A Poor Man’s Tale of a Patent by Charles Dickens. Short summary

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The main character is John, on whose behalf the narrative is told. He was born near London, but then went to work in a manufactory in Birmingham.

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The main character is a man named John. On behalf of the latter the narrative is told.

He was born not far from the capital of the United Kingdom, but in the future his work was firmly connected with the workshop, which was located in the territory of Birmingham. According to his recollections, as a young man he studied blacksmithing in Detford. He was 56 years old at the time of the piece’s composition. The strongman states that those around him referred to him as «Old John» because his head was always distinguished by a small amount of hair.

The protagonist claims to have been married for 35 years and considers himself a happy husband. His wedding took place on April 1. John calls that day the most joyful moment in his life and adds that he got a great spouse.

He had 10 children, six of whom later died. His eldest son worked as a mechanic on a ship that sailed the Marseilles-Naples route.