Charles Dickens used his personal experiences and opinions to create the settings for his novels, as seen in Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, and Bleak House. The role of the setting in any book is to create the atmosphere and support the characters. (Davis 350) In Dickens' novels the setting helps the reader better understand the time period and the problems that the people of London faced with the political and social structure in place at the time. It also provides insight into people's lives through intricate details. Many times in Dickens' novels the setting itself becomes a character and without it the story would be incomplete. Dickens's attention to detail is part of what makes his novels so unique and original. To see the influence Dickens's experiences had on his books, one must first know a little about his history. Charles Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens. (Kaplan 18) During much of his childhood they lived in London and this is where most of his settings come from. John Dickens had difficulty living within his means and when Charles was 12 his father was sent to debtors' prison, known as Marshalsea. (Kaplan 39) While John was in prison, Elizabeth and her other children lived with him in Marshalsea, but Charles was sent to work in a factory to help support the family and pay off his father's debt. (Kaplan 41) This period of Charles' life will always be a haunting memory for him and will influence many of his stories. After a year John's mother died, leaving him enough money to pay off his debts and he was released from the Marshalsea. Even after his father's release from prison, Dickens' mother kept him working in the factory. This time he made it b... in the center of the card... d distinct. Many of the settings in Great Expectations and Little Dorrit come from Dickens' childhood experiences, such as the dockyard, the Marshalsea, and factory work. He paints vivid pictures with words to show the reader exactly how he saw things. Bleak House shows his strong beliefs and opinions on the English political system during this period. He uses history to show exactly how disorganized and corrupt the political system was at the time. These novels are great examples of how setting plays a role in the story, creating atmosphere and helping the reader see more into the lives of the people living during that time. The main role that the setting plays in these stories is the understanding of the author's beliefs and experiences growing up in and around London in the nineteenth century, as they are represented by him in his works..