A Time of Great Change

The Indusrial Revolution was a time period from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century, when the introduction of new ways of mass producing goods changed the economic and social aspects of life in Great Britain. Efficiency had increased by such a large percentage, that Great Britian had become one of the top exporters for the entire world; producing textiles, chemicals, glass products, and mine products that are more easily acquirable with the use of machines. The need for new ways of transporting the goods had called for an all new transport infrastructure. A new turnpike road system, canals, and water networks were built to fulfill the need for transportation. The Industrial Revolution also created new social classews based on virtue of ownership, the middle calls eventually triumphed over the noblemen because of the need for factory workers. Most cildren suffered though, because of the use of child labor, even though infancy deaths had greatly improved. The government tried to limit child labor with the implication of laws, but factory owners resisted because of the cheap labor children offered. Eventually a law was passed that limited the working age to nine years old. Urbanization was also an increased occurance in the Industrial Revolution as most jobs were in the cities with the factories. A second Industrial Revolution took place between 1870 and 1914, giving way for the advancements in technology that are used today.

Great Expectations

Charles Dickens, author of Great Expectaions, was born February 7, 1812. He was one of eight children of John and Elizabeth Dickens, and seemingly insignificant. But this small  boy would grow to be one the most influential authors of the 19th century writing such classics as A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations.

He had started working in Warren's Blacking Warehouse at age twelve pasting labels on cans of shoe polish for six schillings a week.  But being born in this time period meant poor treatment of workers and even worse treatment of children. He then worked as a clerk at a law office and then as a courtroom stenographer.  

Dickens started his writing career as a political journalist in 1834. His first novel was The PIckwick Papers, "a sequence of loosely-related adventures."

In April 1836 he married Catherine Thompson Hogarth with whom he had ten children. Over the next 14 years he is going to write thirteen books including: Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and David Copperfield. David Copperfield was a novel with information taken from Dickens's own life and is one of the most renowned and autobiographical of his works.

Three more novels came before he wrote A Tale of Two Cities another famous work of his with its well- known opening sentence, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." It was after this he wrote Great Expectations, a story of a boy named Pip and his journey through his life's expectations.

His last work was The Mystery of Edwin Drood.  While working on this book he had suffered a stroke and died in his home in Gad's Hill Place, Higham, Kent, England on June 9, 1870.

His legacy will live on in his works that are read by readers all over the world.