Charles Dickens Research Paper

It has been said that the pen is mightier than the sword; having the power to change lives, transform nations and create new kingdoms from thin air. In the case of Charles Dickens, it is evident that his pen was truly mightier than the swords that would be welded in France in revolt against the tyranny that reigned. In fact, it would be his pen that would write a novel outlining the true reality of both sides of the fence and why a Revolution was needed to bring about a much-needed change. From the pen of Charles Dickens would come a novel describing the cruel aristocracy and the oppressed peasantry leading to a Revolution that would turn the reader’s world upside down. Dickens would wield a weapon that would cut straight to

Charles Dickens was truly blessed by God with the gift of writing, being able to put into words his thoughts, emotions, explanations to others of the reality in which they were living. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Landport, Hampshire, England and died on June 9, 1870 at age 58, in Higham, Kent, England. His father had enough money to send young Dickens to a private school for awhile, but later when the money ran out, Charles would grow up poor, living in a city full of poverty, praying every day for a better future. He worked for a shoe-blacking factory and was paid little money to help feed his family. His family was in a debtor’s prison for they were unable to pay the debt they owed. After his father acquired enough money to pay his debt, Dickens’ mother still insisted that Charles work at the factory. At age twenty, Dickens worked for a newspaper company, impressing everyone with his writing skills. Charles would go on to write several books about the time in which he lived. Charles developed a deep passion concerning the desperate poverty and cruel aristocracy that was in France. He wanted to change the way people viewed each other, wanted to open their eyes to the reality of each side of the fence. He would hold book readings of his writings, asking his readers to imagine what it would be as if they were in the shoes of the characters he had written.

Everywhere you looked, in every chapter Dickens painted a portrait of poverty for his reader to understand but his main focus in that painting was on the “Who” created the poverty, that being the aristocracy. A famous scene from Dickens novel that paints this so well is when the Monseigneur, a man full of himself in all of his glory, runs over a poor, little boy with his golden carriage making this statement, “It is extraordinary to me,” said he, “that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children.” He then proceeds to throw out a small gold coin, hurrying off, carrying nothing for the boy’s tragic death but rather only worrying over his horses. The father cried as his child lay dead in his hands. This is how horribly crippled France was; killing innocent children and thinking that money can replace a life, how sad and depressing. The aristocracy just continued to dance all night in their world of wealth and comfort, eating to their hearts content while the world outside their palace window starved to