Life
When and where was Dickens born?
Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
What career did Charles Dickens originally aspire to before becoming a writer?
Charles Dickens originally wanted to be an actor and even auditioned for a role at Covent Garden, but he missed his chance due to illness.
When was great expectations originally published?
August 1861.
Great Expectations was first published in the Monthly Magazine in December 1833.
Charles Dickens met U.S. President John Tyler during his visit to the United States in 1842.
When Dickens was 12, he worked at Warren’s blacking factory pasting labels on shoe polish containers.
The first one is the lie: Great Expectations was not first published in the Monthly Magazine in December 1833. It was actually serialized in All the Year Round from December 1860 to August 1861.
Who ruled England during most of Dickens’s life?
Queen Victoria ruled England during the majority of Charles Dickens's life, from 1837 until his death in 1870.
Identify three places Dickens lived as a boy.
The Dickens family moved to London in 1814 and two years later to Chatham, Kent, where Charles spent the early years of his childhood. Due to the financial difficulties they moved back to London in 1822, where they settled in Camden Town, a poor neighborhood of London.
Where did Dickens work when he was 12? Why?
When Dickens was 12 years old he worked at Warren’s blacking factory pasting labels on shoe polish containers to provide for the family, this work wasn’t voluntary. His father was sent to prison.
How many copies were sold in magazine form?
An estimated 100,000 copies were sold in magazine form per week.
Charles Dickens originally wanted to be an actor and even auditioned for a role at Covent Garden, but he missed his chance due to illness.
After his father’s imprisonment, Dickens left school permanently and never pursued education again, deciding to apply for journalist jobs.
As a young journalist, Dickens used the pseudonym “Boz” when writing articles and sketches.
The second one is the lie: Although Dickens had to leave school at age 12 to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory due to his father’s imprisonment, he later returned to school and continued self-educating himself through reading.
Which president of the United States did Dickens meet?
Charles Dickens met with President John Tyler during his visit to the United States in 1842.
What happened to his father when Charles was young?
Charles Dickens's father, John Dickens, was imprisoned in the Marshalsea debtors' prison in 1824 due to financial difficulties. This event had a profound impact on Charles and influenced his views on social justice.
What occupation did Dickens have at age 20?
At the age of 20, which would have been about 1832, Charles Dickens was working as a newspaper reporter for his uncle's paper, "The Mirror of Parliament". Dickens' writing focused on political issues of the time.
In what magazine was Great Expectations first published?
The novel was first published as a serial in Dickens's weekly periodical “All the Year Round”, from 1 December 1860 to August 1861.
Dickens burned all his personal papers and correspondence before writing Great Expectations.
Great Expectations was published with three chapters at a time in “All the Year Round”.
As a child, Dickens was inspired by the works of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding.
The second one is the lie: Dickens did publish Great Expectations in his weekly periodical “All the Year Round”, from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. However, it was published in two chapters at a time, although sometimes only one was published.
Identify five social problems that concerned Dickens during his lifetime.
The five social problems that concerned Dickens during his lifetime were homelessness, poverty, prostitution, hunger, and orphans.
Which Dickens novel has sold the most copies?
"A Tale of Two Cities" is considered Dickens's best-selling novel, with sales exceeding 200 million copies, making it one of the best-selling novels of all time.
What job did Dickens have in 1827?
In about 1827, Charles Dickens left school and began to work in London as a clerk for the law firm Ellis & Blackmore, a position that taught him about the legal system which he later portrayed in his writings.
How many chapters were published at a time?
The amount of chapters that were published at a time was two chapters, although sometimes only one was published.
Before becoming a novelist, Dickens worked as a law clerk and later as a parliamentary reporter.
A Tale of Two Cities is Dickens’s best-selling novel, with over 200 million copies sold.
Dickens met and developed a romantic relationship with actress Ellen Ternan, and married her one year after divorcing his wife.
The third one is the lie: Dickens never married Ellen Ternan. Although they had a secret relationship, they remained together discreetly until Dickens’s death, but they never officially married.
What is the name of the actress with whom Dickens was deeply involved? What happened to their romance?
The name of the actress with whom Dickens was involved was Ellen Ternan who Dickens met in 1857. Dickens was 45 years old and married while Ternan was 18 and alone. Soon after meeting, they began an affair that was kept secret from the general public which led to the breakup of his marriage and remained until his death in 1870.
Identify two writers who influenced Dickens while he was growing up.
Dickens was particularly drawn to the picaresque novels of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding, such as "Tom Jones" by Fielding, which he read as a child. Fielding and Smollett had a great influence on Dickens and other writers of the Victorian era as the early creators of the genre of literary biography.
Where did Charles Dickens study as a child?
Wellington House Academy.
What 4 important personal events happened before Dickens began writing Great Expectations in 1960?
The important personal events that happened before Dickens began writing Great Expectations in 1860 were that his daughter Kate got married, his favorite brother Alfred died, and he burned all his personal papers. He also separated from his wife, Catherine, in 1858.
Dickens was heavily influenced by the works of Tobias Smith and Henry Field.
Dickens married Catherine Hogarth, and they had ten children.
Dickens had a close relationship with his wife's sister, Mary Hogarth.
The first one is the lie: Dickens was particularly drawn to the picaresque novels of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding, such as "Tom Jones" by Fielding, which he read as a child. Fielding and Smollett had a great influence on Dickens and other writers of the Victorian era as the early creators of the genre of literary biography.
Which Dickens novel has sold the most copies?
"A Tale of Two Cities" is considered Dickens's best-selling novel, with sales exceeding 200 million copies, making it one of the best-selling novels of all time.