1. After some research, write a report about one of the historical figures or places portrayed in Great Ambitions, such as the artist George Cruikshank, the artist Hablot Browne, or the Marshalsea Prison.

2. Prepare a brief report about Charles Dickens and his interest in the London stage.

3. Kyle's Great Ambitions ends when Dickens is twenty-seven years old. Research and report on some of the events in Dickens's later life.

4. Some critics believe that David Copperfield is the most autobiographical of Dickens's novels. After reading David Copperfield, discuss at least three autobiographical elements in the novel by commenting on both the similarities and differences between the autobiographical and the fictional details.

5. Explain the techniques that Kyle uses at the end of Great Ambitions to indicate what lies in Dickens's future.