Recovery heroes from the past: Charles Dickens (1859:2003): “it was the best of times it was the worst of times”
| Published date | 09 April 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-02-2018-0002 |
| Date | 09 April 2018 |
| Pages | 78-84 |
| Author | Gail Longworth,Jerome Carson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
Recovery heroes from the past: Charles
Dickens (1859:2003): “it was the best of
times it was the worst of times”
Gail Longworth and Jerome Carson
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of the novelist Charles Dickens.
Design/methodology/approach –Several biographies and articles about the life of Charles Dickens were
examined, to see if there was evidence that he experienced mental health problems.
Findings –While Dickens has been acclaimed for his ability to authentically portray the living conditions of
the poor in the nineteen th-century Britain, there is comparative ly little historical record of the fact that he
may have experienced bi polar disorder. This paper suggests that h e displayed many of the characteristic
symptoms of bipolar.
Research limitations/implications –The story of Dickens’own childhood is an amazing example of
personal resilience. It no doubt enhanced the quality of his writing, but it may also have “sown the seeds”of a
later mental illness.
Practical implications –So much attention has been focused on the colourful characters from Dickens’
novels, but little on the problems of the man himself.
Social implications –The story of Charles Dickens is as fascinating as any of the fictional characters he
created, if not evenmore intriguing. His story confirmsthe link between writers, creativity andmood disorders.
Originality/value –Given the huge attention and worldwide acclaim paid to the books of Charles Dickens,
which have inspired numerous films as well as musicals, it is surprising how little attention has been paid to
the author himself and his struggles with mental illness.
Keywords Creativity, PTSD, Bipolar, Dickens, Recovery hero
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Charles Dickens is considered to be the greatest nineteenth-century English novelist and was
one of the most prolific writers of the era. He wrote 15 highly acclaimed novels and produced a
vast number of works in other genres. The fictional characters he created, often grotesque and
comic, are amongst some of the world’s best known such as Scrooge, Oliver Twist and David
Copperfield to name but a few. Just his surname alone, immediately brings to mind images of
Victorian England. He enjoyed a relatively early success and had an unprecedented popularity
during his lifetime. By his early 30s, he was the most famous writer of the English language of his
age ( Johnson, 1952). He excelled in portraying contemporary London and concerned himself
with many social issues and reform, and promoting the careers of other novelists through his
weekly journals. By the twentieth century he had been recognised by scholars and critics alike as
a literary genius. Dickens is as famous today as he was in his own lifetime. His novels and short
stories have endured a lasting popularity and are a continuing inspiration for TV, literature, art and
academia. The passion and drive that Dickens displayed at times throughout his life and the
ferocity he showed with everything he undertook along with his immense productivity have led
some to believe that he may have suffered from bipolar disorder. Unlike other famous people of
his era, Lincoln, Darwin and Nightingale, his mental health problems have received comparatively
little scrutiny.
Gail Longworth is based at the
Department of Psychology,
University of Bolton,
Bolton, UK.
Jerome Carson is a Professor
of Psychology at the
Department of Psychology,
University of Bolton,
Bolton, UK.
PAG E 78
j
MENTALHEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
VOL. 22 NO. 2 2018, pp. 78-84, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 DOI 10.1108/MHSI-02-2018-0002
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