A Brief Biography Of Charles Dickens

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Charles Dickens’s life greatly shaped his works, from novels to publications and illustrations. Charles Dickens had many influences in his life, which in turn, embodied many places and roles within his novels. Mr. Dickens exaggerates plot points, ideas and events, but it can be clearly seen that it is a recreation of his life. His life was echoed in the story Great Expectations, and can be considered as a biography. Charles Dickens led a very interesting and prominent life. He was born on February 7, 1812, at Landport, which is in Portsmouth, England. (VictorianWeb.org) His full name was Charles John Huffam Dickens. Charles’s father was John Dickens. He was a naval clerk and spent too much of his money. His mother was Elizabeth Barrow; she was an ambitious schoolteacher and director. In 1816 the Dickens family moved to Chatham, Kent. Then in 1822 they moved to Camden Town, a poor district of London. The Dickens’s family’s fiscal issues grown to become dismal, and in 1824 John Dickens was sent to Debtors Prison. (VictorianWeb.org) Following this misfortune, Charles was dismissed from school and was sent to work at a boot-blacking factory, which was along the River Thames. Young Mr. Dickens earned a stingy amount of 6 shillings per week. In hindsight, Mr. Dickens said that that instant was when he said “goodbye” to his childhood. This feeling of abandonment and betrayal will eventually become a repeated theme in his future books and magazines. After a few years, Charles Dickens was allowed to go back to school to gain an education. This was due to the fact that John accepted a family inheritance and used it to end his debts. This was short-lived because John continued to spend carelessly. In 1827, Charles was again withdrawn f... ... middle of paper ... ...the lessons learned and success. He is always reminded of the time when he worked at the factory. (Bio.com) In the beginning of the book Pip falls in love with a girl named Estella, as does Charles with Maria Beadnell and both despise their suitors. Estella and Maria both leave their counterpart’s lives and return at later dates. Mr. Dickens meets Maria again but realizes she’s grown old and became an unpleasant sight, while Pip meets Estella again and still loves her. (BBC.com & TheAtlantic.com) Charles Dickens’s influences on Great Expectations derive directly from his life and experiences. His characters and backgrounds imitate people he’s met and places he’s been. Though there are many exaggerations on themes, characters and plots, it’s clear it is taken from the author’s life. This novel is Mr. Dickens’s unofficial biography since there are many similarities.

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