On The Birth of Charles Dickens

     Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens in Landport at Portsea. In case you didn't notice, that makes today his 200th birthday. I randomly came across this fact while reading a comparison of he and Twain which was actually quite interesting, but consider the odds of my finding this. If my calculations are correct, it is a one in 73800 chance that I find out his birthday on exactly his 200th birthday.

     I am not the biggest Dickens fan, although I have blogged about his lifestyle; I've only ever read his Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. While I did enjoy it, and it was one of the best books we read freshman year, I have never read any of his other works. I'm pretty sure A Tale of Two Cities is in the Junior curriculum, however, I don't know if that applies to the AP class. One thing in particular I liked about Great Expectations was Dickens' ability to present and alter characters. Pip's moral persona changes so rapidly throughout the novel that it adds energy to the piece. While he is one of the few that actually changes, the rest of the characters' personalities are placed carefully and in accordance to the plot, the theme, and most importantly, to Pip. Dickens is revered as a master of the English language at the level of Shakespeare and Twain, and in celebration of his 200th birthday, I dedicate this post to him.