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1414: 844: 27: 622: 382:'s parents to seek an education for their daughter. He was particularly critical of the American press and the sanitary conditions of American cities. He also wrote merciless parodies of the manners of the locals, including, but not limited to, their rural conversations and practice of spitting tobacco in public (Ch. 8 โ€“ Washington): 131: 403:... he looked somewhat worn and anxious, and well he might; being at war with everybody โ€“ but the expression of his face was mild and pleasant, and his manner was remarkably unaffected, gentlemanly, and agreeable. I thought that in his whole carriage and demeanour, he became his station singularly well. 419:
copies of his works were freely available in North America and he could not abide losing money. Dickens called for international copyright law in many of his speeches in America, and his persistence in discussing the subject led some critics to accuse him of having travelled to America primarily to
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As Washington may be called the headquarters of tobacco-tinctured saliva, the time is come when I must confess, without any disguise, that the prevalence of those two odious practices of chewing and expectorating began about this time to be anything but agreeable, and soon became most offensive and
298:โ€“ "the air was so clear, the houses were so bright and gay. The city is a beautiful one, and cannot fail, I should imagine, to impress all strangers very favourably." Further, it was close to the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind where Dickens encountered 625: 449:
Third, he cites what he calls universal distrust, the extreme individualism that leads people to suspect others and to seek advantage over them. With a few exceptions, the scandal-seeking press contributes by undermining private life and destroying confidence in public life.
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Throughout the narrative, finding much to admire in Americans he met and in their way of life, he also notes what he sees as their faults, sometimes jocularly. Then, in a conclusion, he gives his considered analysis of what he views as major flaws in US society.
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Allied to this is the overriding commercialism, with the urge to pull off a smart deal and the idolisation of successful businessmen. In this capitalist jungle, he finds most people far too serious and puritanical, lacking humour and a wider perspective.
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First and most serious is slavery. Apart from its corruption of both whites and blacks in slave states, the free states are complicit in the system. In particular, he is horrified by the physical violence vented on both male and female slaves.
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detailing his trip to North America from January to June 1842. While there he acted as a critical observer of North American society, almost as if returning a status report on their progress. This can be compared to the style of his
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on 22 January 1842, the author was at once mobbed. Dickens at first revelled in the attention, but soon the endless demands on his time began to wear on his enthusiasm. He complained in a letter to his friend
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Finally, in many places he finds standards of personal cleanliness and public health still very primitive and is particularly disgusted by the almost universal habit of spitting.
411:, which he described as "that most hideous blot and foul disgrace ..." The final chapters of the book are devoted to a criticism of the practice. He was also unhappy about 1450: 338:
I can do nothing that I want to do, go nowhere where I want to go, and see nothing that I want to see. If I turn into the street, I am followed by a multitude.
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in which she followed Dickens's journey through the United States, visiting many of the places mentioned by the author in his book.
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Next, he places violence. The ideals of liberty and equality seem to include the freedom to shoot or knife any other American.
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issues. Dickens, by this time, had become an international celebrity, but owing to the lack of an international copyright law,
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written four years later, where he wrote far more like a tourist. His American journey was also an inspiration for his novel
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From his friend Charles Dickens, Eighteenth October 1842", one day prior to its official publication
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Although generally impressed by what he found, he could not forgive the continued existence of
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person to receive a significant education in English. His account of this meeting in
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On 3 January 1842, one month shy of his 30th birthday, Dickens sailed with his wife,
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Hudon, Edward G. "Literary Piracy, Charles Dickens and the American Copyright Law".
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led to widespread bank failures and rendered much paper currency worthless.
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may have been a joke at the expense of American currency. The end of the
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area of both the United States and Canada, primarily by
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home to his friends, including Forster and illustrator
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Books about the United States written by foreigners
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Title page inscribed by the author to illustrator "
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 543: 1432: 391:In Washington, D.C., he called upon President 676: 760:The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit 752:Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty 728:Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress 532:, Vol. 50, No. 12 (December, 1964) p. 1159. 720:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club 683: 669: 495:(2005), an authored documentary series by 129: 111:Learn how and when to remove this message 600:, New York: John W. Lovell company. 1883 519:(London: Chapman and Hall, 1888(, p. 24. 430:, helped to form the basis of the book. 892:The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain 1433: 987:American Notes for General Circulation 541: 517:American Notes and Pictures from Italy 471:American Notes for General Circulation 294:. The American city he liked best was 246:American Notes for General Circulation 159:American Notes for General Circulation 664: 484: 358:and even took a quick glimpse at the 49:adding citations to reliable sources 20: 690: 13: 1314:Epitaph of Charles Irving Thornton 465:According to Dickens's biographer 434:Critique of US society at the time 14: 1477: 572: 550:. Yale University Press. p.  314:, and her maid, Anne Brown, from 1413: 1412: 842: 620: 530:American Bar Association Journal 475:Second Bank of the United States 282:, and travelled as far south as 25: 1274:Alfred D'Orsay Tennyson Dickens 325:bound for America. Arriving in 36:needs additional citations for 1398:The Man Who Invented Christmas 1279:Sydney Smith Haldimand Dickens 535: 522: 509: 489:The book formed the basis for 370:, who is considered the first 212:Print hardback, and paperback) 1: 502: 305: 302:, who impressed him greatly. 1358:Charles Dickens in His Study 1011:A Child's History of England 657:(HTML with reviews and maps) 409:slavery in the United States 364:Perkins School for the Blind 16:1842 book by Charles Dickens 7: 792:Hard Times: For These Times 630:public domain audiobook at 342:He travelled mainly on the 10: 1482: 1324:Charles Dickens and racism 1019:The Uncommercial Traveller 840: 832:The Mystery of Edwin Drood 366:near Boston, where he met 1408: 1306: 1241: 1220: 1194: 1173: 1164: 1113: 1062: 1035: 978: 941: 902: 876:The Cricket on the Hearth 851: 711: 698: 229: 216: 208: 200: 190: 180: 172: 164: 154: 144: 128: 1466:Chapman & Hall books 1456:Books by Charles Dickens 1228:Catherine Dickens (wife) 542:Slater, Michael (2009). 460: 420:agitate for that cause. 1350:Dickens and Little Nell 1233:Ellen Ternan (mistress) 1079:Master Humphrey's Clock 968:Master Humphrey's Clock 318:on board the steamship 1441:1842 non-fiction books 1284:Henry Fielding Dickens 1138:A Message from the Sea 744:The Old Curiosity Shop 655:University of Virginia 643:University of Adelaide 405: 389: 340: 1264:Walter Landor Dickens 1207:Alfred Lamert Dickens 401: 384: 336: 1461:British travel books 1071:Bentley's Miscellany 1003:The Life of Our Lord 932:The Trial for Murder 808:A Tale of Two Cities 290:and as far north as 270:. Having arrived in 45:improve this article 1382:The Invisible Woman 1249:Charles Dickens Jr. 995:Pictures from Italy 356:mental institutions 261:Pictures from Italy 155:Original title 125: 1446:Books about Canada 1377:(2005 documentary) 1374:Dickens in America 1289:Dora Annie Dickens 1103:All the Year Round 911:To Be Read at Dusk 884:The Battle of Life 816:Great Expectations 492:Dickens in America 485:Documentary (2005) 185:Chapman & Hall 123: 1428: 1427: 1369:(1976 miniseries) 1366:Dickens of London 1302: 1301: 1202:Frederick Dickens 1186:Elizabeth Dickens 1130:The Haunted House 960:The Mudfog Papers 860:A Christmas Carol 824:Our Mutual Friend 776:David Copperfield 736:Nicholas Nickleby 615:Project Gutenberg 561:978-0-300-11207-8 515:Charles Dickens, 424:Dickens's letters 286:, as far west as 267:Martin Chuzzlewit 242: 241: 235:Martin Chuzzlewit 201:Publication place 121: 120: 113: 95: 1473: 1416: 1415: 1393:(2015 TV series) 1212:Augustus Dickens 1171: 1170: 846: 685: 678: 671: 662: 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Daniel Maclise
Charles Dickens
Chapman & Hall
Barnaby Rudge
Martin Chuzzlewit
travelogue
Charles Dickens
Pictures from Italy
Martin Chuzzlewit
Boston
Lowell
Philadelphia
Richmond
St. Louis
Quebec
Boston
Laura Bridgman
Catherine

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