Short History Of... Charles Dickens
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Nov 6, 2023 Charles Dickens, one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian Age, wrote about prevalent issues and sparked societal change. Explore his early life, financial struggles, social campaigning, personal triumphs, strained relationship with his wife, heroic rescue, fame, relationships, and lasting legacy.
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Oliver Twist Shocked And Riveted Readers
- Oliver Twist's gritty depiction of London's underbelly made characters like Fagin and Nancy household names.
- Queen Victoria read it and found it riveting despite political caution about its subject matter.
Fiction As A Tool For Reform
- Dickens' fiction spotlighted social ills and led to concrete reforms, like closures of abusive boarding schools.
- He combined research, journalism, and public spectacle to make moral issues politically urgent.
Watched A Public Hanging For Research
- Dickens attended a public execution to understand the crowd's morbid fascination and found the spectacle deeply disturbing.
- The experience informed his later writing and public campaigning against capital punishment.