“Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many – and not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have a few. » quote from one of the most influential authors of the English Victorian era, the English novelist Charles Dickens, who wrote many highly acclaimed novels. Dickens lived a life filled with happiness and sadness and everything in between. He left an incredible body of work which constitutes the finest part of the literature of the Victorian era. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayCharles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. His full name was Charles John Huffam Dickens. He was the second child of John and Elizabeth Dickens. As a child he always loved putting on plays in the family kitchen and singing songs while standing at the table in the local pub. After this, John and Elizabeth moved to London. And the family moved there. John was a nice man, he fell into heavy debt. Charles Dickens started going to school at the age of 9. His father was sent to prison for bad debts. After this, Charles had to work in the Warren blackening factory and endured terrible conditions as well as loneliness and despair. This was a factory that made “blacking” or shoe polish. The conditions were really bad. Meanwhile, his family was sent to Marshalsea, to live near his father's prison, and Charles was left alone. After three years, Dickens was sent away to school but his professional experience was never forgotten and this experience inspired the writing of two well-known books. novels, “David Copperfield” and “Great Expectations”. His father was able to pay the debt. Things changed again, Dickens had to leave school again at the age of fifteen because he had to work in an office. The following year he became a freelance journalist and stenographer at the London courthouse. In 1832 he was the subject of a report in two magazines. Dickens believed that the written word could play an important role in solving the world's problems. Dickens became a journalist and started with the magazines “The Mirror of Parliament” and “The True Sun”. After that, he became a reporter for The Morning Chronicle. He published his first book in 1836, “Sketches by Boz”. In April 1836 he married Catherine Hogarth who edited 'Sketches by Boz'. The same month, Dickens published “Pickwick Papers” which was a great success. Catherine and Charles had 10 children. In 1836, Dickens began publishing The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. This method of writing was very popular during the Victorian era. After that, he started publishing “Oliver Twist”. He was also now editor of Bentley's Miscellany, a new monthly magazine. He continued to publish his novel in his later magazines, Household Words and All the Year Round. Olive Twist expresses in a way the life of Dickens because this book is about a boy, orphaned, in London. Overall, Dickens's career was truly successful, but not during his first decade when he published works like Nicholas Nickleby (1838-1839), The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-1841) and Barnaby Rudge (1841). Dickens was also famous in America. He completed a five-month speaking tour of the United States. He spoke out strongly against slavery and in favor of other reforms. Upon his return from the United States, he wrote the book "American Notes", a book which criticizes American life as culturally backward and materialistic. He also wrote another novel, Martin Chuzzlewit, which tells the story of a hero.