Charles DickensCharles Dickens

A biography…

Quick StatsQuick Stats

Born on February 7, 1812Born in English seaport town of PortsmouthMarried Catherine (Kate) Hogarth in 1836He and his wife had 10 childrenDivorced Catherine (Kate) Hogarth in 1858Died June 9, 1870

Family History- FatherFamily History- Father

John Dickens had numerous jobs, including Naval Pay Officer when Charles was born

– “an optimist—he was like a cork—if he was pushed under water in one place, he always ‘bobbed up to time’ cheerfully in another and felt none the worse for the dip”

Never a good provider for the family Arrested for debt on February 20, 1824, which put

the whole family in jail except for Charles and his older sister Fanny

Inspired character- Mr. Micawber of David Copperfield

Family History- MotherFamily History- Mother

Elizabeth Dickens- gifted with “an extraordinary sense of the ludicrous”

At one point, tried to start a school to help out with family financial troubles…it failed

Deeply hurt Charles when he was young and she saw no problem in him working 12 hour shifts at work.

Inspired character- Mrs. Nickleby in Nicolas Nickleby

The Younger YearsThe Younger Years

Was one of 8 childrenFamily moved oftenBest time of young life was five years

(1817-1822) spent in Chatham, England– Gad’s Hill Place

Moved to London in 1822Forced to work pasting labels onto bottles

in 1824 once his father was put in jail

Younger Years Continued…Younger Years Continued…

When working as a child, he would work 12 hour shifts for very little pay– This time in his life would prove to haunt him

for the rest of his days– “No words can express the secret agony of my

soul…even now, famous and happy, I…wander desolately back to that time of my life.”

Formal education ended at age 15

Teenage-20’sTeenage-20’s

Began working as a clerk at the office of Ellis and Blackmore at the age of 15– Hated this job– Began learning shorthand

Became freelance court reporter and was considered one of the best

Began publishing stories in his early twenties, collected as Sketches by Boz in 1836

Publishing samplesPublishing samples

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (first story March 31, 1836)

Oliver Twist (1837-1839, 1838) Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39, 1839) A Christmas Carol (Dec. 17, 1843) Dombey and Son (1846-48, 1848) David Copperfield (1849-50, 1850) Hard Times (1854) Tale of Two Cities (1859) Great Expectations (1860-61, 1861)

Random FactsRandom Facts

He was shocked by the rude manners of Americans on his visits…he hated spitting

Friends with great men like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Forster

He made his fortune through “readings” of his work– The public would come together to listen to him read

his work– He was known as a brilliant speaker/actor

His DeathHis Death

Suffered a massive stroke three months after his final reading at St. James’ Hall

Died the following day, June 9, 1870 Half way through with his final work Edwin

Drood Longfellow wrote: “I never knew an author’s

death to cause such general mourning. It is no exaggeration to say that this whole country is stricken with grief”

Buried in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey

Victorian LondonVictorian LondonExplosive

growth led to filth

SanitationTravel and

the streetsThe poor

Dickens’ EnglandDickens’ England

- The setting of the novel begins in 1775

- 1780’s England was Peaceful and prosperous

Political and literary radicals imported ideals of French Revolution.

Social inequalities Fear of revolution

persisted in Dickens' day

Industrial Revolution

Dickens’ EnglandDickens’ EnglandUnderclass:

– Ignored by society– No rights– Could not vote in

elections– Could not form

unionsUpperclass

– Feared educating the poor

– Liked the cheap labor

English tradition was peaceful protest

Progression of 19th century brought riots and property destruction.

Revolution never arrived

– Reform parties– 1832 Reform Bill– 1867 helped smother

fears

A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities

Dickens' 12th novel

Serialized in All the Year Round in weekly parts from April 30 to November 26, 1859

The NovelThe NovelDickens writes his novel to

address contemporary issues by comparing it to the French Revolutions which took place 70 years before Dickens writes his novel.

The NovelThe NovelTOTC is set in both London and Paris,

beginning in 1775 and covering a period of 18 years

French Revolution lasted from 1789-1799

Novel setting starts in 1775—14 years before the fall of the Bastille

The French RevolutionThe French Revolution

Louis XVI (France 1774) and Marie Antoinette

Estates-General–First Estate (clergy)–Second Estate (nobility)–Third Estate (commoners and

emerging middle class)

The French RevolutionThe French Revolution

– July 14, 1789 – Bastille Day– September Massacre (Sept. 2-6,

1792)– “Reign of Terror” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Albert Hutter says that “the overt and seemingly relentless subtext of this novel is to give meaning to

death or to the past, to disinter the historical movement and make it come alive. The French Revolution is depicted as a natural effect of the

injustices of the past; and the excesses of the revolution are a result of the carelessness and

indifference broadcast by the aristocracy of the past. The warning to England was obvious: “It was much too much the way of native British orthodoxy, to talk of this terrible Revolution as if it were the one only

harvest ever known under the skies that had not been sown” But the savagery had been sown—even as it

was being sown in England, Dickens feared, in 1859.

Themes Themes Resurrection/

Redemption/ Rebirth

Love and HateRevenge and

VengenceRevolution/

War/Death