Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol

‘A Christmas Carol’ written by Charles Dickens tells the story of a

man named Ebenezer Scrooge who is taught the true meaning of Christmas

and is shown the errors of his ways. ‘A Christmas Carol’ was published

in 1843, this was a time of social and political unrest. Dickens

motivation for writing this story was to encourage employers to treat

workers well, he uses the Christmas Carol to portray this message.

Charles Dickens felt strongly about the working conditions and poverty

that many people endured. He wanted to encourage employers to treat

their workers well. At the time that ‘A Christmas carol’ was

published, the Chartists were agitating for better pay and conditions,

and the poor where placed in workhouses. Another problem for the poor

people was that the legal system treated them unjustly and it was

clear that it favoured the rich. Dickens wanted to make people realise

that by changing their ways they could make life better not just for

their selves but for the less fortunate.

Ebenezer Scrooge a hard working businessman who was rich enough, but

an uncharitable man, unsympathetic to the poor and without a true

friend in the world. He hated Christmas. Dickens portrays Scrooge as,

“A squeezing, Wrenching, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” We

can clearly see from this that Scrooge is an unpleasant man who needs

to change the errors of his ways, as the lasting impression we are

left with is that, he is the worst possible employer there is. We see

a true representation of Scrooge’s character, when charity workers

visit him. “ I help to support the establishments I have mentioned:

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...ally emphasises the fact

that how if small actions are changed the major differences it can

make in people’s lives. By showing it through one-person shows if

everyone was to change their actions for the better the greater things

would be come. I think that the most effective way Dickens has shown

this, is where he shows scrooge looking at his own gravestone. As it

makes people think would people care if they had died? If the answer

was no then they had to change for the better as no one wants to be

that person. Also using the death of tiny Tim of scrooge didn’t help

the poor really showed if you gave a little you can save a lot.

Dickens really involves the reader through out the novel, which is

where the effectiveness is emphasised as it carries the reader through

a variety of emotions from sympathy and sadness to joy.