Charles Dickens Research Paper

Even in today's society people have a hard time writing and even reading about the bad parts of our history. Whereas authors now tend to shy away from the ugly parts of our lives, Charles Dickens did the complete opposite. He wrote about the worse parts of his society such as the orphanages, the lower class, hypocrisy, and the world's brutality. Although he wrote some lighter novels, his most popular were written during his “dark novel period.”
Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England and was the second oldest of eight children. Both of his parents, John Dickens and Elizabeth Barrow, who inspired the characters Mr. and Mrs. Micawber in David Copperfield(“The Life of Charles Dickens” charlesdickensinfo.com), had great expectations

It is disputed whether Dickens published his first book, Sketches by Boz, in 1833 or 1836(“Charles Dickens” and “The Life of Charles Dickens” dickensfellowship.org), but shortly after it was published Dickens married Catherine Hogarth in 1836. They had ten children together before separating in 1858. Dickens had an irrational fear of the press and burned all of his personal documents in 1860. In 1865 Dickens was in a train accident from which he never fully recovered from, but despite his feeble condition he proceeded to go tour the United States once again until right before his death. At the age of 58, Dickens suffered a stroke and died on June 9, 1870. He is now buried in Poets Corner at Westminster Abbey where, even today, people flock to see his grave.(“Charles

“Carton's and Darnay's fates are entwined from their first meeting…”(Charles Dickens {Bloom's Major Novelists}, pg 96). Carton is an English lawyer whereas Darnay is a French nobleman. At the end of the book the protagonist, Lucie Manette, chooses Darnay. When Darnay returns to France he is arrested and when Carton arrives is Paris and hears of this he comes up with a plan to save Darnay so that the woman he loves won't suffer from the pain of losing her husband. Carton saves Darnay by sneaking into the prison and trading places with him so that Darnay can escape with his family and his life. The second book in A Tale of Two Cities, The Golden Thread, was about Lucie. All the characters, in a way, revolve around her. Darnay has married her; Carton sacrificed his life for her; “Mr. Lorry is devoted to her”(Charles Dickens {Bloom's Major Novelists}, pg 107); Miss Pross governs her actions based on her love for Lucie. Lucie is often characterized as a “flat” character and is thought to be seen and melodramatic. “Seen through her actions, Lucie is anything but a melodramatic stage heroine; rather, she is a courageous woman like the British women caught in the bloodbath of the Indian Massacre whom Dickens wants to honor…”(Charles Dickens {Bloom's