even though he was very successful with all of his books, he wasn't very kind to his wife. Overall i'm excited to read his book Oliver Twist and I expect it to be a great page turner and exciting as well to read.
Mitch Keamy
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens was born in 1812. He was born in Portsmouth, England. At 12 years old his family was sent to a workhouse, Dickens became a worker at a shoe polish factory. I knew from reading “A Christmas Carol” in seventh grade that Charles Dickens had it rough as a kid, but I was unaware of the actual conditions he was brought up in. Charles began to take interest in literature and socialized over it. The average author sold around 400 copies of their book, when dickens wrote his first bestseller, he sold 40,000 per month. He took advantage of suspense by releasing part of his novel every month and leaving each copy on a cliffhanger, encouraging his readers to buy the next.
Abhi Sharma
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned from this document is that Charles Dickens had a rough childhood. He had a rough childhood because his family couldn’t pay off their debts and went to prison. He spent most of his childhood in a workhouse to polish shoe. Also, I noticed that he didn’t really live a happy life and I thought he lived a happy life but he didn’t. I think the novel Oliver Twist is going to about the difficulties that Charles Dickens had to face in his life when he was a child.
Lucas Kaufman
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens- a captivating life lived by a man of equally captivating writings. I already knew some of the information present in the documentary from reading my copy of “Who Was Charles Dickens?”, which is actually pretty informative for a children's biography. I already knew about the financial troubles of Charles’ father, his eventual obtaining of his specific dream house, his strained relationship with his wife, and some other facts. The documentary expanded on this knowledge for me, as I never knew that Dickens had met up with his old lover an been disgusted with how she had turned out, or that he had a lifelong obsession with his deceased sister-in-law, or that his first illustrator had committed suicide- really, I didn’t know the facts that had no place in a children's book. Most of Dickens’ writings reflect these experiences, which is part of what makes his work so phenomenal. Protagonists like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield were poor orphans working in factories, much like Dickens himself (though the author was never orphaned). In reading “Oliver Twist”, I expect much of Dickens’ childhood experiences to be reflected in a way that makes the titular character relatable and fun to follow.
Jayden Cho
ReplyDelete3/24/19
Since a child, I have always loved reading classics, including many of Charles Dickens’ works. However, I have never really thought of the meaning of the story, and the possibility of whether it was based on a true story or not. First off, he was born an orphan but raised as a child in a relatively good life, with loving parents and somewhere in the middle class. However, as industrialism grew as well as alcoholic problems with his father, Charles soon had a life of despair and nothingness. However, using his creativity and ambition, as well as his emotion throughout his writing works, he became a world wide super star which changed his life. Although with this fame and fortune, he still faced many relationship problems. One thing I expect from reading Oliver Twist (again) are the constant cliffhangers, as well as lots of emotion and passion filled in the protagonist. I expect cliffhangers for it was an advertising technique used by Charles Dickens, in order for more copies to be sold. Since this story is slightly based off his own personal background, I think I will read this in a different perspective and have a much more understandable and connecting reading experience this time.