Charles Dickens
the life
THE LIFE
First part
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, on the southern coast of England, in 1812 and had an unhappy childhood. His father was imprisoned for debt and at the age of 12 he was put to work in a factory. When the family finances improved and his father was released, he was sent to a school in London. At 15, he found employment as an office boy at a lawyer's and studied short-hand at night. By 1832 he had become a very succesful short-hand reporter of parliamentary debates in the House of Commons, and began to work as a reporter for a newspaper. In 1833 his first story appeared and in 1836, still a newspaper reporter, he adopted the pen name "Boz", publishing "Sketches by Boz", a collection of articles and tales describing London's people and scenes.
THE LIFE
Second part
Dickens married Catherne Hogarth in April 1836, and during the same year he became editor of "Bentley's Miscellany" and published the second series of "Sketches by Boz". After the success of "The Pickwick Papers" , Dickens started a full time career as a novelist, producing works of increasing complexity at an incredible rate, although he also continued his journalistic and editorial activities. "Olvier Twist" was begun in 1837 and continued in monthly instalments until April 1839.
THE LIFE
Third part
The protagonists of his autobiographical novels, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Little Dorrit, became the symbols of an exploited childhood confronted with the bitter realities of slums and factories. Other works include Bleak House, Hard Times and Great Expectations, which deal with the conditions of the poor and the working class in general.
Charles Dickens
curiosities
First Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
Secret Second Family
Dickens was married to Catherine Hogarth, with whom he had ten children. However, in the later years of their marriage, he became involved with a young actress named Ellen Ternan. Dickens and Ellen had a secret, long-term relationship, and many believe that Dickens may have financially supported her and her family for much of their lives. This affair was kept out of the public eye for many years, and the full details only came to light long after Dickens’ death.
Second Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
a quirky obsession
Dickens had a strange, almost compulsive dislike of table legs that were not covered by a cloth. He was known to have an almost irrational aversion to seeing the bare legs of tables in his home. In fact, he often instructed that his own furniture be draped in cloths to cover them. It was one of his quirky habits that stood out among his more organized and controlled lifestyle.
Third Curiosity
curiosities
pioneer of public reading
Dickens is credited with inventing the modern concept of the public reading. He didn’t just read his works aloud for the enjoyment of audiences—he infused dramatic flair into the performances, often using different voices and gestures to bring his characters to life. His readings were not only for his fans but were seen as a precursor to theatrical adaptations of novels, influencing how authors would engage with their audiences in the future. He even performed A Christmas Carol in this way, effectively becoming an early “one-man show” before it was popular.
Fourth Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
He had a secret door disguised as a bookshelf
In his study at Gad’s Hill Place, Dickens installed a door hidden behind false book spines with made-up titles such as The Life of a Cat, The Wisdom of Our Ancestors, and History of a Short Chancery Suit. These joke titles poked fun at Victorian society and bureaucracy — The Wisdom of Our Ancestors had volumes labeled Ignorance, Superstition, and Bigotry.
Fifth Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
He practiced hypnotism (“mesmerism”) and tried to treat people with it
Dickens was deeply interested in mesmerism and claimed to have successfully used it to treat insomnia, pain, and even paralysis — particularly on his wife Catherine and a close friend’s wife. He documented these experiments in private letters but never made them public, fearing ridicule from the medical establishment.
Oliver Twist
the novel
First part
The Plot
Oliver Twist first appeared in instalments in 1837 and was later published as a book. The novel fictionalises the economic insecurity and humilation Dickens experienced as a child. The name Twist, though it is given to the protagonist by accident, represents the outrageous reversals of fortune that he will experience. Oliver Twist is a poor boy of unknown parents; he was born in a workhouse in a small town near London in the erly 1800s. His mother dies after his birth and he is brought up in a workhouse in an inhuman way. The boy commits the unpardonable offence of asking for more food when he is close to starving, so the parish official offers five pounds to anyone willing to take Oliver on as an apprentice. In fact, he is later sold to an undertaker, but the cruelty and the unhappiness that he faces with his new master make him run away to London.
Second Part
The Plot
While in London he falls into the hands of a gang of young pickpockets, trained by Fagin, who runs a school for would be thieves. Unfortunately, Oliver is not a successfull student: he is caught on his first attempt at theft. Mr. Brownlow, the victim, is striken by the ragged and unhealty appearance of Oliver and rather then charging him with theft, he takes him home and takes care of him. Oliver is eventually kidnapped by Fagin's gang and forced to commit burglary; during the job he is shot and wounded. Oliver is adopted by Mr. Brownlow and at last receives kindness. Investigations are made about who Oliver is and it is discovered that he has noble origins. In the end the gang of pickpockets and Oliver's half brother, who paid the thieves in order to ruin Oliver and have their father's property all for himself, are arrested
Third Part
Setting and Characters
The most important setting of the novel is London, which is depicted at three different social levels. First the parochial world of the workhouse is revealed. The inhabitants of this world, belonging to the society's lower middle class, are calculating and insensible to the feeling of the poor. Second, the criminal world is described, with pickpockets and murderers. They live in dirty, squalid slums with fear and generally die a miserable death. Finaly the world of the Victorian middle class is presented. In this world live respectable people who show a regard for moral values and believe in the principle of human dignity.
Oliver Twist
curiosities
CURIOSITIES
First Novel to Feature a "Detective" Figure
While not the traditional detective we think of today, Oliver Twist is often credited with introducing one of the first characters who can be seen as a precursor to the modern detective archetype—Mr. Brownlow. Mr. Brownlow, a kind-hearted, retired merchant who takes Oliver in, embarks on a quiet investigation to uncover the truth about Oliver’s background. His role in piecing together the mystery of Oliver's origins is a key part of the novel’s plot and reflects an early narrative interest in uncovering hidden truths, something that would later define detective fiction.
CURIOSITIES
The Name “Fagin” May Have Been Inspired by a Real Personipsum dolor sit amet
Fagin, the villainous leader of the child pickpockets, was not a purely fictional creation. There’s some evidence that Dickens may have based Fagin on a real figure, a notorious Jewish criminal named Ikey Solomon, who had been involved in theft and other criminal activities. Solomon was a well-known figure in London during Dickens' time, and his behavior and reputation likely served as inspiration for the character. However, the portrayal of Fagin has been widely criticized for its anti-Semitic stereotypes, a point Dickens later expressed regret over, particularly in his later writings.
CURIOSITIES
The Novel Sparked Public Debate on Child Labor Laws
Oliver Twist had a significant impact on public attitudes toward child labor in 19th-century Britain. The novel's vivid portrayal of children being exploited by criminals, as well as the harsh treatment of poor orphans in workhouses, brought attention to the social issues of the time. Dickens was highly critical of the Poor Law of 1834, which forced the impoverished to work in workhouses under brutal conditions. The book became a kind of moral crusade, helping to fuel growing public outrage over the exploitation of children. While it didn't immediately lead to sweeping legislative change, Oliver Twist was part of a broader movement that eventually contributed to the establishment of laws that aimed to protect children from labor exploitation, like the Factory Acts and the Juvenile Offenders Act.
CURIOSITIES
The novel contains a hidden jab at Dickens’s own publisher
In Chapter 14, Dickens introduces a coffin-maker named Mr. Sowerberry, whose gloomy business and miserly habits were a not-so-subtle parody of a real publisher Dickens had clashed with, Richard Bentley. Bentley had published Oliver Twist in Bentley’s Miscellany but quarreled with Dickens over pay and editorial control. The coffin imagery and the character’s name (“Sower-berry”) are widely read as a sardonic little revenge — Dickens literally burying his publisher in fiction.
CURIOSITIES
The book secretly maps real London slums — but Dickens deliberately scrambled the geography to protect himself
Many of the settings in Oliver Twist (like the thieves’ den in Saffron Hill and the workhouse) were based on real locations Dickens had personally explored while working as a journalist. He often wandered through the rookeries of Clerkenwell and St. Giles — among the poorest and most dangerous parts of London — taking notes.However, when he turned these notes into fiction, he intentionally distorted the street names and routes, fearing that officials and slumlords might retaliate if he depicted their neighborhoods too accurately. Victorian readers in the know could still recognize the hidden map, though — and a few contemporary critics even accused Dickens of “publishing London’s filth in disguise.”
The end.
by massimo pelosi alessio pelosi marco daga
Charles Dickens
Massimo Pelosi
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Transcript
Charles Dickens
the life
THE LIFE
First part
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, on the southern coast of England, in 1812 and had an unhappy childhood. His father was imprisoned for debt and at the age of 12 he was put to work in a factory. When the family finances improved and his father was released, he was sent to a school in London. At 15, he found employment as an office boy at a lawyer's and studied short-hand at night. By 1832 he had become a very succesful short-hand reporter of parliamentary debates in the House of Commons, and began to work as a reporter for a newspaper. In 1833 his first story appeared and in 1836, still a newspaper reporter, he adopted the pen name "Boz", publishing "Sketches by Boz", a collection of articles and tales describing London's people and scenes.
THE LIFE
Second part
Dickens married Catherne Hogarth in April 1836, and during the same year he became editor of "Bentley's Miscellany" and published the second series of "Sketches by Boz". After the success of "The Pickwick Papers" , Dickens started a full time career as a novelist, producing works of increasing complexity at an incredible rate, although he also continued his journalistic and editorial activities. "Olvier Twist" was begun in 1837 and continued in monthly instalments until April 1839.
THE LIFE
Third part
The protagonists of his autobiographical novels, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Little Dorrit, became the symbols of an exploited childhood confronted with the bitter realities of slums and factories. Other works include Bleak House, Hard Times and Great Expectations, which deal with the conditions of the poor and the working class in general.
Charles Dickens
curiosities
First Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
Secret Second Family
Dickens was married to Catherine Hogarth, with whom he had ten children. However, in the later years of their marriage, he became involved with a young actress named Ellen Ternan. Dickens and Ellen had a secret, long-term relationship, and many believe that Dickens may have financially supported her and her family for much of their lives. This affair was kept out of the public eye for many years, and the full details only came to light long after Dickens’ death.
Second Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
a quirky obsession
Dickens had a strange, almost compulsive dislike of table legs that were not covered by a cloth. He was known to have an almost irrational aversion to seeing the bare legs of tables in his home. In fact, he often instructed that his own furniture be draped in cloths to cover them. It was one of his quirky habits that stood out among his more organized and controlled lifestyle.
Third Curiosity
curiosities
pioneer of public reading
Dickens is credited with inventing the modern concept of the public reading. He didn’t just read his works aloud for the enjoyment of audiences—he infused dramatic flair into the performances, often using different voices and gestures to bring his characters to life. His readings were not only for his fans but were seen as a precursor to theatrical adaptations of novels, influencing how authors would engage with their audiences in the future. He even performed A Christmas Carol in this way, effectively becoming an early “one-man show” before it was popular.
Fourth Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
He had a secret door disguised as a bookshelf
In his study at Gad’s Hill Place, Dickens installed a door hidden behind false book spines with made-up titles such as The Life of a Cat, The Wisdom of Our Ancestors, and History of a Short Chancery Suit. These joke titles poked fun at Victorian society and bureaucracy — The Wisdom of Our Ancestors had volumes labeled Ignorance, Superstition, and Bigotry.
Fifth Curiosity
CURIOSITIES
He practiced hypnotism (“mesmerism”) and tried to treat people with it
Dickens was deeply interested in mesmerism and claimed to have successfully used it to treat insomnia, pain, and even paralysis — particularly on his wife Catherine and a close friend’s wife. He documented these experiments in private letters but never made them public, fearing ridicule from the medical establishment.
Oliver Twist
the novel
First part
The Plot
Oliver Twist first appeared in instalments in 1837 and was later published as a book. The novel fictionalises the economic insecurity and humilation Dickens experienced as a child. The name Twist, though it is given to the protagonist by accident, represents the outrageous reversals of fortune that he will experience. Oliver Twist is a poor boy of unknown parents; he was born in a workhouse in a small town near London in the erly 1800s. His mother dies after his birth and he is brought up in a workhouse in an inhuman way. The boy commits the unpardonable offence of asking for more food when he is close to starving, so the parish official offers five pounds to anyone willing to take Oliver on as an apprentice. In fact, he is later sold to an undertaker, but the cruelty and the unhappiness that he faces with his new master make him run away to London.
Second Part
The Plot
While in London he falls into the hands of a gang of young pickpockets, trained by Fagin, who runs a school for would be thieves. Unfortunately, Oliver is not a successfull student: he is caught on his first attempt at theft. Mr. Brownlow, the victim, is striken by the ragged and unhealty appearance of Oliver and rather then charging him with theft, he takes him home and takes care of him. Oliver is eventually kidnapped by Fagin's gang and forced to commit burglary; during the job he is shot and wounded. Oliver is adopted by Mr. Brownlow and at last receives kindness. Investigations are made about who Oliver is and it is discovered that he has noble origins. In the end the gang of pickpockets and Oliver's half brother, who paid the thieves in order to ruin Oliver and have their father's property all for himself, are arrested
Third Part
Setting and Characters
The most important setting of the novel is London, which is depicted at three different social levels. First the parochial world of the workhouse is revealed. The inhabitants of this world, belonging to the society's lower middle class, are calculating and insensible to the feeling of the poor. Second, the criminal world is described, with pickpockets and murderers. They live in dirty, squalid slums with fear and generally die a miserable death. Finaly the world of the Victorian middle class is presented. In this world live respectable people who show a regard for moral values and believe in the principle of human dignity.
Oliver Twist
curiosities
CURIOSITIES
First Novel to Feature a "Detective" Figure
While not the traditional detective we think of today, Oliver Twist is often credited with introducing one of the first characters who can be seen as a precursor to the modern detective archetype—Mr. Brownlow. Mr. Brownlow, a kind-hearted, retired merchant who takes Oliver in, embarks on a quiet investigation to uncover the truth about Oliver’s background. His role in piecing together the mystery of Oliver's origins is a key part of the novel’s plot and reflects an early narrative interest in uncovering hidden truths, something that would later define detective fiction.
CURIOSITIES
The Name “Fagin” May Have Been Inspired by a Real Personipsum dolor sit amet
Fagin, the villainous leader of the child pickpockets, was not a purely fictional creation. There’s some evidence that Dickens may have based Fagin on a real figure, a notorious Jewish criminal named Ikey Solomon, who had been involved in theft and other criminal activities. Solomon was a well-known figure in London during Dickens' time, and his behavior and reputation likely served as inspiration for the character. However, the portrayal of Fagin has been widely criticized for its anti-Semitic stereotypes, a point Dickens later expressed regret over, particularly in his later writings.
CURIOSITIES
The Novel Sparked Public Debate on Child Labor Laws
Oliver Twist had a significant impact on public attitudes toward child labor in 19th-century Britain. The novel's vivid portrayal of children being exploited by criminals, as well as the harsh treatment of poor orphans in workhouses, brought attention to the social issues of the time. Dickens was highly critical of the Poor Law of 1834, which forced the impoverished to work in workhouses under brutal conditions. The book became a kind of moral crusade, helping to fuel growing public outrage over the exploitation of children. While it didn't immediately lead to sweeping legislative change, Oliver Twist was part of a broader movement that eventually contributed to the establishment of laws that aimed to protect children from labor exploitation, like the Factory Acts and the Juvenile Offenders Act.
CURIOSITIES
The novel contains a hidden jab at Dickens’s own publisher
In Chapter 14, Dickens introduces a coffin-maker named Mr. Sowerberry, whose gloomy business and miserly habits were a not-so-subtle parody of a real publisher Dickens had clashed with, Richard Bentley. Bentley had published Oliver Twist in Bentley’s Miscellany but quarreled with Dickens over pay and editorial control. The coffin imagery and the character’s name (“Sower-berry”) are widely read as a sardonic little revenge — Dickens literally burying his publisher in fiction.
CURIOSITIES
The book secretly maps real London slums — but Dickens deliberately scrambled the geography to protect himself
Many of the settings in Oliver Twist (like the thieves’ den in Saffron Hill and the workhouse) were based on real locations Dickens had personally explored while working as a journalist. He often wandered through the rookeries of Clerkenwell and St. Giles — among the poorest and most dangerous parts of London — taking notes.However, when he turned these notes into fiction, he intentionally distorted the street names and routes, fearing that officials and slumlords might retaliate if he depicted their neighborhoods too accurately. Victorian readers in the know could still recognize the hidden map, though — and a few contemporary critics even accused Dickens of “publishing London’s filth in disguise.”
The end.
by massimo pelosi alessio pelosi marco daga