As an author of short stories, plays and novels, Charles Dickens became known the world over for endearing characterisation, vivid narration of ordinary lives, and depiction of the social and moral values of his time. For years, Dickens thrilled the readers with his simple stories about simple people forced into real situations.

Although Dickens wanted to make a lot of money from his writings, his works invariably aimed to influence the consciousness of his readers even though it seemed like he knew what his readers wanted.

To some critics, Dickens was an entertainer and his novels lacked intellectual challenge, but the London Times described the British author as the greatest instructor of the nineteenth century in his obituary. The unparalleled sentimentality, rage, plight and bitterness in his novels established Dickens as a spokesman for the downtrodden. Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 into a poor family in Portsmouth on the southern coast of England. He was the second of eight children. In 1822, the Dickens family moved to Camden Town, a poor neighbourhood in London. The extravagance of his father often brought financial embarrassment to the family and eventually imprisonment for him in 1824. This brought an abrupt end to Dickens’ childhood. He had to discontinue his schooling and support his family by doing manual work at a factory. Young Dickens was rudely introduced to long hours of harsh working conditions and poor pay. He felt orphaned and betrayed by his parents who he believed should have taken care of him in his childhood. These feelings later became a recurring theme of many of his novels. Characters like Oliver Twist and David Copperfeld developed from the harsh experiences of Dickens’ early life.

Dickens’ literary journey started in 1833 when he submitted sketches to various magazines and newspapers under the nickname “Boz”. In 1836, he published The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, which became widely popular with magazine readers. Soon, his frst novel, Oliver Twist, depicting the life of an orphan and inspired by Dickens’ own experience as an impoverished child, hit the stands. The overwhelming success of Oliver Twist turned Dickens into a celebrity and over the next few years he had to struggle to match the literary and commercial standard the book had set.

In 1842, Dickens and his wife, Kate, went on a tour of the United States, where people went crazy listening to him. Upon his return, Dickens wrote American Notes for General Circulation, a sarcastic travelogue criticising American culture and materialism.

Over the next couple of years, Dickens published two Christmas stories including the classic A Christmas Carol. From 1849 to 1850, Dickens worked passionately on his favourite novel David Copperfeld, a sort of autobiography and probably the frst work of its kind.

The death of his daughter and father and separation from his wife in the 1850s cast a dark shadow on Dickens’ writing during this period. He returned to his original style with A Tale of Two Cities in 1859, a historical novel, followed by Great Expectations in 1861, widely considered his greatest literary feat.

On June 9, 1870, Dickens suffered a stroke and died at his country home in Kent, England.

1. The author most likely agrees with all of the following statements EXCEPT:

(A) Dickens blamed his parents for enduring a harsh childhood.
(B) Dickens was not impressed by the materialism of the American society.
(C) Dickens’ novels portrayed the attitude of the society towards the downtrodden.
(D) To some of his critics Dickens was an entertainer and his writing was not intellectually challenging.
(E) David Copperfeld, a biographical account of Dickens’ life, is often cited as his best literary achievement.


2. The passage is primarily concerned with:

(A) Dickens’ novels and his characters.
(B) Dickens’ success as a writer.
(C) Dickens’ harsh childhood.
(D) Dickens’ life story.
(E) Dickens’ writing.


3. Which of the following statements is best taken to be true in the context of the passage?

(A) Dickens played the role of an instructor through his writings.
(B) Dickens was the best British author of the nineteenth century.
(C) No other Dickens’ novel could ever match the standard set by Oliver Twist.
(D) Dickens’ writing became sarcastic after the death of his daughter and father.
(E) All of Dickens’ novels were based on the personal experiences of his childhood.


4. Which of the following statements, if true, would most weaken the author’s argument?

(A) Dickens’ parents were responsible for his harsh childhood.
(B) Dickens sympathised with his characters who often survived a life of struggle.
(C) Dickens’ writing emphasised how simple people got forced into real situations.
(D) Characterisation of David Copperfeld and Oliver Twist are suggestive of Dickens’ harsh life.
(E) Dickens wrote his classics during the period of shock that he experienced after the deaths of his daughter and father.