Page 57 - DENG502_PROSE

Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 6: Charles Lamb -Dream Children : Detailed Study

Notes
Unit 6: Charles Lamb -Dream Children : Detailed Study

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
6.1 Biography
6.2 Youth and Schooling
6.3 Dream Children
6.4 Summary
6.5 Key-Words
6.6 Review Questions
6.7 Further Readings

Objectives

After reading this Unit students will be able to:
• Know about the life and works of Charles Lamb
• Discuss Dream Children

Introduction

Charles Lamb was an English essayist, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children’s
book Tales from Shakespeare, which he produced with his sister, Mary Lamb. Lamb has been
referred to by E.V. Lucas, his principal biographer, as the most lovable figure in English literature.
Lamb was honoured by The Latymer School, a grammar school in Edmonton, a suburb of London
where he lived for a time; it has six houses, one of which, “Lamb”, is named after Charles.

6.1 Biography

Charles Lamb was the youngest child of John Lamb, a lawyer’s clerk. He was born in the Inner
Temple and spent his youth there, later going away to school at Christ’s Hospital. There he
formed a friendship with Samuel Taylor Coleridge which would last for many years. After leaving
school in 1789, he went to work for the South Sea House, whose subsequent downfall in a pyramid
scheme after Lamb left would be contrasted to the company’s prosperity in the first Elia essay. In
1792 he went to work for British East India Company, the death of his father’s employer having
ruined the family’s fortunes. Charles and his sister Mary both suffered periods of mental illness,
and Charles spent six weeks in an psychiatric hospital during 1795. He was, however, already
making his name as a poet.
In 1799, John Lamb died and Charles became guardian to Mary, whose mental instability prevented
her from looking after herself. Lamb continued to work as a clerk for the East India Company and
doubled as a writer in various genres, his tragedy, John Woodvil, being published in 1802. His
farce, Mr H, was performed at Drury Lane in 1807. In the same year, Tales from Shakespeare
(Charles handled the tragedies and Mary the comedies) was published, and became a best-seller
for William Godwin’s “Children’s Library”.

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