Charles Dickens
"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing so irresistibly contagious as laughter."
Childhood
Charles Dickens childhood was not a perfect childhood. Born on February 7, 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens his life was not the best but a middle class life. Twelve years after his birth his dad was imprisoned for a debt. He was sent to Marshalsea prison, and his family soon joined him except for Charles. Charles was sent to work at the factory that would mark his life forever, the Warren's Blacking Factory. After the family was released Dickens wanted to get out of the factory but his mother insisted that he should stay at the factory. This made and ever bigger wound on Dickens heart, but his father decided that it would be better if he went back to school. Dickens attended a school in London and at age of fifteen he got a job as a office boy for an attorney. In 1829, at age seventeen he became a reporter at Doctor's Commons Court. Three years later, in 1832 he became a successful shorthand reporter for Parliamentary debates at the House of Commons, that same year he worked as a newspaper reporter.
Post Childhood
In 1834, Charles became a political journalist. Two years later, on April 2nd 1836, he married Catherine Thomson Hogarth. Together they had ten children. Catherine's sister Mary entered Dickens's household to offer support to her newly married sister and brother-in-law. It was not normal for a woman's unwed sister to live with and help a newly married couple. Dickens became very attached to Mary, and she died after a brief illness in his arms in 1837. She became a character in many of his books. During this time, he was an editor, but he continued to work on his novels. He wrote Oliver Twist (1837–39), Nicholas Nickleby (1838–39), The Old Curiosity Shop and, lastly, Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty as part of the Master Humphrey's Clock series (1840–41)—all which were published in monthly installments before being made into books.
In 1856, his popularity allowed him to buy Gad's Hill Place. It had been his dream home since he was an young boy. In 1858, Dickens separated from his wife. Divorce for someone of his status was unthinkable back then. He continued to financially support her long after the divorce.
On June 9, 1865 Charles was involved in the Staplehurst rail crash. His cart was the only one that was safe from the accident. He spent time helping hurt passengers before rescuers arrived. He later used this memory in one of his short stories. Even though Dickens was not hurt from the crash, he never fully mentally recovered.
He spent his next few years doing public readings of his favorite novels. He continued this until one day he collapsed, showing signs of a mild stroke. At this time the readings stopped, but he started writing a new novel. On June 8, 1870 he suffered from another stroke. He died at Gad's Hill Place the next day, exactly five years from the day of the Staplehurst accident.
Gad's Hill Place
Legacy
Charles Dickens left behind an amazing reputation. Many of his novels are classics and many schools still require students to read them. Dickens is one of the most famous and most read English authors. Over 180 motion pictures and TV productions have been based on Dickens work, the most popular one being A Christmas Carol, with new adaptions being made almost every year. Novelist still to this day are influenced by his work.
Topics/ Themes of Charles Dickens books:
- The death of children
- Suffering of the Orphans
- Families in jails
- murder/ mystery
- greed/ wealth
- spiritless / hope/ love
Fiction Books :
The Pickwick Papers (1837) "Man is but mortal: and there is a point beyond which human courage cannot extend." - " Ven you're a married man, Samivel, you'll understand a good many things as you don't understand now; but vether it's worthwhile, goin' through so much, to learn so little, as the charity-boy said ven he got to the end of the alphavet, is a matter o' taste."
Oliver Twist (1838) : "Surprises, like misfortunes, seldom come alone."
Nicholas Nickleby (1839): Pride is one of the seven deadly sins; but it cannot be the pride of a mother in her children, for that is a compound of two cardinal virtues -- faith and hope. *
The Old Curiosity Shop:(1841) "If ever household affections and loves are graceful things, they are graceful in the poor. The ties that bind the wealthy and the proud to home may be forged on earth, but those which link the poor man to his humble hearth are of the truer metal and bear the stamp of Heaven."
Barnaby Rudge (1841) " Father Time is not always a hard parent ... often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigour. With such people the gray head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calender of a well- spent life."
Dombey and Son (1848) "Vices are sometimes only virtues carried to excess!"
David Copperfield (1850) "... accidents will occur in the best-regulated families..." - " Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery."
Bleak House :(1853) "... I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free. Mankind will surely not deny to Harold Skimpole what it concedes to the butterflies." - " I will die here where I have walked. And I will walk here, though I am in my grave. I will walk here until the pride of this house is humbled."
Hard Times (1854) " NOW what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!"
Little Dorrit (1857) " And from that hour his poor maimed spirit, only remembering the place where it had broken its wings, cancelled the dream through which it had since groped, and knew of nothing beyond the Marshalsea." - " Her look at her father, half admiring him and proud of him, half ashamed for him, all devoted and loving, went to his inmost heart."
A Tale of Two Cities (1859)" It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,we had nothing before us we had everything before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were ll going direct the other way."
Great Expectations (1861) " Now I return to this young fellow. And the communication I have got to make is, that he has great expectations." - "That man after looking at me for a moment, turned me upside down, and emptied my pockets. There was nothing in them but a piece of bread." - "... suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used yo be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope- into a better shape."
Our Mutual Friend (1864) " I have made up my mind that I must have money, Pa. I feel that I can't beg it, borrow it, or steal it; and so I have resolved that I must marry it."
Last novel by Charles ( since he not able to finish because he died while writing the 22 chapter)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870) " I know swear, and record the oath on this page, That I nevermore will discuss this mystery with any human creature until I hold the clue to it in my hand. That I never will relax in my secrecy or in my search. That I will fasten the crime of the murder of my dear dead boy upon the murderer. And, That I devote myself to his destruction."
Christmas Books:
- A Christmas Carol (1843): "It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas,when its mighty Founder was a child himself"
- The Chimes (1844) " There's nothing more regular in its coming round than dinner- time. and nothing less regular in its coming round than dinner."
- The Cricket on the Hearth (1845) -----
- The Battle of Life ( 1846) : " there are quit victories and struggles, great sacrafices of self ... done every day in nooks and corners, little house holds and in men's and women's hearts - any of which might reconcile the sternest man to sucha world, and fill him with belief and hope in it ..."
- The Hunted Man and The Ghost 's Bargain (1848) "I saw her, in the fire, but now. I hear her in music, in the wind, in the dead stillness of the night,"
Bibliography
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