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1812--1870AuthorCharlesDickens(1812.2.7-1870.6.9)AsanEnglishnovelist,CharlesDickensisgenerallyconsideredasthegreatestoftheVictorianperiod,andthegreatestrepresentativeofEnglishcriticalrealism.Heenjoyedawiderpopularityandfamethanhadanypreviousauthorduringhislifetime,andheremainspopular,havingbeenresponsibleforsomeofEnglishliterature'smosticonicnovelsandcharacters.InthehistoryofEnglishliteratures,onlyCharlesDickenscanhavethesamehonorwithWilliamShakespeare.Fullname:CharlesJohnHuffamDickensBorn:7February1812Landport,Portsmouth,EnglandDied:9June1870(aged58)GadeHillPlace,Higham,Kent,EnglandRestingplace:Poets'Corner,WestminsterAbbeyOccupation:WriterNationality:BritishCitizenship:UKlifeWhenCharlesDickensbornin1812,hebecamethesecondoftheeightchildreninhisfamily.HespentmostofhischildhoodinKentwherehebasedmanyofhisnovels.Whenhewas9hewenttoschool,buthadtoleavewhenhewas12becauseofhisfamilies’financialdifficulties(hisdadwasputinprisonforbeingindebt).Afterthat,Charleswaslefttolookafterhimselfandwiththehelpofarelative,hefoundajobpastinglabelsonbottlesinablackingwarehouse.At15,Charlesbeganworkingasalawyer’sofficeboy,studyingshorthandandreadinginhissparetime.HisfirstpublishedsketchappearedintheMonthlyMagazinein1833whenhewas21.Thenaseriesofhisstoriesandsketchesfollowedinthatmagazine.In1837,hefinishedthePickwickpapers(《匹克威克外传》),whichbroughthimimmediatefame,andthissuccesscontinuedthroughouthiscareer.In1837-1838,CharlesmadeinstantlysuccessfulbyhisserialisationofOliverTwist,whichisprobablyhismostfamousnovel.In1840,hebeganaweeklypaper,MasterHumphrey’sClock,patternedontheSpectatorandTatler.HemadehisfirsttriptoAmericain1842.AndwhenhecamebacktoEngland,hepublishedAmericanNotesandMartinChuzzlewit.•HisfirstandbestChristmasbook,AChristmasCarol,1843,failedtosellaswellasheexpected.•Sohespent1844-1845inItalytoeconomizeandtorest.•In1846,hereturnedtotheContinentandbeganDombeyandSon,1847-1848,whichwasagreatfinancialsuccess.•In1857,Dickensfellinlovewithayoungactressandannouncedhisformalseparationfromhiswifein1858thoughhiswifeborehim10children.•Latein1867hesailedforAmericaagainbuthishealthwasdangerouslyweakened.•OnJune8,1870,hesufferedastrokeathomewhilehewasworkingonhislastbook,EdwinDrood.Thenhediedthenextday.Afterasimplefuneralwhichconformedwithhisownwishes,hewasburiedinWestminsterAbbey.LiteraryWork1836--1841,firstperiod,Periodofyouthfuloptimist:fun,highspirit,naiveoptimismAtthisstageDickensbelievedthatalltheevilsofthecapitalistworldwouldberemediedifonlymentreatedeachotherwithkindliness,justice,andsympatheticunderstanding.Dickensthoughtthatthewholesocialquestionwouldbesolvedifonlyeveryemployerreformedhimselfaccordingtothemodelsetbythebenevolentgentlemeninhisnovels.Thisnaiveoptimismischaracteristicofthepetty-bourgeoishumanitariansofhistime.1)SketchesbyBoz(1836)«博兹特写集»,thefirstbook2)ThePickwickPapers(1837)«匹克威克外传»3).OliverTwist(1837-1838)«奥克佛·特维斯特»，《雾都孤儿》4).NicholsNickleby(1838-1839)«尼古拉斯·尼克尔贝»5).TheOldCuriosityShop(1840-1841)«老古玩店»6).BarnabyRudge(1841)«巴纳比·拉奇»1842--1850,Thesecondperiod--Periodofexcitement,irritationandfrustration:exposingthecorruptinginfluenceofwealthandpower,optimismturnedintodissatisfactionandirritationDickens'ssecondperiodbeganfrom1842,theyearafterhisfirstvisittoAmerica.Beforethevisit,DickensthoughtoftheUnitedStatesasaworldinwhichtherewerenoclassdivisionsandhumanrelationswerehumanitarian.Butwhatimpressedhimmostduringhisvisittherewastheruleofthedollarandtheenormouslycorruptiveinfluenceofwealthandpower.Dickens'snaiveoptimismtowardthecapitalistsocietywasprofoundlyshaken.1)AmericanNotes(1842)«美国札记»2)MartinChuzzlewit(1843-1844)«马丁·朱述尔维特»3)AChristmasCarol(1843)《圣诞颂歌》4)TheChimes《教堂钟声》5)TheCricketontheHearth《灶上蟋蟀》6)DombeyandSon(1847-1848)«董贝父子»7)DavidCopperfield(1849-1850)«大卫·科波菲尔»themostautobiographical,oneofthegreatestEnglishnovels1850--1870,Thethirdperiod,aPeriodofsteadilyintensifyingpessimism,showingunderlyingtoneofbitterness,lossofhopeforEnglishbourgeoissocietyInhisnovelsofthisperiod,Dickens,consciouslyandsubconsciously,showshimselfmoreandmoreatoddswithbourgeoissociety.1)BleakHouse(1852-1853)«荒凉山庄»2)HardTimes(1854)«艰难时世»3)LittleDorrit(1855-1857)«小杜丽»4)ATaleofTwoCities(1859)«双城记»5)GreatExpectations(1860-1861)«远大前程»6)OurMutualFriend(1864-1865)«我们的共同朋友»7)EdwinDrood(unfinished)(1869)«艾德温·德鲁德之迷».LiteraryAchievementsCharlesDickensisamasterstory-teller.Hislanguagecould,inaway,becomparedwithShakespeare's.Hishumorandwitseeminexhaustible.Character-portrayalisthemostoutstandingfeatureofhisworks.Hischaracterizationsofchild(OliverTwist,etc.),somegrotesquepeople(Fagin,etc.)andsomecomicalpeople(Mr.Macabre,etc.)aresuperb.Dickensalsoemploysexaggerationinhisworks.Dickens'sworksarealsocharacterizedbyamixtureofhumorandpathos.CharlesDickensisoneofthegreatestcriticalrealisticwritersoftheVictorianAge.Itishisseriousintentiontoexposeandcriticizeinhisworksallthepoverty,injustice,hypocrisyandcorruptnesshesawallaroundhim.Inhisworks,Dickenssetsafullmapandalarge-scalecriticismofthe19th-centuryEngland,particularlyLondon.Acombinationofoptimismaboutpeopleandreal