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Charles Dickens - Comparison Of His Life To His Writings.

INTRODUCTION

This report will talk about the life of a famous author,
Charles Dickens. It will tell you about his early, middle,
and later years of his life. It will also talk about one of
his great works of literature. In conclusion, this report
will show a comparison of his work to his life.

EARLY LIFE

Charles Dickens was born at Landport, in Portsea, on
February 7, 1812. His father was a clerk in the Navy
Pay-Office, and was temporarily on duty in the neighborhood
when Charles was born. His name was John Dickens. He spent
time in prison for debts. But, even when he was free
he lacked the money to support his family. Then, when
Charles was two they moved to London. 1

Just before he started to toddle, he stepped into the glare
of footlights. He never stepped out of it until he died. He
was a good man, as men go in the bewildering world of ours,
brave, transparent, tender-hearted, and honorable. Dickens
was always a little too irritable because he was a little
too happy. Like the over-wrought child in society, he was
splendidly sociable, and in and yet sometimes quarrelsome.
In all the practical relations of his life he was what the
child is at a party, genuinely delighted, delightful,
affectionate and happy, and in some strange way
fundamentally sad and dangerously close to tears. 2

At the age of 12 Charles worked in a London factory pasting
labels on bottles of shoe polish. He held the job only for a
few months, but the misery of the experience remain with him
all his life. 3

Dickens attended school off and on until he was 15, and then
left for good. He enjoyed reading and was especially fond of
adventure stories, fairy tales, and novels. He was
influenced by such earlier English writers as William
Shakespeare, Tobias Smollet, and Henry Fielding. However,
most of the knowledge he later used as an author came from
his environment around him. 4

MIDDLE LIFE

Dickens became a newspaper...