Charles Dickens - A Biography - English Literature

There is something about Charles Dickens'afterward, that he felt a deep sense of
imaginative power that defies explanation in purelyabandonment at this time; the major themes of
biographical terms. Nevertheless, his biographyhis novels can be traced to this period. His
shows the source of that power and is the bestsympathy for the victimized, his fascination with
place to begin to define it.The second child of Johnprisons and money, the desire to vindicate his
and Elizabeth Dickens, Charles was born onheroes' status as gentlemen, and the idea of
February 7, 1812, near Portsmouth on England'sLondon as an awesome, lively, and rather
south coast. At that time John Dickens wasthreatening environment all reflect these
stationed in Portsmouth as a clerk in the Navyexperiences. No doubt this temporary collapse of
Pay Office. The family was of lower-middle-classhis parents' ability to protect him made a vivid
origins, John having come from servants andexpression on him. Out on his own for a time at
Elizabeth from minor bureaucrats. Dickens' fathertwelve years of age, Dickens acquired a lasting
was vivacious and generous but had anself-reliance, a driving ambition, and a boundless
unfortunate tendency to live beyond his means.energy that went into everything he did.At
his mother was affectionate and rather inept inthirteen Dickens went back to school for two
practical matters. Dickens later used his father asyears and then took a job in a lawyers office.
the basis for Mr. Micawber and portrayed isDissatisfied with the work, he learned shorthand
mother as Mrs. Nickleby in A Tale of Twoand became a freelance court reporter in 1828.
Cities.After a transfer to London in 1814, theThe job was seasonal and allowed him to do a
family moved to Chatham, near Rochester, threegood deal of reading in the British Museum. At the
years later. Dickens was about five at the time,age of twenty he became a full-fledged journalist,
and for the next five years his life was pleasant.working for three papers in succession. In the
Taught to read by his mother, he devoured hisnext four or five years he acquired the reputation
fathers' small collection of classics, which includedof being the fastest and most accurate
Shakespeare, Cervantes, Defoe, Smollet, Fielding,parliamentary reporter in London. The value of
and Goldsmith. These left a permanent mark onthis period was that Dickens gained a sound,
his imagination; their effect on his art was quitefirsthand knowledge of London and the
important. dickens also went to someprovinces.Dickens was very active physically. He
performances of Shakespeare and formed aloved taking long walks, riding horses, making
lifelong attachment to the theater. He attendedjourneys, entertaining friends, dining well, playing
school during this period and showed himself to bepractical jokes. He enjoyed games of charades
a rather solitary, observant, good-natured childwith his family, was an excellent amateur
with some talent for comic routines, which hismagician, and practiced hypnotism. One tends to
father encouraged. In retrospect Dickens lookedshare Shaw's opinion that Dickens, in his social life,
upon these years as a kind of golden age. His firstwas always on stage. He was like an eternal
novel, The Pickwick Papers, is in part an attemptMaster of Ceremonies, for the most part:
to recreate their idyllic nature: it rejoices inflamboyant, observant, quick, dynamic, full of zest.
innocence and the youthful spirit, and its happiestYet he was also restless, subject to fits of
scenes take place in that precise geographicaldepression, and hot tempered, so that at times
area.In the light of the family's move back tohe must have been nearly intolerable to live with,
London, where financial difficulties overtook thehowever agreeable he was as a companion.In
Dickens's, the time in Chatham must haveview of his very strenuous life it was not
seemed glorious indeed. The family moved intosurprising that he died at fifty-eight from a stroke.
the shabby suburb of Camden Town, and DickensAt his death on June 9, 1870, Dickens was
was taken out of school and set to menial jobswealthy, immensely popular, and the best novelist
about the household. In time, to help augment thethe Victorian age produced. He was buried in the
family income, Dickens was given a job in aPoet's Corner of Westminster Abbey, and people
blacking factory among rough companions. At themourned his death the world over.You may visit
time his father was imprisoned for debt, but wasand for instant access to thousands of term
released three months later by a small legacy.papers. Several thousand free papers are also
Dickens related to his friend, John Forster, longoffered.