Charles Dickens in an author that inspired me. I wanted to grow up and be the female Charles Dickens. That is when I was in high school. I loved the books, but I didn’t realize the political significance of his books. He wrote with a mission to make social improvements in society. I loved the stories, not really the things that made him great.
I admired him so much, I named a cat after him. Since then, all our cats are named after authors or literary characters.
My sons loathe Dickens. “It’s old English,” my oldest son said when he had to read The Christmas Carroll in the 8th grade.
Exasperated and amused, I replied, “You couldn’t read old English. It looks like a foreign language. Dickens in modern English.” Then we spent a couple of hours alternating the pages, reading together. It is one of those wonderful mom-son moments is a memory favorite.
My second son had to read A Tale of Two Cities. The detail about did him in. I patiently explained that 19th century writing was the television of today. The authors had to visually create scenes, not with a camera or a paint brush, but with words.
Dickens today is not read like it was delivered to its audience. It was delivered in monthly or weekly installments. It was not meant to be read over the weekend.
Reading Dickens needs to be approached one should appraoched eating a Chocolate Celebrate Cake or a Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake-You don’t eat it all in one day. Like a rich dessert, Dickens literature, too, is rich. Too much too soon leaves one feeling woosy and over-whelmed. Just like too much can turn you away from a particular desert for the rest of your life, so can too much of Dickens at one time.
It would be wonderful if classrooms today delivered Dickens, Vicgtor Hugo, and Alexander Dumas in installments. I would truly enjoy a monthly magazine that did just that. Barnes and Noble has reproduced in comic-book form, early 20th century books of Hugo. How exciting! I remember seeing those books in my grandmother’s house as a child. I loved them.
Dickens seems to have a message for different parts of my life. In the acknowledgements of my Masters thesis, I used the following quote that is a response to another writer who sent him a manuscript asking, “Do I have any writing ability?” Dickens responded, by demuring: who was he to judge because “for all I know the land is yours by right.” That was my response to the professor who had said I had no creative ability whatsoever. If a great, classic author wouldn’t sever the heart of a dream from the person, why should a professor?
Dickens books are classic because they are filled with the wonderfulness of humanity. The corruption of humanity he shows is the foil to that goodness. As a result, we can better see the difference between evil and goodness.
My most favorite Dickens quote is from a Mary Englebreit card given to me when one of my sons was born: “It is no small thing, when they who are so fresh from God, love us”(Dickens). It is on my bathroom mirror.
When my children are “so fresh from God,” they love unconditionally. Love trumps all!
How they wrap their arms around your neck,
press a kiss against your cheek,
snuggle up for a feel-better moment
or just because they are bursting with love
“Will you marry me, Mom?”
“Sing to me, mom?”
Pray for me, mom?
Make everythign better, mom?
We are born trusting our parents. Why? Because when we are so fresh from God, we only know goodness, hope, and love. That freshness fades, tarnishing a bit throught the teens, disappears during the college years when they are too intelligent to love without thinking. They think love more than feel love-at least where the parents are concerned.
I guess that is one of the silver linings to having a bunch of children. When the oldest is a little too jaded, a little to intellectual to love so unconditionally, you have a little one who loves so freshly, so unconditionally in such an I’m-still-fresh-from-God kind of love!
I still love Dickens, but now I know why! I bought 8 copies of A christmas Carrol for all of us to read before Christmas this year! Can you hear the boys cheering with excitement?
Yes, I realize the experience will be like pulling a mule into the glue factory; however, I think it will create a memory they will never forget, and they will reluctantly love it, though they would never admit it!
That is great! I can just imagine telling my two sons are going to read from Dickens! I can imagine . . .
Smiles!
I think you are right about the silver lining for having many kids. I am going to remember that. 🙂