The Characters and Narrative Development in the Stories of Charles Dickens and H.G. Wells

Showing the beginning and end state of an individual can be used to highlight how drastic their change truly was. Witnessing a person go from a rough patch in their life to one where he is more stable allows one to see where he has truly changed. It highlights the changes with the individual and compares it to the state where one found him initially. The contrast between the opposing beginning and end states brings to the surface a comparison that other techniques cannot accomplish. Charles Dickens uses this technique in his novel A Tale of Two Cities; he opposes the end states of two individuals with their beginning selves and the crumbling society to bring to light how one can change no matter the situation present to them.

The novel, A Tale of Two Cities, was written by Charles Dickens and was published in 1859. A Tale of Two Cities is a historical fiction based during the French Revolution. As two groups of people who both live in London and Paris find themselves in a situation that affects all of them, which ends with some deaths and suffering. Charles Dickens purpose for writing A Tale of Two Cities was to inform and amplify the readers mind on human nature. Throughout the book Charles Dickens uses many themes and characteristics, that bring out human nature in all his characters, to broaden the view of the readers.

one could have the chance to find out where he was going, the following text

Charles Dickens had a way of writing amazing characters. He was known for his passion in writing and his way of words. A man once said that Charles was the greatest story writer of all time. He was able to craft fully make a character that was both memorable and taught you a valuable lesson on how to be a better you. In this book I spotted a few characters that stood out to me. It was either their courage or loyalty that stuck out the most. The biggest lesson I wish to share from these characters that I learned in this novel is that it is important to study a person and get to know them before you make assumptions on their life based on their outward appearance.

Collectively, we all agree that children are known to ask numerous questions about their surroundings. Usually mundane, these questions are limited to their fresh narrow viewpoint. However, when all of us start getting older, we start to question more on a deeper scale. In the topic of good and evil, children only see the simple version of this duality, black or white. On the other hand, adults view this issue in a different magnitude; we see it in a gray area. People regularly argue on whether or not the ends justify the means, and although it is simply to disregard this mentality as faulty, many subconsciously succumb through this train of thought. Charles Dickens, the famous author who brought upon A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations,

Can one man change the world? In the case of Charles Dickens, the answer is clearly yes. Charles Dickens is known for writing unbelievable novels. In spite of his books he was an amazing writer, everyone loved his books especially children. From the movie and play we watched, for our holiday spirit, Charles Dickens has a fantastic shock in the world. However he still influences children and authors today.

The famous British author, Charles Dickens, was born on February seventh, 1812 in England (studymode.com). Charles and his family remained poor and depressed in his early days. His father, John, was sent to prison for debt in 1824, when Charles was only twelve years old. In conclusion to his father’s imprisonment, Charles Dickens was forced to leave school to work in a boot factory to support and give guidance to his family much as possible (www.biography.com). “After all the stress and hard work, Dickens was announced he could go back to school when his father received a family inherence and used it to pay the debt” (unknown author, www.biography.com). A few years later when Charles was fifteen years old, his education was pulled

it’s Pip and how he thinks the wind is a beast trying to get him,

and he tells us he is not who he appears to

Authors have tough jobs. They have to express their purpose, themes, a plot, characters, and development, along with their setting, in an interesting and effective way. Some of the best stories and authors can express a setting very cleverly and creatively. Two examples are The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Meteor by John Wyndham. Along with developing the rest of their story, Wyndham and Dickens use hidden descriptive language in a steady progression to paint a picture (the setting) for the reader.

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth on Portsea Island, England. Charles Dickens was the son of his father John Dickens and his mother Elizabeth Barrow. Charles Dickens father was a naval clerk and his mother was aspired to be a teacher and a school director. Charles Dickens was the second child to be born of eight children. At the age of fifteen Charles Dickens was apprenticed as a law clerk in Doctor’s Commons. In 1836 through 1837 with Pickwick Papers Charles Dickens achieved immediate fame and became popular and was a well-respected writer of his time. Charles Dickens later became a reporter in Parliament. In 1855 he had begun a series of exhausting public readings. Charles Dickens was married to Catherine Hogarth and had ten children. During Dickens’s marriage he had a serial for Robert Seymour’s sporting drawings. In 1858 Charles Dickens and his wife separated.

Perhaps he’ll catch an “out brief light”. To screw his courage ‘til it sticks, erasing dam’ed spots--- And wherefore art thou roams his life, inside his maddening brain.

The French Revolution mainly took place in the city of Paris during the late 1700’s. The Revolution did not only affect the people of France, but also the citizens of England as well. The French Revolution is known as one of the most brutal and inhumane periods of history. If one studied the beliefs and views of the people involved at the time, one would see a reoccurring theme of “ being recalled to life”. Born from the world of literature, Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities takes a deeper look at the culture of the late 1700’s, in both England and France. Dickens uses the character of Lucie Manette to further examine one of the major themes presented in the novel, consisting of the belief of one being

Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens is a novel that deals with the initial years and spiritual training of the main character, Pip. About a year before Dickens began writing this novel, Charles Darwin published his theory on human development. The question of human development and the effects of nature versus nurture on development immediately became an important topic for public debate. Dickens incorporated this debate into his novel by experimenting with the effect of nurturing and environment on development. Keeping in mind that Pip is on a journey through his initial years, Dickens represented Pip in a world layered with guilt and described the effect that this environment has on his development.

In Hard Times, Dickens presents life philosophies of three men that directly contradict each other. James Harthouse sees one’s actions in life as meaningless since life is so short. Mr. Gradgrind emphasizes the importance of fact and discourages fantasy since life is exactly as it was designed to be. Mr. Slearly exhibits that “all work and no play” will make very dull people out of all of us. He also proclaims that one should never look back on one’s life and regret past actions. Dickens is certainly advocating Sleary’s life philosophy because the subjects of the other two philosophies led depressing and unhappy lives. This is made clear when Louisa realises her childhood of fact without fancy has ruined her, when Tom’s life falls apart after leaving his father’s home in rejection of his strict parenting, and when Mr. Gradgrind himself realises the faults in his own philosophy and devotes the rest of his life to virtue and charity.