Charles Dickens

(1812-1870) during Victorian Age (1837-1901)

1824 = Sent to a factory

Studied in a school of London for boys

1832 = began to work as a reporter

1836 = married Catherine hogarth

1842-44-46= travelled to USA, Italy, Switzerland

1853 = first public reading of his works

1867 = 2 american tour

1836 = Pickwick papers

1837= first instalments of O.Twist

1838= Nicholas Nickleby

1840= Old Curiosity Shop

1841= Barnaby Rudge

1842= Martin Chuzzlewit

1844= Christmas Carol

1846= Dombey and son

1849= David Copperifield

1851 = What Christmas is as we get older

1852 = Bleak house

1853= Hard Times

1855= Little Dorrit

1858= A tale of two cities

1860 = Great Expectations

1864= Our Mutual Friend

1870= Mistery of Edwin Drood

18th century realistic

exaggerating his characters habits

Upper middle classes

On the side of the poor people

Children so important

moral teachers

aim?

acquired knowledge about porrer neighbours

to make the ruling classes aware of the problems

powerful descriptions

effective language

juxtapositions of images

repetition of words

hyperbolic and ironic remarks

Great use of suspence

Melodrama

Plot

reflects the childhood of the author

born from unknown parents

asked for more food so was sent out of the workhouse

run away from London

got into a gang of thives

Mr Brownlow (victim) took his home

He had a noble origin

In the end the gang was arrested

Setting

London at three social levels

workhouses

criminal world

Victorian Middle classes

Themes:

Poor People Were Treated Badly

Good Vs Evil

Thievary and Crime

Fate

City Vs Countryside