Charles Dickens: The Greatest Victorian Novelist

Summary

Charles Dickens, a renowned Victorian Era novelist, is celebrated for classics like 'Great Expectations' and 'A Christmas Carol.' Born in 1812, he overcame childhood poverty and used his experiences to expose societal ills through his writing. His work, characterized by humor and social critique, influenced perceptions of the poor and inspired reforms. Dickens also pursued public readings and founded a home for homeless women. Despite personal struggles and a tragic train accident, his legacy endures through his timeless stories.

Takeaways

• 📚 Charles Dickens is one of the most renowned writers of the Victorian Era, known for works like *Great Expectations*, *Oliver Twist*, and *A Christmas Carol*.
• 👶 Dickens was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, England, and grew up in a large family with financial struggles, deeply influencing his future writing.
• 💼 At just 12 years old, Dickens was forced to leave school and work in a blacking factory due to his father's imprisonment for debt, a harsh experience that shaped his views on poverty and social injustice.
• ✍️ His early jobs as a junior law clerk and journalist allowed him to hone his writing skills and observe people, which later inspired many of his characters.
• 🎭 Although Dickens initially aspired to become an actor, his failure to audition for a play led him to a writing career, where he used his skills to highlight the struggles of the poor.
• 📖 Dickens' serialized stories like *The Pickwick Papers* and *Oliver Twist* became wildly popular, helping raise awareness about the plight of the lower classes during the Industrial Revolution.
• 🏠 In his personal life, Dickens founded the Urania Cottage to help homeless women gain skills for employment, demonstrating his commitment to social reform beyond writing.
• ❤️ Later in life, Dickens had a secret affair with Ellen Ternan, which caused scandal, but it remained mostly hidden during his lifetime.
• 🚂 Dickens survived a traumatic train accident in 1865, but it severely affected his mental and physical health for the rest of his life.
• 🏛️ Despite wishing for a quiet funeral, Dickens was buried in Westminster Abbey, and his works continue to inspire, teach, and entertain people around the world.

Q & A

Who is Charles Dickens and why is he significant?

Charles Dickens is considered one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian Era. His work is significant because it not only entertained but also highlighted social and political issues of the time, inspiring empathy and social reform.

What was Charles Dickens' early life like?

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1812 to a family of eight children. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, and the family moved frequently. He had to leave school at 12 to work in a factory due to his father's financial troubles and imprisonment.

How did Charles Dickens' childhood experiences influence his work?

Dickens' childhood experiences, including his time in a factory and witnessing his family's poverty, deeply influenced his work. These experiences led him to create stories that depicted the harsh realities of the lower class and the need for social reform.

What was the significance of the term 'Dickensian' in relation to Charles Dickens?

The term 'Dickensian' was coined to describe Charles Dickens' unique style of writing, which often depicted the harsh conditions of the Victorian Era with a mix of humor and social commentary.

What was Charles Dickens' first job and how did it impact his future career?

His first job was at a blacking polish factory gluing labels onto bottles. This experience of child labor and hardship influenced his later works, which often addressed social injustices.

How did Charles Dickens' career as a writer begin?

Dickens began his writing career as a journalist at the Morning Chronicle, where he reported on court cases and honed his storytelling skills. He later became a celebrity writer with the serialized publication of 'The Pickwick Papers'.

What was the impact of 'The Pickwick Papers' on Charles Dickens' career?

'The Pickwick Papers' was a turning point in Dickens' career, as it became a huge hit, increasing his earnings significantly and establishing him as a popular writer.

What was the significance of Charles Dickens' serialized publication method?

Publishing his stories in serialized form allowed Dickens to build anticipation among readers, much like a modern TV series. This method helped his work spread by word of mouth and increased his popularity.

How did Charles Dickens use his writing to address social issues?

Dickens used his writing to shed light on social and political issues, particularly the plight of the poor and the injustices of the workhouses. He aimed to make his stories entertaining while subtly incorporating moral lessons.

What was the role of Charles Dickens' personal experiences in shaping his views on poverty?

Having experienced poverty firsthand, Dickens believed that hardworking people could fall on hard times and deserved empathy, not punishment. This shaped his views and was reflected in his criticism of the workhouses.

How did Charles Dickens contribute to social reform beyond his writing?

Beyond his writing, Dickens founded the Home for Homeless Women at Urania Cottage, where women were taught skills to help them find jobs and improve their lives.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Early Life and Career of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, born in 1812, was a renowned Victorian Era novelist known for works like 'Great Expectations' and 'A Christmas Carol'. His childhood was marked by poverty and hardship, including his father's imprisonment for debt and his own labor at a young age. Despite these challenges, he developed a love for literature and theater. His father's ambition and optimism influenced him, and he eventually became a law clerk, then a journalist, and finally embarked on his writing career.

05:03

🖋️ Dickens' Writing Style and Social Commentary

Dickens depicted the Victorian Era as grim and harsh, especially for the lower class, through his writing. He used his work to shed light on social and political issues, advocating for change. His stories often included moral lessons and humor, aiming to entertain while educating the public about the plight of the poor. His serialized novels, like 'Oliver Twist', brought attention to the harsh realities of workhouses and child labor, influencing public opinion and empathy.

10:04

🌍 Travels, Public Readings, and Philanthropy

Dickens was a public figure who traveled extensively, giving readings and speeches that were well-received by audiences. He insisted on discounted tickets for the working class, ensuring his work was accessible. His travels and observations informed his writing, leading to stories like 'Nicholas Nickleby'. He also founded the Home for Homeless Women, providing skills and opportunities for women to improve their lives.

15:05

🏠 Personal Life, Later Years, and Legacy

Later in life, Dickens purchased his childhood dream home, Gads Hill Place, and experienced a personal crisis, leading to a separation from his wife Catherine. He had a secret relationship with actress Ellen Ternan, which was kept private due to societal norms. He survived a train accident, which deeply affected him, and continued to work until his death in 1870. His legacy endures through his timeless works, which continue to be celebrated and adapted in various forms.

Keywords

💡Victorian Era

The Victorian Era refers to the period of Queen Victoria's reign over the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1837 until her death in 1901. It was a time of significant social, political, and industrial change. In the context of the video, Charles Dickens is considered the greatest novelist of this era, highlighting his work's relevance to the social and political issues of the time, such as the depiction of poverty and the critique of workhouses.

💡Child Labor

Child labor refers to the employment of children in jobs that are inappropriate for their age. It was a prevalent issue during the Victorian Era, as described in the video with Charles Dickens' own experience of having to work in a factory at the age of 12. This keyword is central to understanding the harsh realities of lower-class life that Dickens' work often portrayed.

💡Debtor’s Prison

A debtor’s prison was an institution where those who were unable to repay their debts were held until they could work off their debts or until the debts were paid by others. In the script, it is mentioned that Dickens' father was imprisoned for debt, which had a profound impact on Dickens' life and later influenced his writing, particularly his depiction of social injustices.

💡Great Expectations

Great Expectations is one of Charles Dickens' most famous novels, mentioned in the video as one of the works likely read in schools. The novel explores themes of wealth, love, and social mobility, and it is used in the video to illustrate Dickens' ability to create compelling narratives that reflect the complexities of the Victorian Era.

💡Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist is another renowned novel by Charles Dickens that is highlighted in the video. It tells the story of an orphan who endures a harsh life in a workhouse and on the streets. The novel is a key example of Dickens' portrayal of the plight of the poor and his critique of the social conditions of the time.

💡A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens that has become a classic Christmas tale. It is mentioned in the video as a story that captures England's holiday traditions. The narrative's moral lesson about generosity and redemption is a testament to Dickens' skill in weaving social commentary into engaging stories.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period of rapid industrialization that occurred during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is referenced in the video in relation to the Poor Law of 1834 and the subsequent need for cheap labor in factories. Dickens' work often reflects the social upheaval and challenges faced by people during this era.

💡Serializing

Serializing refers to the practice of publishing a work, such as a novel, in sequential installments. Dickens' novels were often serialized, as mentioned in the video, which allowed him to build suspense and engage a wide audience. This approach also made his work more accessible to the general public, contributing to his popularity.

💡Social Reform

Social reform refers to changes aimed at improving society's conditions and addressing social problems. The video emphasizes Dickens' role in social reform through his writing, which shed light on issues like poverty and the treatment of the poor, thereby influencing public opinion and potentially policy.

💡Gads Hill Place

Gads Hill Place is mentioned in the video as a mansion that Charles Dickens aspired to own as a child, symbolizing his ambition and dreams. Later in life, he purchased the home, signifying his rise from humble beginnings to financial success. It also served as a retreat and a source of inspiration for his work.

💡Ellen Ternan

Ellen Ternan was a young actress with whom Charles Dickens had a secret relationship, as revealed in the video. This relationship and the subsequent separation from his wife Catherine were significant personal events that had an impact on Dickens' life and were kept hidden from the public, reflecting the social mores of the time.

Highlights

Charles Dickens is considered the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era.

His work inspired the creation of the term 'Dickensian' to describe his writing style.

Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England, and was one of eight children.

His father's financial troubles led to Dickens working in a factory at the age of 12.

Dickens' early experiences with poverty deeply influenced his later work.

He initially aspired to be an actor and performed in local plays.

Dickens worked as a junior law clerk and later as a journalist, which helped develop his writing skills.

His serialized novels, such as 'The Pickwick Papers', were a significant innovation in publishing.

Dickens' novels often highlighted social and political issues of the Victorian Era.

He is credited with popularizing many of England's Christmas traditions through 'A Christmas Carol'.

Dickens' stories often contained moral lessons about the treatment of the poor.

He conducted personal research to depict the harsh realities of workhouses and orphanages.

Dickens was a celebrity author, drawing large crowds for his public readings.

He founded the Home for Homeless Women at Urania Cottage to help women find employment.

Dickens purchased his childhood dream home, Gads Hill Place, when it became available.

His personal life included a scandalous affair with actress Ellen Ternan.

Dickens survived a train accident at Staplehurst, which left him with lasting anxiety.

He continued to work until his death, leaving behind an unfinished novel, 'Edwin Drood'.

Dickens' legacy endures, with his works still widely read and adapted into various forms of media.

Transcripts

Charles Dickens is one of the best-known writers in the world, and is considered to be the

greatest novelist of the Victorian Era.

If you live in an English-speaking country, you probably read Great Expectations, Oliver

Twist, and A Christmas Carol in school.

His work became so popular, it even sparked the creation of the world “Dickensian”

to describe his style.

So, why is Charles Dickens’ work considered to be so good that it has inspired future

generations?

And who was the man who created all of these well-known characters?

Early Life

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England to John and Elizabeth

Dickens.

He was just one of 8 children, and two of his siblings died at a very young age.

Throughout his childhood, young Charles loved to play outside, and he read as many books

as he possibly could.

His father, John Dickens was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, which meant that he guarded

money in a safe and handed out paychecks to sailors.

The Navy would often move him from place to place whenever it was necessary.

So as a boy, Charles was able to live in several different areas of England.

John Dickens was a very ambitious man, and hoped to climb the ranks at his job.

Eventually, he was able to move the family to London and pay for Charles to get a private

education.

Once he was living in the big city, Charles was exposed to performances from the local

theater.

He became inspired by actors, and would jump up on the tables of the local pub to sing

and dance.

He also performed plays with his siblings, and imagined growing up to be an actor.

His father John was optimistic, and did not prescribe to the old-fashioned notion that

people are born in the place they were supposed to stay throughout their lives.

He taught all of his children that they could be rich if they worked hard enough.

One day, while walking with Charles, he pointed to a mansion called Gads Hill Place, saying

that if he worked hard, he could own a house like that someday.

Even though John Dickens was a hard worker and an excellent father, he made the mistake

of spending his money before he could make it.

With so many children and a wife to take care of, he lived beyond his means.

His father struggled so much with money, that Charles Dickens had to leave school to work

in a blacking polish factory at 12 years old.

He had the tedious task of gluing labels to bottles for 11 hours a day, making just 6

shillings per week.

Even though this was clearly child labor, it was totally legal at the time.

Charles was actually lucky to have found that job, though, because his father ended up in

a debtor’s prison.

John owed 40 pounds and 3 shillings, and the only way he could get out was to pay back

his debt.

But obviously, if he was not allowed to work or earn money in prison, he could not be released.

The entire Dickens family had to move into the prison with him- even the young children-

because there was nowhere else for them to live.

Since twelve year old Charles was the only one who actually had a job, he could afford

to rent a room that was just big enough for himself, and the responsibility of freeing

his entire family fell on his small shoulders.

Charles visited his family every Sunday, and helped them in any way he could.

However, since he only made 6 shillings a week, there was not much the poor boy could

do.

John Dickens was able to inherit some money from his mother, and pay off his debt in full.

Even though he only had to endure this lifestyle for a year, and he was eventually able to

return to school, this deeply affected Charles Dickens for the rest of his life.

They had been fortunate enough to receive the inheritance to save the family just in

time, but what about the people who were not so lucky?

Charles realized that even well-to-do-families full of good people like his could fall on

hard times.

Years later, this would inspire his stories Oliver Twist and Little Dorrit.

In 1827, Charles became a junior law clerk for an attorney at 15 years old, and he began

to learn how to write shorthand.

While he worked at the firm, he would pay attention to the clients who were coming in

looking for legal advice.

He often wrote down their physical descriptions and mannerisms, and wrote stories about them.

Charles had a knack for finding humor in even the most awful situations, and would often

laugh at some of the issues that people were complaining about.

This was just the beginning of his fascination with true crime, as well as his ability to

write about difficult topics with a sense of humor.

Now that he was growing up and had more experience in the workforce, Charles Dickens tried to

go after his dream of becoming an actor.

When he was 20 years old, he had an audition for a play Covent Garden.

But he came down with a terrible cold, and had to miss his appointment.

He was never given another chance.

At the time, it must have seemed like a horrible setback, because it had been his life-long

dream.

But if he had become an actor, he would have never fulfilled his destiny of being a great

writer.

He eventually moved on from being a law clerk and became a journalist at the Morning Chronicle.

Even at the paper, he was still interested in law, and sat through court cases at the

House of Commons to report what had happened.

This is where he met the daughter of his editor, Catherine Hogarth.

After only knowing one another for three months, Charles proposed, and they were married in

1836.

They would go on to have ten children throughout the course of their marriage.

Writing Career

Through his writing, Charles Dickens paints the Victorian Era as a time that was dirty,

dark, and crude, especially for those who were living in the lower class.

While some of his social commentary is very critical, it’s clear that he truly did love

England, and he wanted it to be better.

He felt that the best way he could help was to write stories that put a spotlight on social

and political issues.

It wasn’t all dark, of course, Dickens also wrote touching scenes where people could enjoy

the simple things in life, like a warm fire, a good story, and spending time with family.

In fact, his story called A Christmas Carol is credited for capturing all of England’s

best holiday traditions, and it still warms people’s hearts to this very day.

In all of his stories, there was always an underlying moral lesson, and one of the first

issues he decided to tackle was the treatment of the poor.

The beginning of the Victorian Era was at the height of the Industrial Revolution, and

it was now more necessary than ever to get cheap labor into factories of the country

wanted to move forward in economic progress.

When Charles was 22 years old, The 1834 Poor Law made it a rule that if anyone was living

on the street, they were taken to live in a workhouse, and forced to work in a factory.

Children were educated while the parents would work several hours a day in exchange for food

and shelter.

This caused a huge amount of debate, because workhouses were essentially prisons for poor

people.

Once they entered a workhouse, there was no escape.

Everyone knew that life in the workhouse was awful, but people in the upper class were

taught that poverty was someone’s own fault.

Any harsh treatment was necessary, because they deserved it.

As someone who grew up suffering through poverty, Charles Dickens knew that good, hard-working

people could sometimes fall on hard times, and that doesn’t mean they should be thrown

in a workhouse.

It was clear to him that the lawmakers from the upper class were out of touch with reality,

and totally lacked empathy for people in the working class.

It became his mission to change the hearts and minds of the people of England.

He knew two very important things that set him apart from other writers: Firstly, no

one likes being lectured to.

Second is that his audience would never care about anything unless it had something to

do with them.

So Dickens had to figure out how to make a story entertaining first, and almost hide

his moral lessons within the context of the story.

He would also incorporate people in the middle-to-upper classes, and show that even having a privileged

birth does not necessarily mean you are immune to hardship.

When he was 24 years old, he began publishing his stories in serialized form.

These were The Pickwick Papers, which was a satire based on real-life political corruption.

At first, the stories were not so successful, and Dickens was only earning 14 pounds per

month.

But after the fourth issue was published, it became a huge hit, and sales of his serial

went from 400 to 40,000 copies per month.

The fact that his work was serialized a few chapters at a time rather than releasing a

full novel all at once was actually a huge benefit to him.

His fans would speculate what was going to happen next, just like someone watching a

TV series in modern times.

People were so excited to talk about the stories to their friends, that it soon spread by word

of mouth.

Soon, the name Charles Dickens was being mentioned all over London, and he became a celebrity

writer.

At age 25, Dickens would publish his serialized story called Oliver Twist, which showed what

life was truly like for a child living in the workhouse.

The main character, Oliver, was born into a well-to-do-family, and he had the misfortune

of getting lost and ending up in the workhouse.

Readers were able to think, “What if this had happened to me?”

He was sure to make the stories humorous and easy for anyone to read.

More and more people began to have empathy for the poor, and understand that something

needed to be changed.

This was years before the internet, of course, so the only way Charles Dickens could do his

research about the biggest social issues throughout England was to act like a reporter, and travel

to locations in person.

When he heard that young boys were being abused in orphanages, he took a two-day carriage

journey to visit one so that he could have a first-hand account of what was truly going

on.

This inspired his story called Nicholas Nickleby.

He also visited insane asylums to witness the mistreatment of people with mental illnesses,

and often walked through some of the worst parts of London.

So you might be wondering- Charles Dickens showed up to witness people being abused,

and he didn’t do anything about it except write a book?

He never claimed to have all of the solutions to the problems in society, and with his experience

sitting as a reporter in court, he knew that changing a law was a complicated ordeal.

All he could do was simply observe, and write stories about the truth.

This alone was enough for people to talk about the issues, and begin to have empathy for

the down-trodden.

Everyone wanted their country to be better.

In that way, there has perhaps been no other man alive who has done so much for social

reform in the United Kingdom that Charles Dickens.

On the Road, and Making A Difference

Even though Charles Dickens was never able to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming

a professional actor, he decided to try becoming a showman.

In 1842, Charles and his wife Catherine decided to travel to the United States together so

that he could give public readings of his work.

At the time, books were one of the main forms of entertainment, so the idea of a favorite

author coming to town was like a rock star going on tour.

Dickens insisted that tickets should be discounted for working-class people, and he spoke to

sold out-theaters every time.

People who witnessed his readings described how passionately he would read in the voices

of each of his characters, and that no other performance of his works would ever rival

the author.

In 1844 and 45, he spent time living in Italy and Switzerland doing public speaking engagements,

and wrote a few more books.

By 1847, he had earned such a substantial amount of money from his tour that he was

finally able to invest some of the money into actually taking action on helping people.

At the time, there were so few job opportunities and child care options for women.

Their only option was to get married and find a man to take care of them.

And if they fell on hard times, they had no choice but to become “fallen women”, or

sex workers.

If they were arrested, many of these women were sent to “Magdalen Hospitals”- (Yep,

like Mary Magdalen from the Bible.)

They were constantly told they were an awful person, and they were punished harshly for

their sins.

The only other option for an uneducated woman besides the life of a sex worker, would be

to live in the work house, which was essentially going to prison.

At least, with sex work, they got to be free.

Charles Dickens knew that many of these women did not deserve to be in this situation.

And many would be able to turn their lives around, if only they were given a place to

stay to get their life together.

He founded the Home for Homeless Women at Urania Cottage.

The women who lived here were taught skills that would get them jobs.

And, of course, he would also interview them to hear their life stories, and he was able

to draw inspiration from them for his future works.

A New Chapter

In March of 1856, Dickens was 44 years old when he learned that the mansion he had dreamed

of as a child, Gads Hill Place, was up for sale.

He purchased the home for £1,790.

At the time, he had let go of his childish wonder of the place, and thought that at the

very least, it might make a good investment to rent it out.

But once he saw it in person again, he truly loved the home, and it reminded him of what

had inspired him to work towards so long ago.

He kept it as his country house, and it became a welcome escape from the city.

It was around this time that Charles Dickens was beginning to have a bit of a crisis.

He was at the peak of his career, but no longer happy in his marriage with Catherine, and

spent more time throwing large parties at Gad’s Hill Place.

At the time, divorce was totally taboo, especially for a public figure.

He had also given himself this reputation of being a pinnacle of morality, and had to

continue pretending that everything was fine.

At one of these parties, Dickens invited over the cast of the local theater, as well as

celebrity friends like author Hans Christian Anderson.

It was around this time in his life when Dickens met a young actress named Ellen Ternan.

He was 45, and she was just 18 years old.

They began having an affair, but he kept their relationship a secret, as not to damage their

reputations.

In 1858, Charles became separated from his wife Catherine.

They no longer lived together, but he was forced to stay legally married.

During their separation, Charles tried to get a divorce by claiming that his wife was

mentally ill.

The word soon got out, and it caused a public scandal.

He wrote 98 letters about his issues with his wife, and they were only recently discovered

when they were sold at auction in 2014.

This has caused a lot of debate among scholars.

Some say that Dickens was lying about his wife’s mental state, and willing to have

her committed in an asylum just so he could be with Ellen Ternan.

Others believe that Catherine truly was sick, and that this man who had so much love and

empathy for other people that he would never send his wife to an asylum if it were not

necessary.

Charles Dickens continued his relationship with Ellen behind closed doors, and bought

her a house just outside of London so that he could go to visit her.

The two of them continued their secret affair for 13 years.

They had a child together, but he died in infancy, and they would never go on to have

another.

On June 9th, 1865.

Charles and Ellen were on a train together when they approached Staplehurst.

The tracks were being repaired, and the conductor had no idea that it was happening.

The conductor hit the breaks, but it was already too late.

All of the first class carriages fell into the river below.

The one and only first class car that remained on the tracks held Charles Dickens, and it

dangled over the edge.

The second class carriages behind him were enough weight to hold on.

Charles jumped into the water to try to help and of the survivors.

If he found someone who was just barely clinging on to life, he would hold them, and tell them

to take a swig of brandy.

More than one person died in his arms.

A total of 10 were killed in the accident, and many others were seriously injured.

Just as he was helping bring the bodies out of the water, he suddenly remembered that

the manuscript for his latest book, Our Mutual Friend, was still inside of the train car.

He risked his life to go inside and retrieve it before it went over the edge.

For the rest of his life, Charles Dickens avoided traveling, and getting on a train

gave him anxiety.

For years, no one knew about Charles Dickens’ secret relationship, because Ellen Ternan

had burned most of their letters.

Eventually, historians began to piece together the evidence throughout the years.

A movie about Ellen Ternan’s life and relationship to Dickens was made in 2012 called The Invisible

Woman.

Death, and Legacy

After the accident, Dickens health was suffering.

In 1867, he was given the opportunity to go on another speaking tour of America, they

offered to pay him 20,000 pounds after expenses.

This is nearly a million pounds in today’s money.

He was still suffering from a lot of travel anxiety, and potentially had PTSD, but Dickens

felt that he could not say “no” to that kind of money.

But when he returned, it was clear to everyone that his health had seriously declined.

In 1870, Charles Dickens had a stroke, and died unexpectedly in his home at Gads Hill

Place.

He was 58 years old, and had believed that he would have lived a much longer life.

Dickens worked up until the day he died, and the last novel that he had been working on

was called Edwin Drood, which involved a murder mystery.

He died before revealing the end, which caused his fans to debate for years over what they

true ending must have been.

When he died, his estate was worth 93,000 pounds, which is close to 4 million today.

In his will, he stated that he wanted a very quiet and private funeral in Rochester.

However, this sparked a debate, because many people wanted to pay their respects.

So his family decided to allow him to be buried in Westminster Abbey.

In the days following his death, crowds of people showed up to pay respect to his open

casket.

There were so many flowers laid on top of him, that no one could see him anymore.

Even though he is gone, the legacy that Charles Dickens left behind will last forever.

Today, his work is still read and analyzed in schools all over the world.

Oliver Twist was made into a musical called Oliver, and there are dozens of film adaptations

of his stories.

Every December, families all over the globe re-visit the stories of Bob Cratchet and Ebinezer

Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

There is almost no way to properly end a video on a man who has accomplished so much, so

what better way to do it than his own words?

He once said, “Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart

to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great

aims and in small I have always thoroughly been

in earnest.”