Nobody's Story

This study guide will help you analyze the short story “Nobody's Story” (1857) by Charles Dickens. You can also find a summary of the text, as well as inspiration for interpreting it and putting it into perspective.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was one of the most notable English writers of the 19^th century - best known for his moralist, satirist novels, and short stories. His most famous novels include Oliver Twist (1838), A Christmas Carol (1843), David Copperfield (1850), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), and Great Expectations (1861). His works were often serialized, and Dickens was considered a literary celebrity during his lifetime. He is known for criticizing Victorian British society, especially the unfair treatment of poor people. “Nobody's Story” was first published in the collection Another Round of Stories by the Christmas Fire (1853), which was included with Household Words, the weekly magazine edited by Dickens.

Extract

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Social setting

The social setting of the story “Nobody’s story” by Charles Dickens shows the clash between the two social classes present in the story. The story explores the social injustices, oppression, and daily struggles that working-class people must live with.

Nobody has little resources in terms of both money and time, so he pays the wealthy Bigwig family to take care of him as he considers them to know best. Despite this, the Bigwigs fail to provide Nobody and his family with education or entertainment. For example, when Nobody asks the Bigwigs...