Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens ( 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic who is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and the creator of some of the world's most memorable fictional characters.[1] During his lifetime Dickens's works enjoyed unprecedented popularity and fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was fully recognized by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to enjoy an enduring popularity among the general reading public.[2][3] Born in Portsmouth, England, Dickens left school to work in a factory after his father was thrown into debtors' prison. Though he had little formal education, his early impoverishment drove him to succeed. He edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels and hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens sprang to fame with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers. Within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity, celebrated for his humour, satire, and keen observation of character and society. His novels, most published in monthly or weekly instalments, pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction, which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication.[4][5] The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience's reaction, and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback.[5] For example, when his wife's chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities, Dickens went on to improve the character with positive lineaments.[6] Fagin in Oliver Twist apparently mirrors the famous fence, Ikey Solomon;[7] His caricature of Leigh Hunt in the figure of Mr Skimpole in Bleak House was likewise toned down on advice from some of his friends, as they read episodes.[8] In the same novel, both Lawrence Boythorne and Mooney the beadle are drawn from real life – Boythorne from Walter Savage Landor and Mooney from 'Looney', a beadle at Salisbury Square.[9] His plots were carefully constructed, and Dickens often wove in elements from topical events into his narratives.[10] Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in ha'pennies to have each new monthly episode read to them, opening up and inspiring a new class of readers.[11] Dickens was regarded as the 'literary colossus' of his age.[12] His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, is one of the most influential works ever written, and it remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. His creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to G. K. Chesterton and George Orwell—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand Oscar Wilde, Henry James and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. David Copperfield is probably the most autobiographical novel byCharles Dickens. He uses many incidents of his childhood and early life to create a considerable fictional achievement. David Copperfield is also the novel that stands as a mid-point in Dickens' oeuvre--somewhat indicative of Dickens' work. This novel contains a complicated plot structures, a concentration on the moral and social worlds, and some of Dickens' most wonderful comic creations. David Copperfield is a broad canvas on which the great master of Victorian fiction uses his entire palette. Unlike many of Dickens' other novels, however, David Copperfield is written from the point of view of its titular character, seemingly looking back on the ups and downs of his long life. David Copperfield: Overview The story begins with David's childhood, which is an unhappy one. His father dies before he was born and his mother re-marries the frightful Mr. Murdstone, whose sister moves into their house soon after. David is soon sent away to boarding school because he bit Murdstone when he was undergoing a beating. There, at the boarding school, he meets a couple of boys who become friends: James Steerforth and Tommy Traddles. David doesn't complete his education, because his mother dies and he's sent to a factory. There, Copperfield meets Mr. Micawber, who is later sent to debtors prison. At the factory, he experiences the hardship of the industrial-urban poor--until he escapes and walks to Dover to meet his aunt. She adopts him and brings him up (renaming him Trot). After finishing his schooling, he goes to London to seek a career and meets James Steerforth and introduces him to his adoptive family. At around this time, he also falls in love with a young girl, the daughter of a well-renowned solicitor. He also meets Tommy Traddles who is boarding with the Micawber's, bringing the delightful but economically useless character back into the story.  In time, Dora's father dies and she and David can be married. However, money is very short and David takes up various other jobs in order to makes ends meet including--like Dickens himself--fiction writing. Things are not well with a friend from home – Mr. Wickfield. His business has been taken over by his evil clerk, Uriah Heep, who now has Micawber working for him as well. However, Micawber (along with his friend Tommy Traddles) determines to expose the bad dealings with which Heep has been taking part, and finally has him thrown out retuning the business to its rightful owner. However, this triumph cannot be truly savored because Dora has become incredibly ill after losing a child. After a long illness she finally dies, and David travels to Switzerland for a number of months. While he's traveling, he realizes that he is in love with his old friend, Agnes--Mr. Wickfield's daughter. David returns home to marry her.