Who Was Charles Dickens?:
Charles Dickens was a British novelist, journalist, editor, illustrator, and social commentator who wrote such beloved classic novels as Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.
Early life and Education:
Dickens was born Charles John Huffam Dickens on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, on the southern coast of England. The famed British author was the second of eight children. His father, John Dickens, was a naval clerk who dreamed of striking it rich. Charles' mother, Elizabeth Barrow, aspired to be a teacher and school director. Despite his parents’ best efforts, the family remained poor. Nevertheless, they were happy in the early days. In 1816, they moved to Chatham, Kent, where young Dickens and his siblings were free to roam the countryside and explore the old castle at Rochester. In 1822, the Dickens family moved to Camden Town, a poor neighbourhood in London. By then the family’s financial situation had grown dire, as John Dickens had a dangerous habit of living beyond the family’s means.
Journalist, Editor, and Illustrator:
Within a year of being hired, Dickens began freelance reporting at the law courts of London. Just a few years later, he was reporting for two major London newspapers. In 1833, he began submitting sketches to various magazines and newspapers under the pseudonym Boz. In 1836, his clippings were published in his first book, Sketches by Boz.
Children:
Dickens married Catherine Hogarth soon after his first book, Sketches by Boz, was published. The couple had a brood of 10 children. During the 1850s, Dickens suffered two devastating losses: the deaths of his daughter and father. He also separated from his wife in 1858.
Works:
'Oliver Twist' Oliver Twist, Dickens's first novel, follows the life of an orphan living in the streets. The book was inspired by how Dickens felt as an impoverished child forced to get by on his wits and earn his own keep. 'A Christmas Carol' On December 19, 1843, Dickens published A Christmas Carol. The book features the timeless protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge, a curmudgeonly old miser, who, with the help of ghosts, finds the Christmas spirit. Dickens penned the book in just six weeks, beginning in October and finishing just in time for the holiday celebrations. 'Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son' 'David Copperfield' 'Bleak House' 'Hard Times' Hard Times takes place in an industrial town at the peak of economic expansion. 'A Tale of Two Cities' 'Great Expectations
Other Novels:
After the publication of Oliver Twist, Dickens struggled to match the level of its success. From 1838 to 1841, he published The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop, and Barnaby Rudge.
Society:
The society was divided into two classes:
- Upper class: occupied eighty percent of England since it was divided into two parts: middle class and rich
In the upper-class people had a job and a lot of lands
- Lower class: It was the poor class, people worked in the mines, as housewives, as servants ...
Children from the age of 4 were wanted to be trained to work in places such as textile industries
The style of dickens:
Dickens's style is flowery and poetic, with a strong comic touch.
But he also speaks easily of serious things like poverty and hunger.
For example, in Oliver twist, he speaks about a child who has no parents and works as a servant until one day he gets tired of being treated badly and leaves London