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  • Essay / Charles Dickens - 1506

    Charles Dickens was an astonishing author and a titan of English literature throughout the Victorian era. Dickens was remarkably well known for his early years, his career, and the tragedies of his life. During his career, Dickens achieved worldwide popularity, being acclaimed for his rich storytelling and memorable characters. Dickens will forever be remembered as a literary genius who changed the world with his gripping novels and superb stories. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 at Mile End Terrace in Portsmouth, England (Sahlman 1). His father, John, was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office and was stationed in Portsmouth at the time. John was a very friendly, good-natured, educated man and a loving husband. (Levine 152). In 1809 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Barrow, and she bore him a family of eight children, Charles being the second. Elizabeth was a very carefree and easy-going mother. John and Elizabeth were kind-hearted and loving parents, but they lacked much insight into their children's futures. (Collins 187). John's overwhelming gambling addiction led to a loss of household income and left his family in poverty (Merriman 1). In 1824 he was arrested for debt and imprisoned in Marshalsea Prison (Haines 6). Throughout his childhood, Dickens was always stable and happy (Merriman 1). He attended Giles Academy in Chatham for about a year. He later attended Wellington House Academy in London. He enjoyed reading in his spare time and was strongly influenced by English writers such as William Shakespeare and Henry Fielding. (Yancy 43).From a young age, Dickens often found odd jobs, selling chairs and tables to help support his family. After attending... middle of paper ...... Arles Dickens. The World Book Encyclopedia. 1995. Haines, Charles. Charles Dickens. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1969. Hunter, Nigel. Charles Dickens. New York: The Bookwright Press, 1989. Johnson, Edgar. Charles Dickens, his tragedy and his triumph. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1952. Levine, George. “Charles Dickens.” Universal encyclopedia Lexicon. 1985.Merriman, CD “Charles Dickens”. 2006. Google. March 24, 2011. Peare, Catherine O. Charles Dickens his life. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1959. Raesmaa, Ritva. “Charles Dickens.” 1997. Google. March 25, 2011. .Sahlman, Rachel. “Charles Dickens” 2011. Google. April 25, 2011. .Yancy, Diane. Life of Charles Dickens in England. San Diego: Lucent Books, Inc..., 1999.