Charles Dickens
The Rise from Poverty to Wealth
“Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have thoroughly been in earnest.” This was a memorable quote said by a wonderful English writer, Charles Dickens. Born in Portsmouth, England to a wealthy family, Charles John Huffman Dickens was a well-known writer even in his time, his books being published by the dozens. He experienced with multiple genres such as historical fiction, realistic fiction, and mystery/suspense when writing his books. One of his greatest works was “Great Expectations”, a very uniquely written book about social class and love. Dickens’ book “Great Expectations” parallels his experiences in that it reveals the financial struggles of different social classes, explains the poverty faced by many people, and shows the differences in treatment of social classes.
Charles Dickens’ life was a rollercoaster of both many tragic and successful events. Born as Charles John Huffman Dickens to John Dickens and Elizabeth Barrow in Portsmouth, England on February 7, 1812, Dickens was always a fairly optimistic and happy child. In fact, he was so cheerful that he tended to get irritable at times. As a child, he was constantly moving to different cities with his parents and seven siblings due to his father’s job. He went from living in Portsmouth to moving to different areas of England such as Chatham, London, Brampton, and later on Kent. When Dickens was just 12 years of age, his father was sent to prison due to major debts, causing his family to become bankrupt. Having to support his family at such a young age, Dickens was forced to get a job at a factory with very poor sanitary conditions. In this rodent-ridden factory, Dickens earned six shillings a week by labeling pots. Although this wasn’t much money, he had no other choice but to continue working. Due to a family inheritance, Dickens’ father paid off his
“Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have thoroughly been in earnest.” This was a memorable quote said by a wonderful English writer, Charles Dickens. Born in Portsmouth, England to a wealthy family, Charles John Huffman Dickens was a well-known writer even in his time, his books being published by the dozens. He experienced with multiple genres such as historical fiction, realistic fiction, and mystery/suspense when writing his books. One of his greatest works was “Great Expectations”, a very uniquely written book about social class and love. Dickens’ book “Great Expectations” parallels his experiences in that it reveals the financial struggles of different social classes, explains the poverty faced by many people, and shows the differences in treatment of social classes.
Charles Dickens’ life was a rollercoaster of both many tragic and successful events. Born as Charles John Huffman Dickens to John Dickens and Elizabeth Barrow in Portsmouth, England on February 7, 1812, Dickens was always a fairly optimistic and happy child. In fact, he was so cheerful that he tended to get irritable at times. As a child, he was constantly moving to different cities with his parents and seven siblings due to his father’s job. He went from living in Portsmouth to moving to different areas of England such as Chatham, London, Brampton, and later on Kent. When Dickens was just 12 years of age, his father was sent to prison due to major debts, causing his family to become bankrupt. Having to support his family at such a young age, Dickens was forced to get a job at a factory with very poor sanitary conditions. In this rodent-ridden factory, Dickens earned six shillings a week by labeling pots. Although this wasn’t much money, he had no other choice but to continue working. Due to a family inheritance, Dickens’ father paid off his