Charles Dickens A biography…

Quick Stats Born on February 7, 1812 Born in English seaport town of Portsmouth Married Catherine (Kate) Hogarth in 1836 He and his wife had 10 children Divorced Catherine (Kate) Hogarth in 1858 Died June 9, 1870

Family 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- 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 Years Was one of 8 children Family moved often Best time of young life was five years ( ) spent in Chatham, England – Gad’s Hill Place Moved to London in 1822 Forced to work pasting labels onto bottles in 1824 once his father was put in jail

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’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 samples The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (first story March 31, 1836) Oliver Twist ( , 1838) Nicholas Nickleby ( , 1839) A Christmas Carol (Dec. 17, 1843) Dombey and Son ( , 1848) David Copperfield ( , 1850) Hard Times (1854) Tale of Two Cities (1859) Great Expectations ( , 1861)

Random 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 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 London Explosive growth led to filth Sanitation Travel and the streets The poor

Dickens’ England - The setting of the novel begins in ’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’ England Underclass: – Ignored by society – No rights – Could not vote in elections – Could not form unions Upperclass – Feared educating the poor – Liked the cheap labor English tradition was peaceful protest Progression of 19 th century brought riots and property destruction. Revolution never arrived – Reform parties – 1832 Reform Bill – 1867 helped smother fears

A Tale of Two Cities Dickens' 12 th novel Serialized in All the Year Round in weekly parts from April 30 to November 26, 1859

The Novel Dickens 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 Novel TOTC is set in both London and Paris, beginning in 1775 and covering a period of 18 years French Revolution lasted from Novel setting starts in 1775—14 years before the fall of the Bastille

The 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 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 Resurrection/ Redemption/ Rebirth Love and Hate Revenge and Vengence Revolution/ War/Death