Why the World Still Loves Charles Dickens [View all]

[JI7]

<Of all the famous Victorian authors, Charles Dickens retains a place in public affections throughout the world, and Americans adore him as if he were their own. Perhaps this is because Dickens wrote from the heart; he wrote about emotions and situations that people still identify with today. Although the English language has changed since Dickens’ time, the essence of his storytelling remains as relevant as it was in the 19th Century. Dickens’ books were not only stories, they were social commentary intended to change the world. And they did just that. Oliver Twist helped bring about changes to the Factory Acts and other laws that kept children in poverty; Nicholas Nickleby was the reason brutal Yorkshire Schools – where unwanted children were sent and abused – were closed down; and A Christmas Carol remains famous around the world for its message of redemption and charity.

A Christmas Carol was written after Dickens witnessed terrible poverty on the streets of Manchester, in the north of England, and it was intended to make every reader stop and think about how they could make a difference to their society. Dickens wrote to a friend that the story would strike “a sledge-hammer blow on behalf of the Poor Man’s Child”. A Christmas Carol has never been out of print since it was published in 1843 and performances continue to take place all over the world: among the many productions this year is a musical in Mumbai, an outdoor reading by American actors in London’s Hyde Park and a hip hop version in Chicago.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Dickens is how he appeals to religious people of all persuasions. I have been told by fervent Christians, Muslims and Hindus that they revere Dickens as a man of great faith, which he was. Yet Dickens, who became a Unitarian as a direct result of his first visit to America, was scathing toward organised religion, and roundly critical of those who thought all they needed to do was to worship at a church, temple or mosque, instead of offering practical help to those in need.

When Charles Dickens died, one of his friends overheard a child worker in London’s Covent Garden ask, “If Dickens is dead, does that mean Father Christmas will die too?”. This same sentiment seems to accompany the many Dickens festivals around the globe, which honour a man who still – all these years after his early death at 58 years old – affects the way in which we celebrate Christmas.>

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20141216-why-the-world-loves-dickens