Charles Dickens at 200

When he was a child, his family was locked up in a debtor's prison. At that time, he worked in a factory, possibly for much longer – a year, perhaps – than researchers have assumed, says Ruth Richardson, a historian in Britain.

Her new research also suggests his family lived near a workhouse where "he would have seen all sorts of sad things in that street," says Ms. Richardson, author of the new book "Dickens and the Workhouse."

"From what we know about his own imaginative life, he probably understood that the manner in which poor people appear to their social superiors often belies their kindnesses to one another, their humor, their courage and creativity in their choice of survival strategies, and indeed, their real humanity," Richardson says. "Snobs look down on poor people; Dickens never did. He understood how shallow snobbery is."

In his books, Dickens turned some of society's most unfortunate people into characters who deserved more than pity. "When Dickens was first writing, authors usually showed the poor as pathetic, not clever or funny," Richard­son says. "Dickens was highly unusual in showing them as the hu­man equals of anybody, which was one of the reasons he was so swiftly popular and why he has remained so."

So what did Dickens want the world to do about those who were left, sometimes quite literally, in the cold? Here's where conservatives might find some solace as they question the role of government.

"[Dickens] advocates, at least to some extent, private action and private acts of benevolence," says Bates College's Nayder, pointing to a character who cares for a young, starving street-sweeper in "Bleak House" and Ebenezer Scrooge, who sees the light (or at least a few convincing ghosts) and buys a turkey for the Cratchit family.

A fact-finding trip to the United States in 1842 broadened his perspective on social justice, says Diana Archibald, an associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell who is helping to organize an exhibit in Massachusetts about what he found.

While Dickens was disappointed and complained that the US "is not the republic of my imagination," Ms. Archibald says, "he also found some institutions a source of inspiration and hope."

"The Perkins School for the Blind, Harvard University, and the Unitarians, and the Lowell mills all presented what appeared to be humane approaches to social justice problems," she says. "We argue that Dickens was impacted greatly by his visit to New England and that his work after returning to England showed more depth and complexity in its handling of social justice issues."

Back home in Britain, the works of Dickens found influence because of the unusual way they were produced – cheaply – and the wide appeal of their non-highfal­u­tin style. Dick­ens ended up having a direct impact on social reform.

Archibald believes Dickens wouldn't look too askance at today's park-occupying protesters. "When one looks at the message of the 'Occupiers,' I think it's one Dickens would have appreciated because his works are replete with examples of the 99 percent being squashed."

Political satire remains in full flavor in the US, and Archibald thinks Dickens might appreciate that, too.

"He loved to make people laugh," she says. "That can be a rare thing in someone so earnest." And so very powerful, too.

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