The Life Of Charles Dickens

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The Life of Charles Dickens Charles Dickens was an writer born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. His father, John Dickens, was a minor clerk in the navy offices. The family drifted from one poor home in London to another. Soon Charles' father and family ended up in the Marshalsea Prison because they were deep in debt. A few years of secondary school was Charles' only education where he was actually in a classroom reading books taught to him by a teacher. His real education came from his reading, observations, and daily experiences. By teaching himself shorthand, Dickens obtained the position of court reporter in the old Doctors' Commons. Charles Dickens was drawn to acting. He loved the stage, the acters, the plays, and everything else that went with it. As we all know, Charles Dickens never did follow his passion and become an actor, but fate led him in a different direction to that of a writer, his other talent and passion.

He turned in stories under a false name, "Boz", to an editor. When one finally was published, Charles was overjoyed. He sent in more and soon had an agreement where he would be payed about seventy dollars for each monthly installment of his humorous literature. He was no longer a poor boy, but a wealthy, famous, married man. Leaving their four children at home, he landed with his wife in Boston in January 1842. After Boston, he traveled on to New York, then Philadelphia, and then Baltimore and Washington. In all places he was treated as royalty. In time Charles' view of America as a great country faded. One of his writings, called the 'American Notes', revealed his views on this and showed his disgust of America. To him the American Government seemed to be full of nothing but fraud, trickery, and cheating. No one could please him. After spending a short time in Canada, he left headed back to England where he would damage the reputation of America in his writings. In 1851 he made a grand home at Tavistock Square and lived in great style. In January of 1846 gave himself the job of editor, but after only nineteen days of the work, he quit. In 1850 he started a weekly journal, called Household Words, and then a magazine in 1859, called All the Year Round. Charles got seperated from his wife, Catherine, in 1858. He traveled to America again in order to tour, and it turned out to be very successful, but also very tiring for aging Charles. Once he returned home to England he made his last appearance in March of 1870. On June 9, 1870, England's most remarkable and creative writer, Charles Dickens, died.