Charles Dickens
1812 - 1870
His father was sent to prison for debts
He left school and worked in a factory
Family conditions improved through a legacy
He was sent to a hard and severe school
He became a parliamentary reporter and a journalist
Enormous success from public readings of his works
He was buried in Westminster Abbey
Main works:
Oliver Twist
Dickens attacks the workhouse system
Nicholas Nickleby
Dickens attacks cruelty in boarding schools
Hard Times
He deals with the sufferings in factory system
Themes:
Main works:
A Christmas Carol
A ghost story with a moral
David Copperfield
Dickens describes the pains and wonders of childhood
Great Expectations
A novel about the dramatic experiences of a young boy
Painter of English life
A subtle observer of characters
Influence of autobiographical childhood experiences
Childhood: description of lost, persecuted, helpless children
Humanitarian Novels focused on social problems
Brutality of some schools
Criminal world
Squalor of London slums
Workhouse system and injustices of the Poor Law
Horrible conditions of prisons
He attacked the institutions and the administration of justice
Strong sense of humour