EM 4 - 2018 (ESPAÑOL - digitalizado)

People and Lifestyle
1
Dickens realistically
depicts life in England during
the Victorian Era.
2
Real-life events inspired
Dickens to write some of his
novels. For instance, Dickens
began working at a shoeblacking
factory when he was
just 12, to support his family.
The strenuous and bleak
working conditions Dickens
endured found their way onto
the pages of Oliver Twist.
3
Dickens threw a fair bit
of social commentary into
his works. He fiercely criticised
the rampant poverty of
Victorian England and sought
to shock readers with his
images of crime and destitution.
He declared that “virtue
shows quite as well in rags
and patches as she does in
purple and fine linen.”
4
Every single word in
a Dickens novel carries
immense significance, down
to the names of characters.
Most names were well
thought out and not just randomly
chosen. For instance,
the name of Mr. Murdstone
from David Copperfield
is linked to both “murder”
and a stone-cold personality,
offering meaningful insights
into the character himself.
5
Several characters from
Dickens’ novels are some
of the most memorable in
all of literature. Names like
Tiny Tim and The Artful
Dodger are internationally
well-known. The name of
“Scrooge” has even entered
the English language to
describe any miserly person,
in particular one who is hostile
towards Christmas
celebrations.
6
Like Scrooge, other
Dickens characters have
also made contributions to
the English language. The
word “Pickwickian” refers
to a jovial, plump individual.
“Pecksniffian” describes
a prim and proper person, and
a “gamp” is British slang for
an unwieldy umbrella.
7
Dickens’ own name has
had an impact on the English
language too. The adjective
“Dickensian” describes a situation
that is reminiscent of
Dickens’ books, specifically
something dealing with poor
social conditions or comically
repulsive characters.
8
The novella A Christmas
Carol helped shape many
modern Christmas traditions
and celebrations. The
2017 film The Man Who
to depict sth | representar
shoe-blacking factory | fábrica
de betún
to support sb | mantener
strenuous | extenuante, arduo
bleak | lúgubre, desolador
to endure | sufrir, padecer
fair bit of sth | bastante
fiercely | encarnizadamente
rampant | descontrolado
to seek sth | buscar
destitution | miseria, pobreza
rags | harapos
patch | parche, remiendo
linen | lino
thought out | bien pensado
randomly | aleatoriamente
stone-cold | frío como el hielo
insight | percepción
artful | astuto
miserly | tacaño, mezquino
contribution | aportación
jovial /ˈdʒəʊviəl/ | alegre
plump | rechoncho
prim and proper | formal y
remilgado
unwieldy | poco manejable
to be reminiscent of sth |
recordar
repulsive /rɪˈpʌlsɪv/ | repugnante
Charles John
Huffam Dickens
(7 February 1812 – 9 June
1870) was an English writer
and social critic. He created
some of the world’s bestknown
fictional characters
and is regarded by many as
the greatest novelist of the
Victorian era.
When Dickens moved into
Tavistock House he installed
a hidden door to his study,
made to look like part of an
unbroken wall of books,
complete with dummy
shelves and fictitious titles.
dummy | simulado, ficticio
8