A Brief Introduction to the Characters Written by Charles Dickens

[Name] Charles Dickens (English writer)

CharlesJohnHuffamDickens (English original name: Charles Johnhuffamdickens,1865438+February 7, 2002-65438+June 9, 20870) is an English writer. His major works include david copperfield, The Story of Pickwick, Oliver Twist, Old Antique Shop, Hard Times, Our Friends, A Tale of Two Cities and so on.

Dickens 18 12 was born in the suburb of Portsmouth on February 7th, 2002. He was born in a small naval staff family. When he was a teenager, he had to go to school intermittently because of his family life. Later, he was forced to work as a child laborer in a factory. /kloc-After 0/5 years old, he worked as an apprentice, clerk and court recorder in a law firm. At the age of 20, he began to work as a newspaper reporter, covering the House of Commons. 1837, he finished his first novel "The Story of Pickwick", which was the first realistic novel creation, and later his writing ability became more and more mature. He has published Oliver Twist (1838), Old Antique Shop (184 1), Dombey and Son (1848) and david copperfield (1850).

Dickens paid special attention to describing the life experiences of the "little people" living at the bottom of British society, which profoundly reflected the complex social reality of Britain at that time and made outstanding contributions to the development and growth of British critical realism literature. His works have a far-reaching influence on the development of English literature.

Chinese name: Charles John Huffam Dickens.

mbth:charlesjohnhuffandickens

Nationality: UK

Place of birth: suburb of Portsmouth

Date of birth:1865438+February 7, 2002.

Date of death:1June 9, 870

Occupation: writer

Representative works: The Legend of Pickwick, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Old Antique Shop, david copperfield, etc.

Character experience

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth on February 7th, 2002. His father John Dickens is an employee of the quartermaster's office of the British Navy, and his mother's name is Elizabeth Barrow. Charles is the second of eight children in his family, and his sister Fanny Dickens is two years older than him. 18 13 12, the whole family moved to Shaosixi.

182 1 year, Charles Dickens entered the school run by William giles and wrote the tragedy Missenard.

1824 On February 20th, John Dickens was arrested for being in debt, and was held in Masharsi debtor prison. A few weeks later, his mother Elizabeth and her children also moved in. Previously, Charles Dickens had been working as a child laborer in Warren Black's shoe polish workshop on September 9, so he didn't go to prison with his family and stayed alone at a friend's house. On May 28th, John Dickens was released and his family lived in Johnson Street, Somerset. Then Charles Dickens left the workshop.

1825, Charles Dickens entered Wellington College. 1826, John Dickens was sent to parliament by British news agency as an interviewer. The whole family was evicted for not paying the rent. Charles Dickens was forced to drop out of school and worked as an apprentice in Ellis and Blackhorse Law Firm and Charles molloy Law Firm.

From 65438 to 0829, Charles Dickens studied shorthand and entered the London Court of Civil Lawyers as a shorthand writer. 1830 in may, he fell in love with the banker's daughter Maria Bedenel.

183 1 year, Charles Dickens was a reporter for the Parliamentary Mirror edited by his uncle J.M. Barrow. 1832, Charles Dickens served as a reporter for zhenyang newspaper in parliament. His interview work was quite successful. At the same time, his dramatic genius was discovered by Covent Garden Theatre. The theater intended to hire him and told him to audition, but an illness prevented him from becoming an actor.

1833, Charles Dickens lived in Bandinker Street with his parents, brothers and sisters. He often performed amateur plays at home. He proposed to Maria Bidnell and was rejected. He wrote his first short story, Mr. Mince and His Cousin (later included in Potts' Close-up Collection) and published it in the Monthly, which was immediately adopted and greatly encouraged.

1834, Charles Dickens served as a reporter for the Chronicle Morning News. In August, he met with Catherine Huo Jiasi, daughter of George Huo Jiasi, editor of Chronicle Evening News. His short stories, features and essays were published successively in Monthly, Bell Weekly and Morning Post under the pseudonym "Boz". He rented a room in Vernet Fair Hotel and began to live independently.

Charles Dickens and Catherine Huo Jiasi are engaged. His stories, features and essays continue to be published in monthly magazines, Chronicle Evening News and Bell's London Life.

1February 8, 836, the first series of Boz features was published. On March 3rd, Kloc-0, Chapman and Hall Publishing House began to publish the first novel "The Story of Pickwick" in chapters every month (published in 20 months). On April 2nd, Charles Dickens and Catherine Huo Jiasi got married at St Luke's Church in Chelsea, and immediately went to Kent for their honeymoon. 65438+From February 9 to June, plays such as Mr. Weird and the Bridge Village Maid were staged at St. James Theatre. In February 65438, I met john foster, and he became his lifelong friend and biographer (Dickens' three-volume biography was published in 1872- 1874). 17 February 17, the second edition of Boz's close-up collection was published.

1837 65438+ 10 1 The first issue of Bentley Magazine, a monthly magazine edited by Charles Dickens, was published. From the second issue of the magazine, his Oliver Twist began to be serialized in chapters (completed in 24 months). On October 6th, 65438/kloc-0, Charles Dickens' first child (Charles) was born. In March, the drama "Is she his wife? It's on at St James's Theatre. I went to Europe for the first time in July. 165438+1October 17, published by Pickwick.

1838 1 and in February, H.K. Brown interviewed schools in Yorkshire. The second child (Mary) was born. On March 3rd1day, Nicholas Nickelby began to be published every month (20 months). 165438+1October 9th, Oliver twist was published.

1839 65438+1October 3 1, resigned as editor-in-chief of Bentley magazine. The third child (Kate) was born. 654381October 23rd, published by Nicholas Nicholby.

On April 4th, 1840, the first issue of Humphrey's Clock, a literary weekly edited by the editor, was published. On April 25th, the old antique shop was serialized in this magazine by sections (completed in 40 weeks). In June 5438+10, the first volume of Humphrey's Zhong was published.

184 1 year, the fourth child (Walter) was born. /kloc-in February of 0/3, Barnaby Lach serialized in Humphrey's Clock (completed in 42 weeks). 65438+In February and April, the second and third volumes of Humphrey's Zhong were published. On February 5, 65438, the old antique shop and Barnaby Lachey published it.

18421-In June, my wife visited the United States. 10- 1 1 In June, Foster and others visited Cornwall. 10 June 19, "Travel Notes to the United States" was published. 65438+February 3 1, Martin Zhu Shuerweit was published by Chapman and Hall Press in monthly installments (published in 20 months).

18431October 5th, presided over the opening ceremony of Manchester Literature Society. 65438+February 19, A Christmas Carol (later included in Christmas Tales) was published.

1844, the fifth child (Francis) was born. The book was separated from Chapman and Hall Press and published by bradbury and Evans Press. In July, Martin Jushuerwitt was published. /kloc-in July of 0/6, I went to live in Genoa, Italy. 165438+1From October 30th to February 8th, I went back to London to read "Church Bells" to my friends. 65438+February 65438+June, church bells (later included in the Christmas Tales) were published.

1845, his wife went to Naples. In September, I performed Ben Jonson's play Happy Everyone in my spare time schedule. The sixth child (Alfred) was born. On February 20th, 65438, The Cricket by the Fireside (later included in the Christmas Tales) was published.

1846 65438+1October 2 1 Daily news editor from February 9. May 18, published in Italian style. From June 1 1 to June 1 1, I went to live in Lausanne, Switzerland, and then went to Paris. On September 30th, Dombey and Son began to be published monthly (20 months). 65438+February 19 The Battle of Life (later included in the Christmas Tales) was published.

On February 28th, 1847, I returned to London from Paris. The seventh child (Sidney) was born.

1April 848, Dombey and Son was published. May-July, in London and other places for amateur director and performance activities. /kloc-February 0/9 19, the enchanted man (later included in the Christmas Story Collection) was published.

1849, the eighth child (Henry) was born. On April 30th, david copperfield began to be published in monthly installments (published in 20 months).

1850, the ninth child (Dora) was born. Co-founded the Cultural Artists Association with Bouvet Litton. On March 30th, editor-in-chief of Literature Weekly 185 1 1 Since March, Children's History of Britain has been serialized in Family Talk Weekly. Amateur theatrical performances were held in Fort Lauchum. /kloc-in April of 0/4, my daughter Dora died young.

1852, the tenth child (Edward) was born. Performing Bouvet-Litton's plays in the north. June 5438+10, went to Bologna, France for a holiday. Bleak House began to be published monthly (20 months). A collection of Christmas stories is published in a book. 1853, living in Bologna, France. Traveling with Wilkie Collins. In September, Bleak House was published. On February 27th, 65438, Birmingham held its first public recitation performance and recited a Christmas carol.

1854 65438+ 10, visited Preston, Lancashire. Go to Bologna, France in summer. From April of 1 year to August of 12, "Hard Times" was serialized in "Household Names" and published in a single book in the same year.

1855 February, I reunited with Maria Bidnell, who has become Mrs. Wendell. In June, he directed and performed the play The Lighthouse by Collins. Join the administrative reform association. On June+10, 5438, my family and I went to Paris to live. 65438+February 1, Little Li Du began to be published every month (published in 20 months).

In March, 1856, I bought Gates Villa. In April, go back to England. 1857 65438+ 10, directed and performed Collins' play Deep in the Ice Sea. Andersen visited Dickens at Gettysburg Hill. While performing in Manchester, I met the actress Allen Turnan, her mother and sister. Little Li Du is published in a single book. On June+10, 5438, The Roaming of Two Lazy Apprentices co-authored with Collins was published in Home Talk.

From April 29th to July 22nd, 1858, a commercial recitation performance was held in London. In May, he separated from his wife Catherine, and there was a lot of discussion in the society. On June 12, he made a statement about his family dispute in the common language. From August 2nd to165438+1October13rd, the first recitation performance was held in England, Scotland and Ireland.

On April 30th, 1859, the first issue of Dickens' literary weekly Four Seasons of the Year was published, and A Tale of Two Cities began to be serialized.1October 26th 165438 was completed. In the same year, a book was published separately. On May 28th, the last issue of Family Talk was published. In June 5438+10, the second recitation tour was held.

1860, the second daughter Kate Dickens married charles collins (wilkie's younger brother). Charles Dickens settled in Gettysburg Hill. 65438128 October, Notes of Non-Travel Promoters began to be serialized for four seasons. 65438+February 1, Great Expectations began to be serialized all year round.

18613-April, held a recitation performance in London. In August, Great Expectations was published. Notes of non-tourism promoters published in a single book. From June 10 to the following June 10, a recitation performance was held in other places. 1862 March to June, held a recitation performance in London.

1863, 1 In June, a charity recitation was held at the British Embassy in Paris. May 1864 May 1 day, Our Friends * * * began to be published in monthly installments (published in 20 months). 1865 On June 9th, while traveling by train with Ellen Turnan, a car accident happened in Stabohurst, Kent. 1 1 month, our same friend published it. In February 65438, the second edition of Notes for Non-tourism Promoters was published.

1866 From April to June, recitation performances were held in London and other places. 18671-In May, recitation performances were held in England and Ireland. 165438+ 10, held a recitation performance in the United States. The last Christmas story, The Road is Dead (with Collins), is published all year round.

1On April 22nd, 868, he returned to England from America. In June 5438+10, a farewell recitation performance was held. 1October 5th,1869,65438+recited and performed the chapter "Sykes killed Nancy" in Oliver Twist. On April 22nd, the recitation performance was suspended for health reasons.

1870 65438+ 10, 12 farewell readings were held in London. On March 9th, she was received by Queen Victoria. 1 April, the Druid Mystery began to be released in sections (originally planned to be divided into 12 sections, but only 6 sections were completed at the time of death). On June 9, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Gateshill. After his death, he was buried in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. His tombstone reads: "He is a sympathizer of the poor, suffering and oppressed people; His death deprived the world of a great English writer. "

Personal life

When Dickens/Kloc-was 0/8 years old, he met Maria Pitnell in a small family troupe. Maria is the daughter of a little banker, much better than Dickens, and her family is very poor. Her parents strongly oppose their association, and Maria is not a woman who takes life seriously. Dickens, who thought they loved each other, summoned up the courage to confide in Maria, but was coldly rejected. This experience left a deep imprint on Dickens' mind, so that he despised women in reality and liked to fantasize about ideal women.

Dickens and Catherine fell in love during the publication of The Story of Pickwick, and got married on April 2nd, 1836. Although this marriage healed the injury he suffered in his first love, it did not bring Dickens happiness. On the one hand, it stems from the very different thoughts, personalities and interests of their husband and wife; On the other hand, it is also related to Dickens' yearning for the ideal woman, thinking that there is no such lovely and faithful woman in reality.

The marriage between Dickens and Catherine was in a painful situation from the beginning, but he got along very well with Catherine's sister. After he married Catherine, 16-year-old Mary (Catherine has two sisters, and Mary is the third) often comes to visit her home, which gives him enough opportunities to get along with Mary. Some people say that Dickens loves Mary. Although there is no conclusive evidence, Mary is indeed the embodiment of Dickens' ideal woman. Nell in the novel The Old Antique Shop is based on Mary.

1837 In May, Mary died suddenly, and Dickens was very sad. For weeks, Dickens couldn't pull himself together to work. Recalling the scene a few years later, he wrote: "A few months after her death-I remember half a year-I dreamed of her every night with a quiet happiness, which was so pleasant that I didn't fall asleep all night and didn't expect her to come back in one image or another."

In the year when Dickens died, he missed Mary even more. He said: "She is always deeply in my mind, and the memory of her has become an important part of my life, just as the beating of my heart is inseparable from my life."

1858, Dickens and Catherine officially separated.

Main work

Creative characteristics

Theme of the work

Dickens lived and wrote in the middle of19th century and the early Victorian era. Dickens' life activities and creations always keep up with the trend of the times. He exposed the hypocrisy, greed, meanness and cruelty of the upper class and the bourgeoisie with realistic brushstrokes, showed the tragic situation of the lower class, especially women, children and the elderly, with indignation and deep sympathy, and described the struggle of the awakening working people with a serious and prudent attitude. At the same time, he eulogized the truth, goodness and beauty in human nature with idealism and romanticism, and looked forward to a more reasonable society and a better life.

Dickens embodies the core spirit of the British people, a kind of heartfelt happiness and satisfaction. But Dickens also has another English spirit, a spirit of self-reflection and criticism. He speaks for the disadvantaged groups, pursues social justice, explores the core values that can make human beings live in harmony, and explores the conscience of the richest countries in the world. He expresses many people's voices and dreams with a short story of 15 and a large number of prose works.

Business attitude

In Dickens' early works, readers can occasionally find his affirmation of the commercial value, but in the later period, Dickens' derogatory meaning of the word "business" is greater, and his works are more inclined to show the subversive power of money in a gradually industrialized society-in the real society, there is a philosophy that ignores human nature everywhere, and all spiritual life, including religious life, is hopeless. For them, things that cannot be weighed, measured or priced will never exist. "("Dombey and Son ")

moral idea

With the development of Victorian society, the ethics of aristocrats are inevitably influenced by the culture of the middle class, which gradually and widely influences people's lifestyles. This ethical development is reflected in culture, that is, the development of Victorian culture, thus breaking the original monistic cultural values.

Therefore, it can be said that Dickens is not only criticizing social class inequality in his novels, but also commenting on the culture of that society, especially moral concepts. From this, we can see his concern and thinking about the future of that society, and also reflect his profound thinking about the ontology of human life.

Style of works

Dickens' early novels are magnificent, popular and fluent, humorous and full of sentimental sentiment, in which the exposure and criticism of society are generally limited to local systems and fields. Such as Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nicholby, Old Antique Shop, Martin Zhu Schulwitt, A Christmas Carol and so on. After Dombey and Son, Dickens' creation became more mature. David copperfield further explores the course of life's struggle. It is autobiographical and is a long scroll of British lower-middle class society in the middle of19th century. Bleak House, Hard Times and Little Li Du are three important works with strong political consciousness.

Dickens' later works clearly reflect the deepening of creative theme, the maturity of skills and the exploration in many aspects. Great Expectations can be regarded as the opposite of david copperfield, but the exploration of life path has more practical and warning significance, and the author's optimism in his early years is obviously reduced. Pip, the hero, is also an orphan, but he can't stand the temptation of the environment and loses his original simple nature. After experiencing severe hardships, he repented and started a new life, and the whole novel was more refined in structure.

Our Friends is another critical novel that goes deep into the society. The exploration of human nature and philosophy of life contained in it are more profound, and the symbolism and detective novel techniques used in the works add to its artistic charm.

Dickens' last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Druid, has only completed 23 chapters, from which we can see that it is elegant in writing, rigorous in conception, full of suspense and mysterious and attractive.

He described a large number of middle and lower class little people, which is unprecedented in literary works. With a high degree of artistic generalization, vivid detail description, humor and meticulous analysis, he created many unforgettable images, which truly reflected the social outlook of Britain at the beginning of the19th century, with great appeal and cognitive value, and formed his unique style.

He reflected that his life was extensive and diverse, and the excavation was profound and powerful. He does not preach and conceptualize, but often inspires readers' indignation, hatred, sympathy and love with vivid artistic images.

Most of his characters have distinct personalities. He is good at using artistic exaggeration to highlight some characteristics of characters, and reveals their inner life and ideological outlook with their usual actions, postures and languages. He is also good at drawing vivid people's language from life and expressing characters' characteristics and personalities with their unique language.

Dickens' creation has a strong romantic flavor, and everything he describes seems to have some kind of "spirituality" that can match the feelings and temperament of the characters, which enhances the appeal of his works.

Marginal figure

"Marginal figure" is a realistic existence in Victorian society in England. Dickens was the first realistic writer who noticed their existence and wrote them in his novels with sympathy and pity. His spirit and efforts to resist the literary tradition at that time aroused people's extensive concern about the fate and living conditions of "marginal figures" in society, and enriched the creation of Victorian novels, which were later middle and lower class writers-H G Wells, Arnold Bennett and george gissing.

In addition, the "marginal figures" in Dickens' works, as the resistance force of "dissidents" and "originality" bred by the mainstream ideology in Victorian society, not only maintained the relative independence of literature, subverted the values of the mainstream ideology in Victorian society-the middle class, but also reflected a dependence on the discourse power of the mainstream ideology, thus constructing their own discourse power and showing their "others" in the process of resistance. The independence and dependence of literary creation shown in his novel practice fully illustrates the symbiotic relationship between literature and social history, thus providing us with more social and historical thinking about literature, thus deeply understanding the deep meaning of Victorian social culture and even modern social culture.

Personality influence

Dickens' literary achievements have a great influence on world literature. His works were introduced to China very early. 1908, Lin Shu and Wei Yi translated The Story of a Piece of Meat for a Lifetime (david copperfield), The History of Thieves (Oliver Twist) and The Story of Filial Piety (Old Antique Shop). Since then, many important works of Dickens have been translated and published. The humanitarianism, social critical spirit and artistic skills in Dickens' creation had a great influence on China's modern novel creation.

Dickens' works not only sell well to this day, but also have been adapted into movies and TV series. Every one of his 15 novels has been shot at least twice.

Personality assessment

Dickens "paid attention to all the most important issues in social life" and emphasized that Dickens "the poet's heart will always be with the poor and unfortunate people." (Comment by franz mehring, German statesman, historian and literary critic)

Dickens is not only a writer who reflects reality, but also a writer who tries his best to make a difference to reality. (Comments by Gorky, a former Soviet writer)

Dickens is a great embodiment of the pain, hobbies and hatred of the British petty bourgeoisie. He is a gentle poet who is good at easing and balancing the sharp and stinging factors in his creation. (Luna Charlesky, a literary critic of the former Soviet Union, commented on literature)

"Dickens never considered himself a revolutionary, but he must be a revolutionary. His relentless contempt for the House of Representatives has never wavered. However, in difficult times, he openly deviated from democracy and adopted the idealistic conservatism of Carlyle and Ruskin, believing that aristocrats were the masters and superiors of the people and the servants of the people and God. (Comment by Irish realistic playwright George Bernard Shaw)

Dickens created urban novels, and only in the dimension of urban experience can we understand Dickens' brilliance. (Raymond Henry Williams, British cultural critic)

Dickens is unparalleled among novelists in the19th century. His reputation has already surpassed the British Isles and the New World on the other side of the ocean, and countless writers have drawn nourishment from him, such as Dostoevsky, Joyce, Kafka, Faulkner, Nabokov, Beckett, Rushdie and Vidya Dahl Sura Prasad Naipaul, the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate in 20001year. (Literary critic harold bloom's comments on western classics)

Commemoration of future generations

commemorative activity

20 12 February 7th is the bicentennial of Charles Dickens' birth. In order to commemorate this "greatest novelist" in Victorian England, various commemorative activities were held in Britain and more than 50 countries around the world from 20 1 1, which reached its climax in February and will last for the whole 20 12 years.

On the occasion of the bicentennial of Dickens' birth, British Crown Prince Charles arrived at Westminster Abbey on the 7th to attend the memorial ceremony and laid a wreath at Dickens' grave. Dickens' works will also be read aloud at the commemorative ceremony.

museum

Dickens Museum is located at 48 Doughty Street, London. This museum was converted from dickens house museum.

theme park

In memory of Dickens, Britain invested heavily in building a literary theme park.

The theme park is tentatively named "Dickens World". Dickens World was built in a suburb of Chatham, southeast England. It was originally a naval shipyard.