1. Charles Dickens

2. Family Life Mother – Elizabeth Barrow Father – John Dickens
Cheerful, somewhat practical
Father – John Dickens
talkative, ineffective, dramatic, and “highly skilled at amassing debts. “
a Naval clerk
Financially comfortable and then destitute
Parents were sent to a Debtors Prison
Charles was 12 years old

4. Dickens’ early years Family imprisoned for debt
Young Charles forced to work in shoe factory
Warrens Blacking Factory
Mostly self-educated
In 1827, he took a job as a legal clerk
He then worked as a reporter in courts and in Parliament

5. Married Life and Family
Catherine Hogarth: not a happy woman
9 or 10 children
Spent much of his time in London
Not a good family man
Settled down to comfortable, married, middle class life

6. Early Writing Career
He wrote short humorous sketches with pictures by Boz which became known as Pickwick Papers
Became famous in a short period of time and wildly popular among devoted readers awaiting his next installment
Gave numerous public readings for money, worldwide

7. Success as a Novelist Nickolas Nickleby1839 Oliver Twist 1839
The Old Curiosity Shop 1841
Barnaby Rudge 1841
Martin Chuzzlewitt 1843
Dombey and Son 1849
David Copperfield
Bleak House 1853
Hard Times 1854
Little Dorritt 1857
A Tale of Two Cities 1859
Great Expectations

8. Major Themes in Dickens’ fiction Many autobiographical links between life and writings of Dickens
Loneliness of childhood
Oppression of poverty
Uncertainty of love and marriage
Indifference of social institutions
Sustaining joy of family life

9. Themes (cont.) Docks (referring to people being put on trial)
Aristocracy- wealth, rich, land and power
Child labor
Family life
Lost love and unattainable women
Perseverance and sacrifice in face of untold hardships and injustice

10. Most famous successful work
A Christmas Carol
Enduring holiday favorite
Amusing elements of
supernatural,
melodrama (turmoil in real life),
humor,
and pathos (quality that arouses feelings of pity, sympathy, tenderness, or sorrow )
Extremely optimistic tale of redemption for Ebeneezer Scrooge, typical miser
Remains a sentimental classic

11. Twilight of Dickens’Career
Dickens died suddenly from a stroke in June, 1870
His death was mourned by thousands when he was buried at Westminster Abbey five days after his death

12. The Victorian Period Queen Victoria 1819-1901
At the age of 18 Victoria inherited the throne, she reigned for 64 years
“The sun never sets on the Queen’s empire”
the power and influence of Britain around the world
She died a lonely ruler

13. The Industrial Revolution
Villagers moved to the cities = factories = jobs= smoke= pollution = backbreaking labor= death
luxury side by side with poverty
“It was the best of time; it was the worst of times.
Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities

14. London and the Times

15. London and the Times

16. Dickens and Christmas The first Christmas Card, Tree and Holiday Traditions

17. Dickens legacy and links
He remains the foremost 19th century British writer of fiction
Amazing and detailed depiction of lifestyle and issues of a transforming industrial and urban landscape
Vivid and dramatic dialogue
Profession as court reporter enhanced awareness of social inequities
humwww.ucsc.edu/dickens/