Final answer:
Charles Dickens was the boy forced to work when his father was sent to a debtor's prison. This reflects the common practice in 18th-century Britain where children worked to support their families amid economic struggles.
Step-by-step explanation:
As a boy, Charles Dickens was made to work in a factory when his father was imprisoned for unpaid debts. This unfortunate turn of events was common during eighteenth-century Britain. Debtor's prisons were institutions where those unable to pay their debts were incarcerated until they could settle their accounts, often leading to dire circumstances for their families. The practice of young children working due to economic struggles, such as in factories, mines, and sweatshops, was widespread. Many children had to forgo education for labor, working long hours for meager wages, in conditions not suitable for their age or health.
The scenario also reflects wider societal issues of the period, such as the lack of child labor laws and the harsh realities of poverty. Through his experiences, the boy developed a determination to overcome his circumstances and eventually used his experiences and observations to become a powerful voice for societal change, channeling his experiences into influential literary works.