Final answer:
Charles Dickens functioned as a journalist in Victorian England, using his experiences to write sketches about what he saw.
Step-by-step explanation:
As a young man and reporter, Charles Dickens functioned as Victorian England's journalist. It was in this role that Dickens began taking lengthy walks to get fresh air and started writing sketches about what he saw. His works, such as Oliver Twist and The Pickwick Papers, provided vivid and detailed descriptions of urban life, depicting the struggles of the poor and advocating for social change. Dickens's writing style, characterized by precise and visual descriptions, made him one of the most prominent realist writers of the nineteenth century.