Searching for Shakespeare - Lesson 4 - Notes into Prose Worksheet

Renowned English author Charles Dickens entered the world in 1812 in the bustling port city of Portsmouth, England. His early life was marked by hardship; at the tender age of twelve, Dickens was compelled to work in a factory owing to his father's imprisonment for debt—a stark reality that would later permeate his literary works. Prior to his rise to literary prominence, Dickens took up employment as an attorney’s clerk, laying the groundwork for his acute understanding of the socio-economic landscape of Victorian England. His breakthrough came in 1837 with the publication of "The Pickwick Papers," which garnered widespread acclaim.

Dickens married Catherine Hogarth in 1835, and the couple went on to have ten children. However, their marriage was not to last, and they separated in 1858 under a cloud of personal turmoil. Despite his tumultuous personal life, Dickens' professional career flourished until his death at the age of 58. He passed away at his residence in Gads Hill, Kent, leaving behind a legacy of literary masterpieces that continue to captivate readers with their vivid portrayal of 19th-century English society and its complexities.