Monica Dickens

Monica Dickens (1915 - 1992) was an English writer, the great granddaughter of Charles Dickens – the greatest novelist of all time.
Like her famous ancestor Monica was a fierce critic of the poverty and social stratification. During her life her works enjoyed fame and some of her novels were adapted as movies and TV series. Her novels continue to be widely popular in the UK, Canada and Australia.
Monica was born into a rich family and educated at prestigious private school. Disillusioned with the world she was brought up in she ran away at the age of 19 worked as a cook and servant. Her experience formed the nucleus of her first book One Pair of Hands. She also worked as a nurse and subsequently found employment in an aircraft factory. After marrying a US Navy officer she moved to the USA. The family lived in Washington and she continued to write, most of her books being set in Britain.
She returned to the UK after the death of her husband and continued to write until her death in December 1992, her final book being published posthumously. For most of her writing career she was a regular columnist for the British feminist magazine Woman’s Own.
Practically all her books are works of social commentary and manifested her strong humanitarian interests.
TASKS
True or False

• Monica ran away from home when she was 21
• Monica’s novels are still very popular
• Her first book was based on her experience as employee in an aircraft factory
• After marrying a US Navy officer she lived in New York
• Her first book’s title is One Pair of Feet

Complete the statements
Monica Dickens was born…

• Into a middle class family
• Into a rich family
• Into a famous writer’s family

She was a regular columnist for…

• the children’s magazine
• the American woman’s magazine
• the British feminist magazine

Monica was a fierce critic of…

• poverty
• cruelty to animals
• the British foreign policy

Most of her books…

• were published posthumously
• were adapted as stage plays
• are set in Britain

After her husband died…

• she returned to the UK
• she abandoned her writing career
• she wrote her autobiography

ONE PAIR OF HANDS
In this comic novel Monica Dickens describes her experience as cook and servant. The books was enormously well received and continues to remain popular

I lay awake, reviewed my life and a deep depression was setting over me.
“What a pointless life it is”- I thought. In a flash it came to me: “I will have a job!” I decided to turn to cooking as that was the thing that interested me most. When I told my family that I was thinking about taking a cooking job they laughed at me. No one believed that I could cook as I had never had a chance to practice. In fact I was unable to boil an egg.
I decided to go to an agency. The woman at the desk said:

• It will be difficult to get a job without experience or references.

Then she added:

• As a matter of fact I have got someone who might suit. Call this lady. She wants a cook immediately.

I took a deep breath and dialed the number. A voice at the other end informed me that I was speaking to Miss Cattermole. I assured her with all the bluff at my command that I was just what she was looking for. She told me that I would have to start next day by cooking a dinner for 10 people.

• Just a small simple dinner: soup, fruit salad, lobster cocktails and pheasants, - she told me.

In rather a shaken voice I promised to turn up in good time.
As I started to prepare the dinner it dawned on me more and more that a little practical experience is necessary.
First I was confronted by the problem of how on earth one made a lobster cocktails… I forgot to put the salt in the soup and salad but I was past worrying about trifles like that. The waitresses came in for the pheasants long before they were ready…
I do not know if Miss Cattermole told the agency what she thought of me but 2 days later they called me and offered me another job. It was a Miss Robertson who wanted someone twice a week to do cleaning, washing and ironing.

• Could you manage that, I wonder, - the woman from the agency asked.

I did not feel like admitting that I had never done any cleaning before in my entire life.

Complete the sentences

• Miss Dickens decided to take a cooking job because…
• It dawned on her that a little practical experience is necessary as she…
• She started her cooking career by preparing…
• The very first problem she faced was…
• Miss Robertson wanted someone to…

Speak about your cooking experience. Have you ever done any cooking?

THE HEART OF LONDON

In the staff room of Abbot’s Road Grace Peel ate her sandwiches while she corrected the essays of her pupils. They were her despair and then suddenly her joy. She could be defeated, exhausted by the impossible struggle to force knowledge into minds that were stockaded against learning. Then all at once the class was quiet listening to her, and some shabby 12-old who had not said a word all week jumped up and asked a beautifully imaginative question.
The class which had been Grace’s for the year since she had joined the staff was the most difficult group in the school. They got sent to this school because they could not make the grade in other schools or because they fought, stole things or ran away. They lost interest and in most cases their parents lost whatever interest in their children’s schooling. Some of the kids; parents had jobs which kept them away all day long so the kids either went home to an empty flat or out casting for trouble on the streets.
Acting was their favourite lesson. Grace often let them perform sketches of bloodshed and torture as a means of keeping them eager. For some of them it was the only piece of the school day apart from dinner in which they could take part. After 5 years at elementary school many of them were almost completely illiterate.
So the school was in charge of the minds and bodies of children of all colours all races from the red brick jungles of the London outskirts.
“You can help these children” – the headmaster told her. “You can help them by making them feel secure at school. Secure and wanted in a way that most of them are not wanted at home”.

Complete the sentences

• Grace’s class was the most difficult group in the school because…
• She did not have to be rigid in her lessons because…
• Acting was their favourite lesson because…
• Grace was happy at Abbot’s Road because…
• The kids often went home to an empty flat because…