Preview

Charles Dickens Influence On The Christmas Carol

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
822 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Charles Dickens Influence On The Christmas Carol
On February 7, 1812 one of the world’s greatest writers was born. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England to John and Elizabeth Dickens. Dickens wrote many books and plays that are still read and performed today. One of his most iconic characters is Ebenezer Scrooge from the book turned play “The Christmas Carol”. Charles Dickens had an interesting life and many accomplishments. Although many early critics persisted that his works are “shapeless” , many critics today do not agree with that idea. Modern- day critics, now see Dickens novels as brilliant and complex “denunciations of the bourgeois society that corrupts its members.” (Draper 895).
Charles had the ability to express himself through words and plays. Some have
…show more content…
His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay office, Dickens character Mr. Micawber in the novel “David Copperfield” was inspired by his father. Due to the work of his father, the family moved around often causing stress and, eventually, debt. In 1817, the whole family moved to Chatham. In 1822, however, the Dickens family moved to Camden Town, a malnourished, tiny town in London. In 1824, John Dickens was sent to prison for debt owed. That same year, Charles Dickens left school to go work in the dilapidated, rat-infested Blackening Factory sticking labels next to the Thames River. Pedestrians had the opportunity to glance in the many dirt-covered windows to see Charles degration. Dickens later stated, “How could I be so easily cast away at such a young age?” To make matters worse, Elizabeth Dickens, an inspiring teacher, along with Dickens six siblings went to live in a cheap and smelly little house in Camden Town, but left Charles behind to work. In March of 1825, after brutal embarrassment and a battle with depression, Charles Dickens was sent back to school. When Dickens was 15, however, he again was pulled out of school, to work as an office boy. Fortunately, the job became an early chance to launch his writing career. In 1829, Dickens went to journalism …show more content…
In 1833, the two split after Maria rejected Dickens. That same year, under the pen name Boz, Charles first article, “Dinner at Popular Walk” appeared in ‘Monthly Magazine’. On April 2, 1836, Charles Dickens rapidly married Catherine Hogarth. Together the two produced ten children. In 1836, the same year as his marriage, ‘Sketches by Boz,’ a collection of newspaper that Dickens had written previously. These “sketches” launched Dickens to fame. During this time, Charles became interested in acting and directing. He wrote two plays and a pamphlet on popular issue, and one very dear to Dickens heart, how the poor should be able to enjoy the Sabbath, and he resigned from the newspaper, the Charles undertook to edit a monthly magazine called Bentley’s Miscellany. From 1837-1839 Dickens wrote his second novel “Oliver Twist”. Thus, Dickens had to install two installments every month leaving Charles exhausted. In 1842, Catherine and Charles Dickens travelled to America; the trip was described in the short series of notes “American

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    life and death, isolation and togetherness and change allows Dickens to demonstrate to his readers the importance of generosity…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “How does Dickens use the Cratchit family to highlight the difficulties faced by the poor in Victorian England?” Respond…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dickens purposefully describes the setting in the book with adjectives that could be applied to the reality of Victorian England at the time. The industrial revolution was in full swing and the over populated conditions were forcing people to sleep on the streets and work 12 hour days to make ends meet. In the first stave, Dickens introduces us to the character Ebenezer Scrooge who embodies all of these reasons for the failings of Christmas.The narrator desribes him as 'hard and sharp as flint' -harsh words that sound awfully similar to the way Dickens describes the conditions of the English Streets- 'cold, bleak and biting'. Dickens clearly outlines using this language that is is aware of the problems and conditions of their struggling society. He then goes on to point out that good fortune can come in the form of love and family and embodies this ideal in his model lower-middle class family, the Cratchits. "They were not a handsome family...But they were happy, grateful, pleased with…

    • 994 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The book was first published in 1843, a time when many of the wealthy people neglected the old Christmas spirit of charity. In addition, the Industrial Revolution had further done away with the simple pleasures of the season. Dickens’ intentions in writing ‘A Christmas Carol’ were not only linked to his childhood and sympathy for the poor, but he was also acting as a philanthropist by making an appeal to the rich people of society to mend their selfish ways.…

    • 2624 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since the beginning of his narration, we get a gloomy atmosphere which represents Dickens discontent. “volumes of dense smoke, blackening and obscuring everything” here he speaks of the terrible pollution that has infiltrated the town, blocking the view of everything. Afterwards, the quote “...ponderous wagons...laden with crushing iron rods…” appears, signifying the abuse that is done to the working class, forcing them to carry hefty objects and work heavy machinery for someone else's benefit. Later on he writes “...toward the great working town...”, a quote that is very connected to the one before and from that I can deduce the means that lower class are exploited for the benefit of the rich, something that is clearly against Dickens ideals for what it seems.…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Did Dickens help prevent social change by writing the Christmas carol? Yes, in my opinion I think he certainly did. I think he did because many of his books are about social change. He wrote his books with concern of happiness, treatment, and the health of the society. Dickens also wanted to speak against the workhouse and attitudes of the Victorian people by writing the Christmas carol. Dickens was able to pursue it in a very good way and he was able to send a message to everyone by writing the Christmas carol.…

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet, theorist, and political specialist. He came from a long family line of politicians and was considered to be a part of the upper class. In contrast, Charles Dickens was an English writer and literary critic who came from a poor childhood with seven other siblings. His family moved to a small poor neighborhood outside of London called Camden Town when Charles was ten. This is where A Christmas Carol is believed to take place and Charles DIckens writing coincidentally began around the age of ten. These two incredible authors had completely different personal lives yet still have numerous parallels throughout their writing. Although five centuraries seperate these two works of literature, they were both inspired by hardships. During the early 1800’s Charles Dickens family struggled throughout the industrial revolution and his father was sent to jail in 1824 for excessive debt. In opposition, Dante Alighieri lived in Florence Italy and eventually married a woman chosen for him by his family because of political affiliation, but Dante had always had a deep love for a woman named Beatrice. Beatrice passed away from unknown causes which spun young Dante into depression - Three…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843. He had published numerous novels and stories prior to this. But all of his writings seemed to have a common theme. He wanted people to be aware of the poor and the need for a social reform. "Although Dickens was now a very successful novelist, he continued to be interested in social reform." (“Charles Dickens: Biography”). Dickens also published Household Word from 1850-1859. This publication again focused on "reform and improvements in the education of the poor." (“Charles Dickens: Biography”). Dickens was one of the best novelist of all time. But he was even better of getting his point across through his writings and making people aware of the world around them.…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in the 18th century. At the time there was a habit for reading ghost stories at Christmas, from this time the various spirits that Scrooge comes across. Furthermore, the themes of fortune and unfairness are clear comments on the inequalities of wealth distribution in the Victorian Period. Also, A Christmas Carol remains still one of the most popular narratives in Western culture; it has been adapted to every form: play, music, movies, etc. However, the novel remains the most moving telling of all. A Christmas Carol is set in Victorian Period. It is a story of a wrecked man whose riches had become his only urge in life. As a young man, Ebenezer Scrooge had love and family in his life, but after many…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Whilst Charles Dickens pointed out problems within society, a blinding and mercenary greed for money, neglect of all sectors in society, and a wrong inequality, he offered us, at the same time, a solution. Through his books, we came to understand the virtues of a loving heart and the pleasures of home in a flawed, cruelly indifferent world. In the end, the lesson to take away from his stories is a positive one. Alternately insightful and whimsical, Dickens' writings have shown readers over generations the reward of being truly human, and how important hopes, dreams and friendship really are.…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    11. Dickens shows the reader that the important things in life cannot be measured. Discuss…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Scrooge's Transformation

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Wilson, Edmund. “Dickens: The Two Scrooges.” The New Republic (1942): n. pag. Web. 26 November…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To start off, Charles Dickens was inspired by different aspects of his life that he put into A Christmas Carol. For example, he made the main character, Scrooge, a lot like his dad. Some traits they share are being mean and disrespectful. He also put himself in the book as Fred, Scrooge’s nephew. “Uncle! Pleaded the nephew. Nephew! Returned the old uncle sternly, keep Christmas in your own way and let…

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812. Dickens was born at the height of the Industrial Revolution, a time which brought great change to Victorian society. Population in urban areas (London's, in particular) soared. The overpopulation led to a lack of employment; soon poverty and crime increased. In response, the Poor Laws were put into effect. The Poor Laws established baby farms and workhouses to provide aid for those in poverty, and those who could not find work. Rather than provide money or pay in a form of welfare, they provided food and housing. As a child, Dickens experienced the hardships of poverty and neglect of aid that he would write about in his works later in his life. Charles Dickens strongly disagreed with the…

    • 3678 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays