Intended as an accessible resource for students researching Great Britain's greatest literary figures, this collection of essays about Charles Dickens's (1812-1870) work contains an in-depth biography and essays taken from a wide variety of sources. The essays are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension levels of young adults; each essay is introduced by a concise summation of the contributor's themes and insights. Additional features include an annotated table of contents, a chronology of the author's life and career as well as concurrent historical events, and primary and secondary bibliographies to facilitate research. The 19 essays and their authors are, as follows: "Dickens as Reformer and Moralist" (Joseph Gold); "Prison Experiences in Dickens's Novels" (A.O.J. Cockshut); "Dickens's Crusade for Children" (Arthur A. Adrian); "The Transforming World in Dickens's Novels" (J. Hillis Miller); "'Pickwick Papers' Reflects Dickens's Developing Talents" (Philip Hobsbaum); "Fairy-Tale Form in 'A Christmas Carol'" (Harry Stone); "Dickens's Philosophy of Christmas" (Louis Cazamian); "'A Christmas Carol' Criticizes England's Economic System" (Edgar Johnson); "Poverty in 'Oliver Twist'" (Humphry House); "The Pattern of Good and Evil in 'Oliver Twist'" (Geoffrey Thurley); "Structure and Theme in 'David Copperfield'" (T.A. Jackson); "Mr. Micawber: A Comic Character in 'David Copperfield'" (J.B. Priestley); "Social Criticism in 'Hard Times'" (George Bernard Shaw); "Harsh Truth in 'Hard Times'" (G.K. Chesterton); "'A Tale of Two Cities': An Appealing but Flawed Novel" (John Gross); "Stylistic Devices in 'A Tale of Two Cities'" (Sylvere Monod); "Fantasy and Reality in 'Great Expectations'" (Paul Pickrel); "Multiple Narratives in 'Great Expectations'" (Nicola Bradbury); and "Repetition in 'Great Expectations'" (Douglas Brooks-Davies). (NKA)