Please post your facts in the comment section below and provide proper citation.
You may not repeat facts!
This should serve as a great way to gain background knowledge about the author, the society in which he lived and wrote about, and the novella itself.
Z BLOCK FAM!
Charles Dickens
ReplyDelete-Charles Dickens wrote (completed) a total of fourteen books. He was in the process of writing another when he died.
-Dickens' father, John Dickens, was known for his generosity. In fact, he was so generous that he caused himself financial problems because he was giving too much money away.
(These facts were both found on: http://www.biography.com/people/charles-dickens-9274087#synopsis)
London at the time
-The population was increasing and cities were growing. Because of this, jobs were scarce and there was an abundance of poor people.
-The rich looked down upon the poor. They believed: ‘the poor were improvident, they wasted any money they had on drink and gambling’ and ‘God had put people in their place in life and this must not be interfered with because the life after death was more important’.
(These facts were both found on: http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/articles/poverty.html)
A Christmas Carol
-A Christmas Carol is only one of the five Christmas books written by Dickens. But, it is by far the most popular, well-known and loved.
-It was published on December 19, 1843; just in time for Christmas. It was an instant success.
-The novel uses staves instead of chapters. This is to go along with the title, because a carol is a song and staves are used in music.
(These facts were found on: http://www.charlesdickensinfo.com/christmas-carol/ and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/charles-dickens/9724579/Ten-things-you-never-knew-about-Charles-Dickenss-A-Christmas-Carol.html)
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens
His father was sent to prison for debt and so Dickens was forced to leave school and begin working at a boot-blacking factory. His first novel "Oliver Twist" was inspired by how he was forced at a young age to start supporting his family.
After becoming famous in 1842, he often bragged and proved to be a show off. He at first enjoyed the attention, but soon became annoyed at his invasion of privacy
London
In the 1830's and 40's, huge waves of epidemic struck London like Typhus and Smallpox.
In the last decade of the 19th century, London's population rose to four million causing slums to arise. They became notorious for overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and led to the death of thousands.
A Christmas Carol
This novella is credited with restoring the Christmas season as one of generosity, festivity, and joy in Britain and America.
A Christmas Carol was written in only six weeks. Once published, it was adapted to the stage almost immediately.
Charles Dickens
Deleteinfo found here:
http://www.biography.com/people/charles-dickens-9274087#early-writing
London
Info was found here: http://www.victorianweb.org/science/health/health10.html
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/slums.html
A Christmas Carol
Info was found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol
Charles Dickens:
ReplyDeleteHis father was arrested when Charles was 12, and he sent to work in a factory to support his family
Charles always slept north-south with his head facing the north
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/458382/Top-10-facts-about-Charles-Dickens
London:
London was the largest city in europe at the time, and many were poor
The city was very dirty due to overcrowding
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/London-life19th.jsp
A Christmas Carol:
The book was completely sold out in three days
There is an extended copy at the Berg Collection of English and American literature at the New York Public Library
http://mentalfloss.com/article/54245/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-christmas-carol
Charles Dickens
ReplyDeleteIn 1827, he had to drop out of school and work as an office boy and within a year he began writing freelance and in a few years began reporting for major London newspapers.
http://www.biography.com/people/charles-dickens-9274087#early-writing
Dickens had fewer than four years of education in school and was mostly self-taught.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/fast-facts.html
London
Victorian London was the largest city in the world for a long time. Its population grew from 1 million people in 1800 to 6.7 million in 1900 while many of the city's residents still lived in poverty.
Victorian London was known for it's dense, green colored fog, known to some as the "pea-souper". The fog was so thick that people often walked into the River Thames.
http://primaryfacts.com/1688/victorian-london-facts-and-information/
A Christmas Carol
Dickens was inspired to write A Christmas Carol after speaking at a charity night in England along with the future prime minister Disraeli.
Dickens gave public readings of the novella, and read to 2000 people on Birmingham on his first reading after publication.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/54245/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-christmas-carol
Charles Dickens
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens campaigned for many reforms including social, education, and children's rights.
dickens founded the home called "Urania Cottage" which set up redemption for women in the working class that aren't doing so well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens#Philanthropy
London
during the first half of 19th century London people were still drinking out of the same water that open sewers were exposed to.
The New Poor Law of 1834 required parishes to come together to create workhouses that everyone is allowed to apply for aid
http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london.html
A Christmas Carol
Dickens gained minimal profits from A Christmas Carol because he sued a company for piracy and when that company went bankrupt, Dickens was forced to pay 700 euros in total costs.
when the book was published, it immediately was driven to success through magazines claiming it would make you laugh and cry and open your heart to charity towards the uncharitable
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol#Impact
Charles Dickens
ReplyDeleteDickens' father was the inspiration for the character Mr. Micwaber in "David Copperfield"
He began his literary career as a journalist for the "Mirror of Parliament" and the "True Sun"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/dickens_charles.shtml
London
In 1841, less than ⅔ of the population was born in London
the first half of the nineteenth century saw a remarkable increase in urban buildings, including housing, office space, and roads
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/London-life19th.jsp
A Christmas Carol
This novella was written around the time new Christmas traditions were being introduced to England, including Christmas trees and cards
Dickens' Carol was one of the greatest influences in rejuvenating the old Christmas traditions of England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol
Charles Dickens
ReplyDelete1. Charles Dickens created 247 new words and new usages of words that were entered in the The Oxford English Dictionary. (ex: fluffiness)
2. Dickens had ten children with Catherine Hogarth.
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/458382/Top-10-facts-about-Charles-Dickens
http://primaryfacts.com/251/charles-dickens-interesting-facts-and-information/
London, England
1. Women most commonly worked as domestic servants and the economy was greatly influenced by the small shops owned by the poor.
2. The lower classes in the social ladder were known for stealing and were regarded to as a "dangerous class."
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/London-life19th.jsp
A Christmas Carol
1. The character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is based off of John Dickens, Charles Dickens' father.
2. Dickens gives the reader a glimpse of the social and economic structure of London during this time (page 39-40) as he describes the various lifestyles and occupations of different people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol
Charles Dickens
ReplyDelete- He spent much of his time in museums and studying acting.
- His first home with his first wife is now a museum
http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/
London
- London has over 200 festivals each year including their grand tree lighting
-London presents more live comedy than any city in the world
https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/arts-culture/promoting-arts-culture/20-facts-about-london-s-culture
A Christmas Carol
- Within the first few days of its releasing, it sold over 6,000 copies
- Dickens published the book himself, after he raised enough money
http://charlesdickenspage.com/carol.html
Charles Dickens
ReplyDeleteBefore being a writer, Dickens sketched and reported for a london newspaper under the pseudonym “Boz.”
In 1865, Dickens was in a train accident and never fully recovered.
http://www.biography.com/people/charles-dickens-9274087#synopsis
London
The city lured many immigrants, particularly from India and China.
The city underwent major advances, the most important being the railroad system. this allowed a big economic growth. In 1861, 23,000 people were directly employed by the railways; by 1891, the figure was almost 70,000. In addition, 48,000 people were employed in ancillary transport industries.
http://www2.uncp.edu/home/rwb/london_19c.html
A Christmas Carol
Although it was popular, Dickens was originally very disappointed with the initial response to A Christmas Carol, as he expected 46,000 euros worth in todays money, more than he actually received.
There are at least 28 film versions of the tale.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol#cite_note-64
-Charles Dickens had 7 siblings.
ReplyDelete-His tomb had the following inscription on it: “He was a sympathiser to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.”
-source: http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/
-In 1848 over 100,000 Irish immigrants moved to London because of the Great Potato Famine, making up about 20% of the population
-19th century London was revolutionized by the creation of the railway
source: http://www.victorians.co.uk/victorian-london
-The character of Tiny Tim was inspired by Dickens’ own youngest son, Fred
-The first 6,000 copies of the book were sold out barely over a week
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/library/collections/virtualdisplays/collectionhighlights/charlesdickens-achristmascarol/
Charles Dickens:
ReplyDelete1) Beyond the age of 15, he was mostly self-educated.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/fast-facts.html
2) On reading days, Dickens would drink two tablespoons of rum mixed with cream for breakfast, a pint of champagne for tea and, half an hour before he went on stage, he would knock back a sherry with a raw egg beaten into it. During the interval of his reading he would sip beef tea, and at bedtime he’d have a bowl of soup.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/54245/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-christmas-carol
London, England
3) Mayhew divided the street (and river) people into six classes (which were then sub-divided).
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/The-London-Poor-c-1850-218013.html
4) “The Great Stink” The inhabitants of the newly populated south were served with drinking water pumped from the Thames, extracted directly adjacent to the outflows of these sewers. Life expectancy was short!
http://www.historyofengland.net/london-history
Christmas Caro
5) Dickens was inspired to write A Christmas Carol in 1843 after he spoke at a charity night to raise money for the Manchester Athenaeum in England
http://mentalfloss.com/article/54245/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-christmas-carol
6) There have been more than 20 film versions of A Christmas Carol including versions starring The Muppets, Barbie, Mickey Mouse and Mr Magoo.
http://www.squizzes.com/a-christmas-carol-fast-facts/
James Bagnell
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens-
1) He was an obsessive compulsive, reportedly always re-arranging his hotel furniture and having to sleep with his head pointing north.
2) In his study he had a secret door which was designed like a bookcase filled with fake books rumored to include titles like Noah’s Architecture and a nine-volume set titled Cat’s Lives.
http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2011/10/21/11-charles-dickens-facts/
London-
1) London buses were not always red. Before 1907, different routes had different-colored buses.
2) Until 1910 you could walk across the walkway at the top of Tower Bridge. It was shut “due to lack of use” but also allegedly because it had started to become popular with prostitutes.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/54-amazing-facts-about-london-that-will-blow-your-mind
London during Dickens Time-
1) Clean water was not available to the poorer people who were the majority
2) Rich people lived in big mansions and it was not un common for people to eat a 10 course dinner.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091206220850AA53COp
“A Christmas Carrol”-
1) He wrote nonstop crazy for 6 weeks and published it in November so people could read it during Christmas.
2) Charles Dickins would wander around London when everyone was asleep when he was writing this novel.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/qi/10513509/QI-some-quite-interesting-facts-about-A-Christmas-Carol.html
Charles Dickens
ReplyDelete1.British novelist Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England.
2.His dad was sent to prison for debt when Charles was only 12 years old.
http://www.biography.com/people/charles-dickens-9274087#early-life
London
1. Victorian London was the largest, most spectacular city in the world.
2. His descriptions of nineteenth century London allow readers to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the old city.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london.html
A chrismas carol
1. He started writing it in october and finished it by the end of november so that it would be ready for december.
2. In the first few days of its release the book sold six thousand copies and its popularity continued to grow.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/carol.html
Charles Dickens:
ReplyDelete1. He would walk the streets of London, 10-20 miles at a time.
2. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/fast-facts.html
http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london.html
London:
1. In 1880, the population was almost 5x its size in 1800.
2. Rich and poor were thrown together in a close vicinity.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/dickens_london.html
A Christmas Carol
1. The illustrations in the book were done by John Leech.
2. Six thousand copies were sold within the first few days after being published.
3. The profits from the book were very low compared to the cost to make the book.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/carol.html
Charles Dickens:
ReplyDelete1. He once performed under the name Rhia Rhama Rhoos.
2. Dickens had a pet raven that you can now see in Philadelphia.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/07/12-facts-you-didnt-know-a_n_2633118.html
London:
1. 1832- First Reform Bill: adds £10/year householders to the voting rolls and reapportions Parliamentary representation much more fairly, doing away with most "rotten" and "pocket" boroughs. Adds 217,000 voters to an electorate of 435,000.
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/historytl.html
2. Like other capital cities, London was a political and administrative center, and it housed thousands of civil servants who worked for expanding bureaucracies.
http://www2.uncp.edu/home/rwb/london_19c.html
A Christmas Carol
1. Rather than simply read extracts from his stories, Dickens loved to perform them—so he created a special version of A Christmas Carol for exactly that purpose. He tore the pages out of an original book, and stuck them into a new, large leafed, blank paged book. Then he filleted the text, cutting out descriptive scenes to create a performance script. He added stage directions for himself all over the text. Such an annotated copy is called a prompt copy.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/54245/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-christmas-carol
2. Inspiration from the book was in 1843, the 31-year-old Charles Dickens spoke at a charity night to raise money for the Manchester Athenaeum, an institute dedicated to “advancement and diffusion of knowledge”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/qi/10513509/QI-some-quite-interesting-facts-about-A-Christmas-Carol.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens:
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens had a fascination with the supernatural, and often attended séances, murder trials, and public hangings. (Krull and Hewitt, page 40)
Dickens is known to have worked his way out of poverty by means of his writing. His last house was the estate that his father pointed out to him, saying that Dickens would be able to live there “if he would only work hard enough.” (Krull and Hewitt, pages 39-40)
Courtesy of Lives of the Writers by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt
London
Even though London at the time was faced with major disproportion of wealth, it was also a time of great culture advancement. University College, the British Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum were all founded at this time.
Disposal of the bodies of the dead were an issue at the time, paralleling the rapidly growing population and the unfortunate living conditions of the poor.
Courtesy of http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/London-life19th.jsp
A Christmas Carol
The character of Ebenezer Scrooge is loosely based on Dickens, himself. (Krull and Hewitt, page 41)
The immediate impact of this novella is evident in its first film adaptation, which was made as early as 1901, a time in which films were a novelty.
Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol
Charles Dickens:
ReplyDeleteHe was born Feburary 7, 1812. As a child, he worked in a boot blacking factory, and his childhood poverty provided material for many of his stories.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/
London:
London originated from Roman times. The Romans built a bridge that made London a trading center that contributed to London’s inevitable growth. 19th century London was most influential on modern day London. Railways as well as many landmarks of London were built in the 19th century.
http://www.britannia.com/history/londonhistory/viclon.html
A Christmas Carol:
First published by Chapman & Hall 1843. “Bah! Humbug!” was popularized in English language after this was published, it also influenced readers to donate to charity.
http://dickens.ucsc.edu/resources/chronology.html