The World of Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens – Biography Was born on February 7th , 1812, in Portsmouth, England In 1824 Dickens worked at Warren’s Blacking Warehouse In 1824 Mr. Dickens (Charles’ father) is taken to debtors’ prison. His family joins him. He is imprisoned from February until May

Biography… In 1827 the Dickens family are thrown out of their home for not paying rent Charles is pulled out of private school Charles, now 15, becomes a law clerk and free-lance writer In 1834 Charles takes Boz as pen name In 1834 Charles’ Dad is re-arrested for debts

Catherine Hogarth In 1836 at the age of 24 Charles Dickens marries Catherine Hogarth. One year later, their first child is born. The year after that the next baby is born. He fathered 10 children. His wife left him (in 1858).

Biography… Till 1868, he travelled to many places and gave lectures in the US and England. While doing all this, he continued his work and wrote numerous novels, books and plays.

Dickens starts Publishing! In 1836 Sketches by Boz is published In 1837 The Pickwick Papers is published Original Pickwick cover issued in 1837 with Dickens’ autograph

Complete list of publications... 1861 Great Expectations 1846 The Battle of Life 1846 Dombey and Son 1850 David Copperfield 1853 Bleak House 1853 A Child’s History of England and... a near nervous breakdown 1854 Hard Times 1857 Little Dorrit 1859 A Tale of Two Cities 1865 Our Mutual Friends 1869 The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished) 1837 The Pickwick Papers 1837 Oliver Twist 1838 Nicholas Nickleby 1840 The Old Curiosity Shop 1841 Barnaby Rudge 1842 American Notes 1843 A Christmas Carol 1844 Martin Chuzzlewit 1844 The Chimes 1845 The Cricket on the Hearth

An impressive authorship… Dickens wrote 15 major novels in a period of 33 years. He was most creative in the years between 1848 - 1865.

Poets’ Corner In 1869, Dickens’ health started to decline. On June 9, 1870, Charles Dickens died from a mild stroke. He is buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in London. Dickens’ epitaph: He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.

Oliver Twist Oliver Twist was published in 1837 Oliver Twist is an orphan whose mother had died when Oliver was born. Oliver is raised in a workhouse because his mother wasn’t married; and he had no relatives.

Oliver Twist… Dickens crusaded for children’s rights. He was an advocate of child labor laws to protect children. He opposed cruelty, deprivation, and corporal punishment of children. He believed in and lobbied for just treatment of criminals.

Used websites… www.bbc.co.uk www.charlesdickenspage.com www.victorianweb.org www.fidnet.com/~dap1955/dickens www.landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/dickens/dickensov.html ww.victoriana.com/welcome/ www.geocities.com/pdubelbeis/