Charles Dickens

2379 Words10 Pages
Biographical Summary
Charles Dickens is one of the most influential writers in history and was “born in Landport, now part of Portsmouth, on February 7th, 1812”(Priestly 5). Despite being the successful writer that he was in life, Dickens had very humble beginnings and because his Father, John Huffman Dickens, “lacked the money to support his family adequetly” , Dickens lived in poverty through out most of his childhood (Collins). Matters only got worse, however, when Dickens’s Father had to “spen[d] time in prison for debt” causing Dickens to have to “work in a London factory pasting labels on bottles of shoe polish” (Collins). It was a horrible experience for him, but it also helped him to no doubt feel pity for the poor, which is prominent in his novel Oliver Twist with his sympathizing with the down trod characters in their sad conditions and the mocking of the people and rules that put them there. It should also be noted that in Oliver Twist most of the poor characters that the reader is supposed to sympathize with are young boys, such as the character Oliver Twist and young Dick, which demonstrates how most experiences and events that Dickens characters go through are very similar to his own, making his writing seem more real and genuine at times. Charles Dickens did not receive much education and only went to school “until he was fifteen and then [left] for good” (Collins). He did not stop learning though, and continued to use his every day experiences to enhance his writing. Dickens also had many literary authors that aided him in his writing, such “as William Shakespeare, Tobias Smollett, and Henry Fielding” who were also all very famous English writers (Collins). By using these authors works as teaching tools, Dicke...

... middle of paper ...

...raised himself up by teaching himself to write great literary works through trial and error. He was not afraid to experiment with new characters and themes and this is shown prominently in “Oliver Twist” with him trying many ideas which makes him the great writer people know him as today.

Work Cited
Bloom, Harold. Charles Dickens. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. Print.
Collins, K. K. "Dickens, Charles." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 2003. Print.
Hobsbaum, Philip. A reader's guide to Charles Dickens. [1st American ed. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1972. Print.
Lepore, Jill. "Dickens in Eden." New Yorker. 29 Aug 2011: 52. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 03 Nov 2013.
Priestley, J. B.. Charles Dickens: a pictorial biography. New York: Viking Press, 1962. Print.
Show More
Related

  • Charles Dickens

    1506 Words  | 7 Pages

    John’s overwhelming addiction to gambling resulted in the loss of household income and left his family in poverty (Merriman 1). In 1824 he was arrested for debt, and imprisoned at the Marshalsea Prison (Haines 6). Throughout his childhood, Dickens was always stable and happy (Merriman 1). He attended Giles Academy in Chatham for about one year. Later, he attended the Wellington House Academy in London.

    Read More

  • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

    996 Words  | 4 Pages

    To understand the difficulty of Dickens’ childhood is to understand why his writing focuses on the English social structure. Dickens’ life revolved around social standing. He was born in the lower class but wasn’t miserable. After his father fell into tremendous debt he was forced into work at a young age. He had to work his way to a higher social standing.

    Read More

  • Dickens' Great Expectations: Theme Analysis

    2378 Words  | 10 Pages

    New York: Morrow Publishing. Orwell, G. (n.d.). Charles Dickens. Retrieved 2011 йил 16th-February from The Literature Network: http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/orwell_dickens/ Slater, M. (1983). Dickens and Women.

    Read More

  • Dickens' Social Commentary in Great Expectations

    1868 Words  | 8 Pages

    Priestley, J.B. Charles Dickens and His World. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1961.

    Read More

  • The Biography of Charles Dickens

    755 Words  | 4 Pages

    Web. 04 Nov. 2013. "Charles Dickens' Biography." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d.

    Read More

  • A Tale of One Man

    877 Words  | 4 Pages

    Print. “Charles Dickens.” 2013. The Biography Channel website. Dec. 10 2013, 09:39. “Dickens, Charles.” Compton’s by Britannica.

    Read More

  • Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations

    1216 Words  | 5 Pages

    Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. Dickens, Charles.

    Read More

  • Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

    1451 Words  | 6 Pages

    March 29, 2014. Leone, Bruno. Readings on Charles Dickens. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. Print.

    Read More

  • The Amazing John Steinbeck

    711 Words  | 3 Pages

    "About.com Classic Literature. Penguin 1986. Web. 9 Dec 2013. "John Steinbeck."

    Read More

  • Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dikens

    1511 Words  | 7 Pages

    March 29, 2014. Leone, Bruno. Readings on Charles Dickens. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. Print.

    Read More

More about Charles Dickens

Open Document