The Battle of Life

The Battle of Life - a novel by Charles Dickens, an English writer who is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Two sisters, Grace and Marion, live happily in an English village with their two servants, Clemency Newcome and Ben Britain, and their good-natured widower father Dr Jeddler.

• Dr Jeddler is a man whose philosophy is to treat life as a farce.

• He entrusts Marion to Grace's care and makes a promise to return to win Marion's hand.

Marion, the younger sister, is betrothed to Alfred Heathfield, Jeddler's ward who is leaving the village to complete his studies.