American Notes by Charles Dickens
American Notes by Charles Dickens is a travelogue that chronicles the author's journey through North America in the 1840s. The book provides insightful observations and commentary on American society, politics, and culture during this time period. Dickens offers critiques of slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, and the growing divide between the wealthy and poor in the United States. He also explores the impact of industrialization and urbanization on American life. Through his writing, Dickens highlights the similarities and differences between America and England, offering a unique perspective on both countries.
By Charles Dickens · First published 1840 · Genre: Travel, Non-Fiction, Historical · 18 chapters · 118,382 words
First lines
I SHALL never forget the one-fourth serious and three-fourths comical astonishment, with which, on the morning of the third of January eighteen-hundred-and-forty-two, I opened the door of, and put my head into, a ‘state-room' on board the Britannia steam-packet, twelve hundred tons burthen per register, bound for Halifax and Boston, and carrying Her Majesty's mails.
That this state-room had been specially engaged for ‘Charles Dickens, Esquire, and Lady,' was rendered sufficiently clear even to my scared intellect by a very small manuscript, announcing the fact, which was pinned on a very flat quilt, covering a very thin mattress, spread like a surgical plaster on a most inaccessible shelf.
What this Textopian page supports
American Notes is listed on Textopian as a novel by Charles Dickens, dated 1840 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Charles Dickens
- Date: 1840 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Travel, Non-Fiction, Historical, Autobiography, Social Critique
- Length: 118,382 words
- Structure: 18 chapters, 1,213 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for American Notes by Charles Dickens
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering American Notes?
- How does this novel by Charles Dickens fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Travel first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- What I Saw In America by G. K. Chesterton
- American Notes by Rudyard Kipling
- A Glimpse Of My Country by G. K. Chesterton
- On A Chinese Screen by William Somerset Maugham
- A Ride Across Palestine by Anthony Trollope
- The Consolidator by Daniel Defoe
Genres
- Travel — This book describes Dickens' journey to America and his experiences during this travel, making it a key travel writting piece.
- Non-Fiction — The book is a factual account of Dickens' experiences in America, aligning it with the non-fiction genre.
- Historical — Considering the time it was written (1842), it provides a historical insight into the society and culture of America during that era.
- Autobiography — Although not a traditional autobiography, Dickens writes from a first person perspective and gives an account of his own experiences.
Tags
travel · America · observations · society · culture · critique · 19th century · journal · non-fiction · exploration · urban life · rural life
Contents
- GOING AWAY
- THE PASSAGE OUT
- BOSTON
- AN AMERICAN RAILROAD. LOWELL AND ITS FACTORY SYSTEM
- WORCESTER. THE CONNECTICUT RIVER. HARTFORD. NEW HAVEN. TO NEW YORK
- NEW YORK
- PHILADELPHIA, AND ITS SOLITARY PRISON
- WASHINGTON. THE LEGISLATURE. AND THE PRESIDENT'S HOUSE
- A NIGHT STEAMER ON THE POTOMAC RIVER. VIRGINIA ROAD, AND A BLACK DRIVER. RICHMOND. BALTIMORE. THE HARRISBURG MAIL, AND A GLIMPSE OF THE CITY. A CANAL BOAT
- SOME FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE CANAL BOAT, ITS DOMESTIC ECONOMY, AND ITS PASSENGERS. JOURNEY TO PITTSBURG ACROSS THE ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS. PITTSBURG
- FROM PITTSBURG TO CINCINNATI IN A WESTERN STEAMBOAT. CINCINNATI
- FROM CINCINNATI TO LOUISVILLE IN ANOTHER WESTERN STEAMBOAT; AND FROM LOUISVILLE TO ST. LOUIS IN ANOTHER. ST. LOUIS
- A JAUNT TO THE LOOKING-GLASS PRAIRIE AND BACK
- RETURN TO CINCINNATI. A STAGE-COACH RIDE FROM THAT CITY TO COLUMBUS, AND THENCE TO SANDUSKY. SO, BY LAKE ERIE, TO THE FALLS OF NIAGARA
- IN CANADA; TORONTO; KINGSTON; MONTREAL; QUEBEC; ST. JOHN'S. IN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN; LEBANON; THE SHAKER VILLAGE; WEST POINT
- THE PASSAGE HOME
- SLAVERY
- CONCLUDING REMARKS