Charles Dickens
A Biography
Early Years
- Father went to prison for debt, followed by the rest of his family.
- Charles was forced to work in a factory for months to pay his family's debts
- Work experience left him mentally scarred for life
- Started his career by publishing "sketches", which were brief, informal stories and essays for newspapers and magazines.
- First publication was Sketches by Boz.
Sketches by Boz
Published in 1836, Dickens first published work.
Charles Dickens
Considered one of, if not the best, English author.
Dickens' Most Popular Works
A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, etc.
Writings
Style
- Wrote all his major works installments, which gave readers a cheap source of literature and him a steady flow of income.
- The Arabian Nights was probably the largest influence on his writing.
- Developed his characters through actions in the plot rather than dialogue and description.
- Created idealized characters and sentimentalized scenes to contrast with his ugly social truths and caricatures.
- Very critical of poverty and social stratification in Victorian society, "Virtue shows quite as well in rags and patches as she does in purple and fine linen"
- Deeply unhappy with England's monarchy and corruption.
- Frequently focused on the theme of corruption.