4.1.1
Dickens & Victorian England
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Born in 1812, Charles Dickens belonged to the lower middle class – he worked in a factory when his family needed the money.
Father's debts
Father's debts
- Dickens’ father was awful with money and fell into debt:
- Charles was taken out of school when he was 11 years old because his family could no longer afford the fees.
- He was then sent to work in a Blacking Factory (making boot polish).
- He tried to raise the money to pay off his father’s debts, but failed.
- His father was imprisoned for being in debt when Dickens was 12.
Dickens' mother
Dickens' mother
- Dickens’ mother then moved seven of her children into prison with their father, but kept Charles (and one sister) outside.
- Charles lived in a workhouse and worked in a warehouse, labelling bottles.
Law clerk turned novelist
Law clerk turned novelist
- Soon, his father received an inheritance and paid off his debts.
- After his father was released, Dickens went to school and became a law clerk, before eventually working as a court reporter and then becoming a novelist.
Influences on his writing
Influences on his writing
- Charles Dickens never forgot the poverty his family landed in, nor his time living on his own and the hardships he faced. The workhouse, factory and prison all feature in his writing.
- Dickens felt strongly about the gap between the rich and the poor. He wrote A Christmas Carol to try and make people think seriously about the consequences of their actions, and to highlight the differences in the life experiences of the rich and poor.
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
- A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843 (Victorian England).
Poverty in Victorian England
Poverty in Victorian England
In Victorian England, there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor – the rich were very rich, and the poor were incredibly destitute.
The rich
The rich
- The rich had enormous houses, luxurious clothes and servants.
- Most rich people were completely uninterested in helping the poor.
- Often, rich people felt that those in poverty had brought it on themselves – it was their own fault, or a punishment, and could have been avoided.
The poor
The poor
- The poor lived in cramped, dirty conditions as the cities became more and more heavily populated (largely due to the rise of the industrial revolution, which attracted workers to cities).
- Poor living and working conditions meant that crime rates were high.
Treatment and suffering of the poor
Treatment and suffering of the poor
- With barely enough money to feed themselves, the poorer people lived in squalor and misery.
- People who accrued debts and could not afford to pay them were sent to prison.
Effect on children
Effect on children
- Child mortality (death) rates were incredibly high:
- 1 in 6 children died before they reached the age of 1.
- A third of the children born died before the age of 5.
- It was common for children to die of starvation.
- The average age of death was 29.
- Children as young as 5 years old worked very long hours for low wages in Victorian England.
Health and disease
Health and disease
- There was no healthcare and people were not paid if they had to stay off work.
- Unsanitary living conditions (including inadequate sewage systems) and a lack of access to medicine meant that diseases were rife and spread very quickly. Mortality rates among the poor were very high.
- Victorian England saw severe outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, and typhus, amongst other things.
1Plot Summary
2Key Characters & Quotes
2.1Ebenezer Scrooge
2.2Other Characters
2.3Grade 9 - Key Characters
3Key Ideas
4Context
5Authorial Method
Jump to other topics
1Plot Summary
2Key Characters & Quotes
2.1Ebenezer Scrooge
2.2Other Characters
2.3Grade 9 - Key Characters
3Key Ideas
4Context
5Authorial Method
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