Charles+Dickens'+biography

1) A complete bio of Charles Dickens

2) **STAPLES** Dickens' contributions & thoughts in the following areas:
 * S**CIENCE & TECHNOLOGY -
 * T**HOUGHT, IDEAS, RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, LITERATURE - **Religion**: Rejected the Church of England. Why? --Dickens rejected the Church of England because he didn't like the influence of the Church's bishops on English politics --Calvin (8/4/07)
 * A**RT, MUSIC, ARCHITECTURE-
 * P**OLITICS & PERSONALITIES (Who he knew / influenced, etc) -
 * L**AW & GOVERNEMENT-
 * E**CONOMICS, ECONOMIC THEORY, TRADE, AGRICULTURE, TAXES-
 * S**OCIAL HISTORY, CLASS, GENDER ROLES, DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH (This can include information about him, or his thoughts on these things)

Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens in Landport, Hampshire. He had an older brother and 6 younger siblings. His father had a well-paying job as a clerk at the Navy Pay Office but was imprisoned for debt in 1824. Dickens’ mother and all his siblings were also put in the Marshalsea Prison. But Dickens went to work at Warren’s Shoe Blacking Factory. This was the darkest part of Dickens’ life. It had a negative effect on his life. He couldn’t even bring himself to talk about what happened during this time to anyone but his wife and his friend John Forester. During his father’s imprisonment, Charles Dickens spent about a year at William Giles’ school in Chatham, Kent. When Charles Dickens was twelve, his father was released from jail and his mother wanted him to continue working in the factory. But his father put him in the Wellington House Academy in London until Dickens was fifteen. When he was fifteen, Dickens found a job as an office clerk at Ellis and Blackmore’ law firm. He worked during the day and learned shorthand at night. In 1829, he became a reporter for Doctor’s Common’s Courts. After becoming a very successful court reporter, he switched to being a newspaper reporter. Soon later, Dickens started using the alias “Boz” to publish the series //Sketches by Boz//. He married Catherine Hogarth on April 2, 1836. They had 10 children. Stephanie Tran (7/10/07)

Charles Dickens began a tragic childhood since his birth on February 7, 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens. John had a poor financial mind and consequently, fell into large debt. Soon, he dragged his entire family along with him. All but Dickens, who had to work at Warren's Blacking Factory. When his family were finally released from prison, Dickens continued to work at the factory under his mother's request, until his father saved him from his suffering. Still, this tragic experience had an important impact in his life in that he remembered the it for the rest of his life and it also inspired his later books //Great Expectations// and //David Copperfield//. - ellen (07.13.07)


 * Charles Dickens**

One of the most talented, admired writers of all time must be Charles Dickens, author of __Tale of Two Cities__. Dickens did not live a glamorous childhood. Born on February 7, 1812, Dickens spent his childhood and teenage years working at factories and other office jobs. His parents were poor; in fact, his family spent a long period in prison for unpaid debts. Although an unfortunate boy in many senses, Dickens was priviledged enough to attend school to learn shorthand writing. He was then able to obtain a job as a reporter, and later on, begin his solo career in writing. In 1836, Dickens had his first series of books, __The__ __Sketches of Boz__, followed by the __Pickwick Papers__, published. Thus, his writing career took off at full speed. Inspired by his troubling childhood, Dickens was able to write novels, basing many of his characters on the people in his life. His novels were very popular, and remain so until this day. {Melissa 8/16/07}

//List of His Other Works:// {Melissa 8/16/07}
 * 1836- Sketches by Boz [[image:http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5mgRG8VGImIB.gCjzbkF/SIG=134aia897/EXP=1187409041/**http%3A//www.mujucitel.cz/OXFORD-BOOKWORMS-LIBRARY-4-TALE-OF-TWO-CITIES_id1024.jpg align="right"]]
 * 1837- The Pickwick Papers
 * 1838- Oliver Twist
 * 1839- Nicholas Nickelby
 * 1841- Barnaby Rudge
 * 1841- Master Humphrey's Clock
 * 1841- The Old Curiosity Shop
 * 1843- A Christmas Carol
 * 1844- The Chimes
 * 1844- The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit
 * 1845- The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home
 * 1846- Pictures from Italy
 * 1848- Dombey and Son
 * 1848- The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
 * 1850- David Copperfield
 * 1853- Bleak House
 * 1854- Hard Times
 * 1857- Little Dorrit
 * 1859- A Tale of Two Cities
 * 1860- The Uncommercial Traveller
 * 1861- Great Expectations
 * 1865- Our Mutual Friend
 * 1870- The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Refrences: 1. [|http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/dickensbio1.html] 2. [|http://www.charlesdickenspage.com/fast-facts.html] 3. [|http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/] 4. http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0207a-almanac.htm 5. http://www.ajshop.cz/OXFORD-BOOKWORMS-LIBRARY-4-TALE-OF-TWO-CITIES_id1024.jpg 6. http://www.helsinki.fi/kasv/nokol/dickens.html 7. http://www.hcandersen-homepage.dk/charles-dickens/dickens.jpg


 * Note:** Cite the source of all material. All plagiarized material will be deleted.