ALL Course: To See Ourselves as Others See Us

To See Ourselves As Others See Us: America Through The Eyes of Charles Dickens

With John Ford and John Miller

Date: Four sessions on Wednesdays, April 10, 17, 24 and May 1

Time: 1:30–3:00pm

Location: Van Lennep Auditorium, CBMM

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Course Description:

Already a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic when he sailed to Boston in 1842, the 29-year-old novelist was mobbed wherever he went in America – from Boston to New York City, Washington DC, Richmond west to St Louis, and then north to Niagara Falls and Quebec. Returning to England later that year, Dickens published American Notes for General Circulation about his journey. It became a hit in the USA and in Britain and the basis for his novel, Martin Chuzzlewit.

AKA “Boz” or “The Inimitable Boz,” Dickens wrote humorous, satirical and critical observations about America in the mid-19th century. Throughout the narrative, finding much to admire in Americans he met and their way of life, he also notes what he sees as their faults, sometimes jocularly. In the conclusion, he gives his considered analysis of what he views as major flaws in US society.

Recommended text: Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation, edited by Patricia Ingham, Penguin Classics Paperback ISBN 978-0-14-043649-5 (Available on Amazon).

Members $31.50 | Non-Members $45

About the Instructors:

John Ford majored in literature in college, and has been involved in ALL at CBMM since its beginning in 1999. He currently is Facilities Manager at CBMM and President of the Easton Town Council.

John Miller, Ph.D., is an English teacher who has taught literature at both high school and college levels. He served a VP of Advancement at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and is one of the founders of ALL at CBMM. John has co-facilitated literature courses for many years with John F. Ford at CBMM’s Academy for Lifelong Learning.