ThegreatestRepresentativeofEnglishcriticalrealismCharlesDickens●LifeExperience●MajorWorks●DistinctFeaturesofHisNovelsHisLifeExperience●DickenswasbornonFebruary7,1812,inPortsmouthandspentmostofhischildhoodinLondonandKent,bothofwhichappearfrequentlyinhisnovels.●Hisfather,apoorclerkintheNavyPayoffice,wasputintoprisonfordebtwhenyoungCharleswasonly12yearsold.Hehadtogiveupschoolingtoworkinaundergroundcellar.●HisbitterexperiencewasreflectedinmanyofDicken’snovels.●In1827,Charlesenteredinalaywer'soffice,andtwoyear’slater,hebecomeaParliamentaryreporterfornewspapers.From1833,DickensbegantowriteoccasionalsketchesofLondonlife,whichwerelatercollectedandpublishedunderthetitleSketchesbyBoz.TheFirstPeriod●In1836-1841,periodofyouthfuloptimist;fun,highspirit,naïveoptimism.●Atthisstage,Dickensbelievedthatalltheevilsofthecapitalistworldwouldberemediedifonlymentreatedeachotherwithkindliness,justice,andsympatheticunderstanding.●Dickensthoughtthatthewholesocialquestionwouldbesolvedifonlyeveryemployerreformedhimselfaccordingtothemodelsetbythebenevolentgentlemeninhisnovels.Thisnativeoptimismischaracteristicofthepretty-bourgeoishumanitariansofthetime.MajorWorks●SketchesbyBoz(Thefirstbook)●ThePickwickPapers●OliverTwist●NichoisNickleby●TheOldCuriosityShop●BarnabyRudgePlotofOliverTwist•Oliver’sbirth:ofunknownparentage•MaltreatedbyBumble,theparishpeople•InLondon,hefallsintothehandsofagangthieves.•RescuedbyMr.Brownlow•Kidnappedbythethieves•Woundedinaburglingexpedition,rescuedbyMrs.MaylieandRose.•AdoptedbyMr.Brownlow。Ahappyending。Characteristicsofthenovel•Thenovelexposestheinhumanityofcitylifeundercapitalism.•Itshowstheextremebrutalityandcorruptionoftheoppressorsandtheiragentsandthehelplesssufferningsofthepoorandoppressed。•Oliveristheonlyonewhoemergeshappyandsuccessfulintheend.•ThehappyendingcomesasaresultofDickens’soptimisticbeliefintheinevitabletriumphofgoodoverevil.•Hisachievementwasinfactinpresentingtheunderworldandproblemsofpovertytothewell-offinawayrarelyattemptedpreviously.●TheSecondPeriod●1842-1850,Periodofexcitement,irritationandfrustration:exposingthecorruptinginfluenceofwealthandpower,optimismturnedintodissatisfactionandirritation.●Dickenssecondperiodbeganfrom1842,theyearafterhisfirstvisittoAmerica.Beforethevisit,DickensthoughtoftheUnitedStatesasaworldinwhichtherewerenoclassdivisionsandhumanrelationswerehumanitarian.Butwhatimpressedhimmostduringhisvisittherewastheruleofthedollarandtheenormouslycorruptiveinfluenceofwealthandpower.Dickens’snaïveoptimismtowardthecapitalistsocietywasprofoundlyshaken.MajorWorks●AmericanNotes●MartinChuzzlewit●AChristmasCarol●TheChimes●TheCricketontheHearth●DombeyandSon●DavidCopperfieldSomeonewhoiskindtootherswillbepaidwithkindnessandevilwillnot.•ThestorydealswiththelifeofDavidCopperfieldfromchildhoodtomaturity.•DavidisborninEnglandinabout1820.•David’sfatherhaddiedsixmonthsbeforehewasborn,andsevenyearslater,hismothermarriesMr.EdwardMurdstone.DaviddislikeshisstepfatherandhassimilarfeelingsforMr.Murdstone’ssisterJane,whomovesintothehousesoonafterwards.Mr.MurdstonethrashesDavidforfailingbehindwithhisstudies.Followingoneofthesethrashings,Davidbiteshimandissentawaytoaboardingschool,SalemHouse,witharuthlessheadmaster,Mr.Creakle.HerehebefriendsJamesSteerforth.•DavidreturnshomefortheholidaystofindoutthathismotherhashadababydieandDavidhastoreturnhomeimmediately.Mr.MurdstonesendshimtoworkinafactoryinLondon,ofwhichMurdstoneisajointowner.Thegrimrealityofhand-to-mouthfactoryexistenceechoesDickens’owntravailsinablackingfactory.Hislandlord,Mr.WilkinsMicawber,issenttoadebtor’sprisonaftergoingbankrupt,andisthereforseveralmonthsbeforebeingreleasedandmovingtoPlymouth.DavidnowhasnobodylefttocareforhiminLondon,anddecidestorunaway.FirstDavid----themainroleofthenovel.Hisfatherdiedbeforehecouldbegiveabirth.HismothermarriedMurdstoneandbecamehisstepfather.Thatisthestartofhishardlife.Howeverafterhisendeavor,hemarriedhisloverDora—abeautifulandinnocentgirl.Butnotlongaftertheirmarriage,Doradiedofdisease.Attheendofthenovel,helivedwithAgness.SecondBetseyTrotwood----David’saunt.SheisthekeypersonwhochangedDavid’slifealot.Sheisarich,alittlestrangebutalsoakindwoman.HerpovertywasonceconqueredbyUriah.Butjustasthesayinggoes‘Theevilwillnottriumphoverthevirtuous.’shefinallyrecapturehermoneybytheirefforts.ThirdPeggotty----David’sservant.SheisverykindtoDavidandhismother.Shemarriedahonestandalsokindman,Barkis.Andthentheyhadahappylife.Theexamplesofevil’sbadresults•OneisSteerforth’s----Heishandsomeandbrilliant.ButhetookEmilyawayevenifshehadalreadyengagedwithHam.Hislifewasfinishedbysea.•AnotherisUriah----thebiggestevilinthestory.HeistheassistantofAgness’fatherinlower’soffice.HeconqueredtheofficeandrobbedBetseyTrotwood’spovertyinameanway.Thereisnodoubtthathegotabadresultforhisgreedy.TheThirdPeriod●1851-1870,aperiodofmoresteadilyintensifyingpessimism,showingunderlyingtoneofbitterness,lossofhopeforEnglishbourgeoissociety.Inhisnovelsofthisperiod,Dickens,consciouslyandsubconsciously,showshimselfmoreandmoreatbourgeoissociety.MajorWorks●BleakHouse●HardT