Charles Dickens Research Paper

Famous author Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812. His birthplace was in Portsmouth, England, where he began his writing career. Dickens had seven brothers and sisters. Their parents, John Dickens and Elizabeth Barrow worked hard to support the family, despite being poor. John Dickens worked as a naval clerk, and Elizabeth Barrow had dreams of one day becoming a teacher. When Charles was four years old, he and his family moved to Chatham, Kent. The Dickens’ lived there for six years, before moving once again to Camden Town. The family continued to live in poverty, which became so bad that John Dickens was eventually arrested for debt in 1824. Charles Dickens was forced to leave school after his father’s arrest to help support his family. Charles was forced to work under poor conditions, and earned very little pay. This …show more content…
In 1827 he began a new job as an office boy, which helped propel him toward a writing career. Dickens worked as a freelance reporter, selling articles under the name of “Boz”. He went on to marry Catherine Hogarth, with whom he had ten children. Charles Dickens later became the publisher of a magazine, in which he would publish his first novel, Oliver Twist. This story was inspired by Dickens’ struggles as a poor child forced to fend for himself. Dickens went on to publish many other works, such as The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge. However, none were as successful as his first. That is, until Dickens wrote his famous Christmas novel, A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens found success with these two major novels, and in 1842 he began a tour of the United States. Dickens became a celebrity, and gave lectures expressing his opposition to slavery, and the need for reform. His writings earned Dickens celebrity status, as well as large sums of money. He was soon recognized wherever he

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