Charles John Huffam Dickens

"Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. He was the second of eight children of John and Elizabeth Dickens. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office who had a tendency to live beyond his means. His mother was a well-educated woman who aspired to be a teacher. Charles showed an early interest in reading and writing and was taught by his mother at home until he was nine years old. When Charles was 12, his father was imprisoned for debt in the Marshalsea prison in London. Charles had to leave school and work in a boot-blacking factory to help support his family. He later described this period of his life as the most miserable and humiliating he ever endured. He felt abandoned and betrayed by his parents who seemed to care more about their social status than their children’s welfare. After his father’s release from prison, Charles returned to school for a short time but soon left again to work as an office boy at a law firm. He also taught himself shorthand and became a freelance reporter for the courts and newspapers. He began to write sketches of London life and characters under the pen name Boz. In 1836, he published his first book, Sketches by Boz, which was well received by the public and critics. In the same year, he married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of a journalist. They had 10 children together but their marriage was unhappy and they separated in 1858. Charles also had a secret relationship with a young actress named Ellen Ternan whom he met in 1857. Charles rose to fame with his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which was published in monthly installments from 1836 to 1837. The novel was a huge success and made him a celebrity overnight. He continued to write novels in serial form, such as Oliver Twist (1837-39), Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39), The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-41), Barnaby Rudge (1841), Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-44), Dombey and Son (1846-48), David Copperfield (1849-50), Bleak House (1852-53), Hard Times (1854), Little Dorrit (1855-57), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (1860-61), Our Mutual Friend (1864-65), and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870). Charles also wrote several short stories, novellas, essays, articles, and letters. He was famous for his humor, satire, social criticism, and keen observation of human nature. He created some of the most memorable characters and scenes in English literature. He also addressed many of the issues and problems of his time, such as poverty, injustice, crime, education, industrialization, and class conflict. Charles was not only a writer but also a public figure who used his influence and popularity to advocate for social reforms. He supported various charitable causes and institutions that helped the poor, the sick, the disabled, and the oppressed. He also gave public readings of his works that attracted large crowds of admirers. Charles died on June 9, 1870, at his home in Gad’s Hill Place near Rochester in Kent. He suffered a stroke and never regained consciousness. He was buried in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey in London. He left behind a legacy of literary genius that is still widely read and admired today."