Charles Dickens Monologue plus Quiz

Description

Charles Dickens Monologue plus Quiz is one of a set of monologues currently being written along with a set of 2 speaker scripts. There are also plays based on Charles Dickens’ books: A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities; The Battle of Life , The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth (from set of Xmas novellas) all available off www.plays-r-ussell.com

It has a reading time – around 5 minutes (not including quiz of 60 questions and answers, on his life)

Sample text:

But I was ‘released’ upon my father’s release and caught up on my education at Wellington House Academy, Hampstead Road. My next job was as a clerk at a solicitor’s office which gave me excellent background information for future writing i.e. how courts were run and an insight into the legal profession’s jargon. And my next job? Freelance law reporter, joining the Morning Chronicle in 1934 which was around the time of the famous Reform Act of 1832, Factory Act of 1833 and Poor Law Amendment Act of that same year. All massive social reforms at a time when life for the poor was an endless daily battle. Welfare didn’t exist to help these poor folks and unless you were born into money, you could forget receiving a decent education, indeed any education at all.  Children were exposed to horrendous working conditions, in the factories and as chimney sweeps – a life full of peril and misery.

These were indeed hard times. The Industrial Revolution may have brought massive wealth to some; but they were the minority – as always, the work force which made up the majority of the population were literally on their knees. Like I said, it was just about survival. And although I tried to alleviate some of this suffering through various acts of charity, I would like to think the biggest difference I made was in enhancing a general knowledge of life in the 19th century through my books.

I suppose the closest to my own experiences was David Copperfield; but I hope I gave a fair picture of life as it was for many, showing just how great the gap was between rich and poor. And the terrible injustices of the social system. I found myself really drawn to certain of the characters who, through absolutely no fault of their own, found themselves on the very periphery of society – some branded as criminals when it was those casting judgement who were the real villains.