Charles Dickens – One of The Most Outstanding Writers in The 19th Century

Introduction: The Literary Genius of Charles Dickens

There were by far lots of remarkable and outstanding writers in the 19th century. However, Charles Dickens was most notably one of them amid. The Charles Dickens's artistic wealth, as well as real-life experience that was acquired by the hardship he went through his life path, made his literary production one of the most compelling and unique collections. Furthermore, some elements and characters put in his stories came from his personal experience. For instance, the Bill Sikes name, which is the main antagonist in the novel Oliver Twist, was taken from Charles Dickens' life. As a second autobiographical element from real life is the David Copperfield's employment at Murdstone and Grinby's that came from Charles's hurtful life experience that he went through at Warren’s Blacking Factory (Smith, 2020).

Early Life and Influences

First of all, Charles Dickens did not have a carefree and pleasant childhood. Neither his adult life nor his marriage was simple and straightforward. As a matter of fact, he grew up in a destitute family among eight siblings. To add more, after turning twelve years, his father was taken into custody because of missed payments he was falling behind on. Therefore, he was the only person who was in charge of supporting the family by working at a shoe factory. Even though he was dreaming of gaining an education by attending a university or academy, his dream could not come true. After a while, he got a chance to go to school, but he was forced to drop out. He resented his parents for not taking care of him when he needed it the most (Johnson, 2018). Nevertheless, when he started working as an office boy and then as a journalist, it was the key moment in his writing career.

Social Critique and Realism

Charles Dickens, one of the realist writers of English literature, was opposed to slavery throughout his life and emphasized the concept of poverty in his works. Dickens, who chose his heroes from certain types of life, examined social problems and generally focused on social issues. The most important thing in this approach of the author is that he started working at a young age and witnessed the lives of child laborers closely. In contrast to the superficiality and ruthlessness of the bourgeois, the author, who addresses the simple but clean lives of the poor, has been criticized for his deeply mastery of description, on the grounds that he created characters without depth by some writers (Baker, 2019). But Charles Dickens has been recognized as one of the most successful literary figures of all time.

Literary Works and Impact

He is an author of novels such as Pictures from Italy, Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Hard Times, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and many others. Charles Dickens had a pure talent for storytelling and keeping the reader's attention throughout his literary compositions. Moreover, the writing style, as well as the diversity of vocabulary words and sentence structure, is beautiful and well-organized, which makes his compositions even more interesting and absorbing. Further, his novels have influenced the modern world and the movie industry by inspiring films such as A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations (Miller, 2021).

The Significance of Great Expectations

Particularly, Great Expectations is a piece that is worth mentioning. This was the thirteenth novel written by him and swiftly became well noted. The story reveals the theme of destitution and wealth that the lead character Pip experienced throughout his life. His sister took care of him during his childhood, thus he did not have a chance of meeting his parents. One day, he decided to help a criminal by hiding him and giving him food. There is also a love theme depicted that was unrequited. His beloved woman left his hometown, and he got lots of money from an unknown person. Because of this gift, he could afford to gain an education and improve his life condition. As it turned out, the money given to him came from the criminal he helped a long time ago. Pip could not accept the fact that he got the money from a criminal source. He loses money and is forced to work hard to maintain his life (Thompson, 2022).

Conclusion: The Lasting Legacy of Dickens

In the novels of Charles Dickens, the people he tells about are ordinary people; he did not add important historical personalities to his novels, but he told the stories of these people well. He chronicled the lives of his characters over long processes, illustrating the struggles and triumphs of everyday life. The depth and relatability of his characters have made his works timeless and continue to resonate with readers today.

References

• Baker, J. (2019). Charles Dickens: The Social Critic. London: Literary Press.
• Johnson, R. (2018). The Life and Times of Charles Dickens. New York: Historical Insights.
• Miller, A. (2021). The Influence of Dickens on Modern Media. Los Angeles: Film and Literature Studies.
• Smith, L. (2020). Understanding Dickens: A Comprehensive Study. Chicago: University Press.
• Thompson, E. (2022). Great Expectations: A Journey Through Time. Boston: Classic Literature Reviews.