Write, in brief, about the life of Charles Dickens.

 

Charles Dickens.

 

Write, in brief, about the life of Charles Dickens.

-    Charles Dickens was the most popular novelist of the nineteenth century England. He was born on 7th February, 1812 at Portsea. His father, John Dickens, was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office. Not much is known about Dickens’s mother. Charles was the second of six children and was the eldest among the sons. In his childhood, ill health prevented him from participating in the usual children’s games. He had to amuse himself by reading novels. He was especially fond of Humphrey Clinker and Tom Jones.

In 1822, John Dickens was transferred to London. Now, he was faced with an acute financial crisis. Charles was forced to accept work in a boot polish factory, on the Thames waterfront. His job was to cover and label the pots of boot polish. Charles was then just twelve and hyper sensitive. He felt tormented to mix with the coarse boys gloating in foul language throughout the day. He worked in this factory for barely four or five months, but he could never fully recover from the humiliation of this episode. He also developed excessive sympathy for deprived children like himself who would be condemned by their circumstances to such an inhuman task.

Charles Dickens had just started working in the Warrens boot polish factory when his father was arrested for debt and removed to the Debtors Prison at the Marshalsea. His mother, along with the other members of the family, joined him in the prison. Charles was the only one left outside. He was not keeping good health. In addition, he had to remain hungry four or five times a week. Sometimes he would drop down groaning while at his work. This was perhaps the most miserable period of his life. It ended when John Dickens got a small legacy which enabled him to leave the prison and to send his son to a school at Hampstead. Charles remained in this school for two to three years.

Dickens began his career as a lawyer’s clerk at the age of fifteen in 1827. It was a modest beginning. But he had his aspirations and was endowed with initiative and drive. Besides, he had the energy and zeal to put in real hard work. He began to learn shorthand in his spare time. Sometimes, he would forego even sleep and continue practicing shorthand. It was at this time that Charles fell in love with Maria Bead Nell. Later Dickens immortalized Maria by making her Dora in David Copperfield.

In 1832 Dickens left law and embarked upon a career of journalism. He had an eye for detail which enabled him to present lively accounts of whatever he had seen. He began by covering cases in the ecclesiastical courts but soon worked his way up to Parliament; he gained reputation as an efficient parliamentary reporter but was personally disillusioned with the proceedings of that august house. He was amazed by the stupid pomposity of parliamentary warfare, and for the rest of his life held the legislature in contempt.

Dickens was a man of divergent interests. He was also possessed extraordinary energy which enabled him to pursue several interests at once. He frequented theatres, learnt acting and narrowly missed entering this profession. He also regularly went to the British Museum Library and furthered his self-education. Thus, by the age of twenty-one, when his first published work appeared, Dickens had acquired a solid knowledge of those subjects which run like thread through all his novels: the law, the theatre, and above all the city of London and its inhabitants.

In 1833, Dickens published his first sketch in the Old Monthly Magazine; Other sketches followed and in 1834, he Published them in a book form under the penname of Boz. The book was an instantaneous success. The same year, he married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of a fellow journalist.

Early novels: Sketches by Boz (1836) was followed by Pickwick papers (1836-37), Dickens full length work, which brought him resounding success. Pickwick Papers was followed by four novels in quick succession: Oliver Twist (1837-39), Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39), The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-41) and a historical novel, Barnaby Rudge (1841). All these novels appeared in monthly instalments.

In 1842, Dickens, accompanied by his wife, went on a tour of America and Canada. His reputation as a novelist had already reached there and he was given a rousing welcome, wherever he went. He based his next two works, American Notes (1842) and Martin Chuzzlewit (1844) on his impressions gathered during this tour. These works reflect the life in America in a rather uncomplimentary manner.

Martin Chuzzlewit was followed by A Christmas Carol (1843), the most famous of his five ‘Christmas Books’. These books were shorter pieces appearing in the next few years. Next came Dombey and Son (18468) and David Copperfield (184950). David Copperfield, the most popular of Dickens’s novels, marks a turning point, in his productive activity; for thematically and structurally, the novels following David Copperfield are much different from the earlier works. It has special interest for the readers, for it contains a good deal of autobiographical materials.

The novels written before 1842 were rather formless. They abounded in episodes which, hilarious in themselves, tended to loosen the construction. His readers loved him for such episodes. As he grew older, he started paying greater attention to the form of his novels. His later novels include Bleak House (18523), Hard Times (I854) and Little Dorrit (18557).

Comparatively little is known of Dickens’s wife Catherine, except that she failed to bring him the happiness he might have expected his wife to bring him. As time passed, Dickens’s outside commitments went on increasing and life at home became miserable. A stage came when he just could not endure more. He separated from his wife after having spent twenty-two years in her company and having ten children. Dickens treated all his children with affection and concern.

On account of domestic troubles, Dickens went through a comparatively unproductive period, but very soon he wrote A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (18601) and Our Mutual Friend (18645). Our Mutual Friend is his last complete novel. On finishing Our Mutual Friend, Dickens devoted his attention to prepare new readings for public. In 1867, he went to America on a reading tour and continued it even after his return from America. On March 15, 1870 he gave a final reading in London.

Dicken was working on Edwin Doron. He wrote fresh chapters for this novel. Then suddenly he was taken ill. His sister-in-law efforts to get him on the sofa. He murmured, and shortly afterwards passed away. He was buried at the Westminster Abbey.