Characteristic of Dickens' later writings, «Little Dorrit» is a social condemnation, particularly of the system of prisons set aside for the debtors of England. Through the memorable characters of Amy and her father William Dorrit, as well as the disenchanted Arthur Clennam, recently returned from abroad, Dickens weaves a suspenseful tale that plumbs the depths of confined minds. Despite the changing fortunes of many of the characters, financial scandal is never far behind them, and they...
Regarded by Dickens himself as his best novel upon publication, the experiences of Martin Chuzzlewit relate a tale of familial selfishness and eventual moral redemption. While he is in love with the young Mary Graham, Martin alienates himself from his grandfather and begins working for the corrupt and dishonest Seth Pecksniff. Though he meets the unequivocally kind Tom Pinch during this apprenticeship, Martin is fired and decides to travel to the United States, where he nearly dies. It is in the...
Regarded by Dickens himself as his best novel upon publication, the experiences of Martin Chuzzlewit relate a tale of familial selfishness and eventual moral redemption. While he is in love with the young Mary Graham, Martin alienates himself from his grandfather and begins working for the corrupt and dishonest Seth Pecksniff. Though he meets the unequivocally kind Tom Pinch during this apprenticeship, Martin is fired and decides to travel to the United States, where he nearly dies. It is in the...
Though only the third novel Dickens wrote, «Nicholas Nickleby» is a well-crafted and significant precursor to his other great works. The tale follows the fortunes of the young man Nicholas, the son of an imprudent gentleman who leaves his family without resources. Fiercely devoted to his mother and sisters, as well as his true friends, Nicholas is occasionally emotional and even violent, yet always idealistic. He seeks the aid of his villainous uncle, Ralph Nickleby, who comes to hate his nephew...
Originally published in the 1853 Christmas edition of Dickens' journal Household Words, Nobody's Story uses the differences between the Big Wig family and the Nobody family to call attention to class-based inequity. This version of Nobody's Story is part of Dreamscape's The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens.
