219 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
219 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ
|
|
ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßÛßßßßßÛÛÜ ÜÜßßßßÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛßß ßÛÛ
|
|
ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÝ Ûß
|
|
ßßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÞÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÞß
|
|
Mo.iMP ÜÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ßÛß
|
|
ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ
|
|
ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ß ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ
|
|
ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß
|
|
ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
|
|
ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛ ßÛÛÛÛÛ Ü ÛÝÛÛÛÛÛ Ü
|
|
ÜÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÜ ßÛÛÛÜÜ ÜÜÛÛÛß ÞÛ ÞÛÛÛÝ ÜÜÛÛ
|
|
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÜÜÜß ÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛß
|
|
ßÛÜ ÜÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÜÜ ßßÜÛÛßß ßÛÛÜ ßßßÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
|
|
ßßßßß ßßÛÛß ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßß
|
|
ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
|
|
|
|
Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
|
|
[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [Report on Charles ]
|
|
[ ]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [Dickens ]
|
|
[x]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [ ]
|
|
[ ]College [ ]Misc [ ]
|
|
|
|
Dizzed: o4/95 # of Words:2088 School: ? State: ?
|
|
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>Chop Here>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
|
|
Charles John Huffam Dickens was born February 7, 1812, in Ports Mouth,
|
|
Hampshire. In his infancy his family moved to Chatham, where he spent his
|
|
happiest years and often refers to this time in his novels (1817-1822).
|
|
From 1822 to 1860 he lived in London, after which he permanently moved to a
|
|
quiet country cottage in Glads Hill, on the outskirts of Chatham. He grew
|
|
up in a middle class family. His father was a clerk in the navy pay office
|
|
and was well paid, but his extravagant living style often brought the
|
|
family to financial disaster. The family reached financial "rock bottom"
|
|
in 1824. Charles was taken out of school and sent to work in a factory
|
|
doing manual labour, while his father went to prison for his debt. These
|
|
internal disasters shocked Charles greatly. He refers to his working
|
|
experiences in his writings. Although he hated doing labour, he gained a
|
|
sympathetic knowledge into the life of the labour class. He also brings
|
|
forth the images of prison and of the lost and oppressed child in many
|
|
novels. His schooling ended at 15, and he became a clerk in a solicitor's
|
|
office, then a short hand reporter in the lawcourts (where he gained much
|
|
knowledge of legalities which he used in his novels), and finally like
|
|
other members of his family, a newspaper reporter. Here, he got his first
|
|
taste of journalism and fell in love with it immediately.
|
|
|
|
Drawn to the theatre, Charles Dickens almost pursued the career of an
|
|
actor In 1833, he began sending short stories and descriptive essays to
|
|
small magazines and newspapers. These writings attracted attention and
|
|
were published in 1836 under the name, Sketches by "Boz". At the same
|
|
time, he was offered a small job of writing the text for a small comic
|
|
strip, where he worked with a well know artist. Seven weeks later, the
|
|
first instalment of The Pickwick Papers appeared. Within a few months
|
|
Pickwick was the rage and Dickens was the most popular author of the day.
|
|
During 1836, he also wrote two plays and a pamphlet, he then resigned from
|
|
his newspaper job, and undertook the editing job of a monthly magazine,
|
|
Bentley's Miscellany, in which he serialized Oliver Twist (1837-1839). By
|
|
this time, the first of his nine surviving children had been born, He had
|
|
married Catherine, eldest daughter of a respected journalist George
|
|
Hogorth (April 1836).
|
|
|
|
Novels
|
|
|
|
His first major success was with The Pickwick Papers. They were high
|
|
spirited and contained many conventional comic butts and jokes. Pickwick
|
|
displayed, many of the features that were to be blended in to his future
|
|
fiction works; attacks on social evils and the delight in the joys of
|
|
Christmas. Rapidly thought up and written in mere weeks or even days before
|
|
its publication date, Pickwick contained weak style and was unsatisfactory
|
|
in all, partly because Dickens was rapidly developing his craft as a
|
|
novelist while doing it. This style of writing in a first novel, made his
|
|
name know literally overnight, but created a new tradition of literature
|
|
and was made one of the best know novel's of the world.
|
|
|
|
After The Pickwick Papers were published in 1837, he put together
|
|
another novel, Oliver Twist. Though his artistic talent is very much
|
|
evident, he refrained from using the successful formula used in The
|
|
Pickwick Papers. Instead, Oliver Twist is more concerned with social and
|
|
more evil, though it did still contain much comedy. The long last of his
|
|
fiction is partly due to its being so easy to adapt into effective stage
|
|
plays. Sometimes 20 London theatres simultaneously were producing
|
|
adaptations of his latest story; so even non- readers became acquainted
|
|
with simplified versions of his works. In the novel Barnaby Grudge he
|
|
attempted another type of writing, a historical novel. It was set in the
|
|
late 18th century and graphically explored the spectacle of large scale mob
|
|
violence. The task of keeping unity throughout his novels (which often
|
|
included a wide range of moods and materials and several complicated plots
|
|
involving scores of characters) was made even more difficult because he was
|
|
forced to write and publish them, while also doing on going serials.
|
|
|
|
His next major work, and probably his most famous was published in
|
|
1843, and was called A Christmas Carol. Suddenly conceived and written in
|
|
mere weeks, while he was preoccupied in writing another serial, it was an
|
|
unmatched achievement. His view of life was described as "Christmas
|
|
Philosophy," and he spoke of "Carol philosophy" as the basis of his work.
|
|
He was extremely attached to the christmas season, and this contributed to
|
|
his great success and popularity. A Christmas Carol immediately entered
|
|
the general public and awareness, and Thackeray (another author), in a
|
|
review, called it a "national benefit, and to every man and woman who reads
|
|
it a personal kindness...". He wrote many other christmas plays and novels
|
|
thereafter, but none equalled the Carol in energy. These series of books,
|
|
were known as the Christmas Books, and cumulatively they represent a
|
|
celebration of Christmas attempted by no other great author.
|
|
|
|
His activity outside his novels at this time in his literary life was
|
|
extremely active and centrally involved. He was said to be the best after
|
|
dinner speaker of the age, also, he was credited with being the best
|
|
reporter on the London press and the best amateur actor on the stage. As
|
|
for his private life, he loved his family and was a proud householder; he
|
|
once even wrote a cookbook. To his children he was a great father, until
|
|
their adolescence, where their lives proved less happy. Besides periods
|
|
in Italy (1844-1845), Switzerland and France (1846-1847) he lived in
|
|
London, and moved from house to larger house as his family grew. He became
|
|
acquainted with may popular authors and journalists and entertained them
|
|
regularly at his home. Though financially well off, he generally avoided
|
|
high society, he hated to be idolized or patronized. He was extremely
|
|
proud of his work, and strived on improving it with every new venture, yet
|
|
his work, never employed all of his energies.
|
|
|
|
He became the founder (editor) in 1846 of the Daily News, (soon to
|
|
become the leading liberal newspaper). His journalistic backgrounds, his
|
|
political knowledge and readiness to act as a leader, and his wish to
|
|
secure a steady income independent of his literary creativity made him plan
|
|
several ventures in the 1840's. This return to journalism soon proved a
|
|
great mistake, the biggest fiasco in a career that included nearly no
|
|
misdirections or failures. He then moved onto a more limited but happier
|
|
exercise of his talents, for more than a decade he directed a reformatory
|
|
home for young female delinquents, which was financed by a wealthy friend
|
|
Angela Burrdett-Coutts. He also used compassionate speaking abilities
|
|
often in public speeches, fund-raising activities and private acts of
|
|
charity.
|
|
|
|
His next novel, was called Dombey and Son, written between the years
|
|
1846- 1848, it was crucial to his development. It was more thoroughly
|
|
planned, and used maturer thought and deals with more specific social
|
|
injustice. Shortly after the release of Dombey and Son, he wrote David
|
|
Copperfield (1849-1850). It has been described as a "holiday" from the
|
|
larger social concerns. This novel has always been among his most popular
|
|
novels and was Dickens's own favourite.
|
|
|
|
Charles Dickens finally found a permanent form for his writing in
|
|
1850, with the novel Household Words, and its successor All the Year Round
|
|
(1859-1888). These novels incorporated a combination of weekly
|
|
miscellaneous fiction works, poetry, and essays on a wide range of topics.
|
|
These two works had circulations reaching 300, 000 for some Christmas
|
|
seasons. During this period Dickens contributed some serials, for example
|
|
Child's History of England (1851-1853), Hard Times (1854), A Tale of two
|
|
cities (1859), and Great Expectations (1860- 1861). No English author has
|
|
devoted 20 years of his/her mature life to such editorial work. Novels
|
|
|
|
During these years he wrote many more novels. The first of which was
|
|
called Bleak House (1852-1853), then Hard Times (1854), and Little Dorrit
|
|
(1855- 1857). These novels were much more dark then his earlier novels.
|
|
Portraying a sad and dark view on contemporary society. In the novels of
|
|
the 1850's, he is politically more depressed, emotionally more tragic. The
|
|
sadness is harsher, and the humour is less gentle, and the happy endings
|
|
are more relaxed than his early fiction. Technically the later novels are
|
|
more logical, the plots are more related to the themes, and the themes
|
|
express more grim symbols. The characterization has become more in line
|
|
with general purpose and design. In general the characters are becoming
|
|
more complex, even the children who were before loosely thrown together
|
|
are now complicated in their makeup. Dickens becomes more enthraled with
|
|
the general purpose of life, and poses questions to this in his works, and
|
|
attempt to explore the prospects of humanity, questions that are still
|
|
being asked today and being debated by society.
|
|
|
|
During the 1850's his spirits fell. 1855 was "a year of much
|
|
unsettled discontent for him", . He began to cease to find satisfaction in
|
|
his home, and he showed his first sign's of marital discontent. From May
|
|
1858, his wife, Catherine Dickens lived apart from him. This separation
|
|
jarred his friendships and began to shrink his social circle, yet to his
|
|
surprise, it didn't effect his social popularity. Catherine Dickens stayed
|
|
silent and most of Dickens family and friends were unwilling to talk about
|
|
it. He dated the unhappiness of his marriage to 1838, calling his wife
|
|
"perculliar", and sometimes "under a mental disorder". No one talked about
|
|
the separation until 1939, when his daughter, Katey speaking to a friend
|
|
(who was recording the conversation) offered an inside account of the true
|
|
marriage and family life during that time.
|
|
|
|
By the end of the 1850's Charles Dickens was tired and growing more
|
|
and more ill, yet he maintained inventive in his final novels. A Tale of
|
|
Two Cities (1859) was an experiment, relying less than before on
|
|
characterization, dialogue, and humour. An exciting narrative, it lacks
|
|
too many of his strengths to count among his major works. His next, Great
|
|
Expectations, (1860-1861) resembles David Copperfield , by it being a first
|
|
person narration, it draws on Dickens personality and experience. He
|
|
continued to write novels, though none of them was truly up to par with his
|
|
early novels, they were still given rave reviews. In 1864-65, he wrote Our
|
|
Mutual Friend, and Edwin Druid in 1870. His humorous handling is sometimes
|
|
tiresome, and has grown mechanical. Between the years 1867- 1868 many of
|
|
his co-writers noticed his immense personality change and it appears in
|
|
friends remarks who met him again after many years during an international
|
|
reading tour. ("I must have known two individuals bearing the same name,
|
|
at various periods of my own life.").
|
|
|
|
But his fiction, besides his personal developments still had the many
|
|
stylistic features as in his earlier works so he remained the "human
|
|
hurricane." Even though he was old, and his health was deteriorating, his
|
|
close friends saw him as a hearty man, with a good deal of fun in him ",
|
|
but that very day (on a train ride in 1865), Dickens wrote, that "I am
|
|
nearly used up,". After he had completed his reading tour, his health
|
|
remained precarious, but he insisted on continuing to do readings.
|
|
|
|
His farewell reading tour was abandoned when, in April 1869, he
|
|
collapsed. He began writing another novel in the London Hospital, and gave
|
|
a short farewell sessions of readings in London, ending with thee famous
|
|
speech, "From these garish lights I vanish now for evermore...". Charles
|
|
dickens died suddenly at Gad's Hill on June 9, 1870, and was buried in
|
|
Westminster Abbey. People all over the world mourned the loss of "a
|
|
friend" as well as a great entertainer and creative artist, and one of the
|
|
acknowledged influences upon the spirit of the age.
|
|
|
|
Charles Dickens is regarded as the greatest English novelist. He had a
|
|
wider popularity than any other author before him or during his life time.
|
|
His works appealed to everyone, a peasant, or the Queen of England. This,
|
|
and the quality of his work enabled his fame to spread world wide. His
|
|
popularity has never ceased, and he is as popular today, as he ever was.
|
|
His compassion and intelligence enriched his novels and made him one of the
|
|
great forces in 19th century literature, an influential conscience of his
|
|
age.
|