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More handpicked essays just for you.
The features of the Victorian period in the novel Christmas carol
Social class and society
Contribution of Charles Dickens in the field of literature
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People say it is better to be poor and happy, than rich and miserable. The Victorian Era was a harsh and cruel time which discriminated and dehumanized lower social classes causing unfair living quarters within the rich and the poor. This is shown in the book, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, because it takes place within the victorian era with evident themes such as, social class, childhood innocence, and Scrooge’s transformation. Charles Dickens was the most successful English author during the Victorian Era. Social class is the different class systems separating the rich and the poor causing a barrier between the differences needed in each other. Childhood innocence is the thought that all children, good and bad, were thought as angelic …show more content…
This quote is a confrontation between Scrooge and his clerk, Bob, “You’re poor enough”. “You’re rich enough” (Dickens 3). This quote shows social justice because the juxtaposition shows the difference between the attitudes of the rich and the poor. Moreover, knowing the difference of the social classes can help the reader determine the feelings each character has on the thoughts of Christmas. This shows that the less someone has, the more they appreciate the little things, and vice versa for the people with more. The next quote is about the difference between a rich Christmas, and a poor one. The rich have, “Holly, mistletoe, red berries, ivy, turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, meat, pigs, sausages, oysters, pies, puddings, fruit, and punch, all vanished instantly. So did the room, the fire, the ruddy glow, the hour of night…”. As opposed to the poor whose, “house fronts looked black enough, and the windows blacker, contrasting with the smooth white sheet of snow upon the roofs, and with the dirtier snow upon the ground; ...thick yellow mud and icy water. The sky was gloomy, and the shortest streets were choked up with a dingy mist, half thawed, half frozen... There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer air and brightest summer sun might have endeavoured to diffuse in vain” (Dickens 33). This quote supports the theme social …show more content…
Talking about Scrooge’s innocent sister, “But she had a large heart!” (Dickens 23). This quote is an example of Childhood innocence because the character being described is a child. This shows how the younger someone is, the more angelic, and innocent that person is. Moreover, it proves how the child has a large heart and her appearance and character is more innocent and angelic because she is young and hasn’t been exposed to horrific things. After the death of Scrooge the family was talking about the fortune coming because of his passing, “The children’s faces hushed, and clustered round to hear what they so little understood, were brighter” (Dickens 58). This quote supports the theme, childhood innocence because it shows the younger you are, and the less you are exposed to bad things causes you to be more innocent. Children do not understand the concept of death and other horrible tragedies because they are younger and more angelic. Furthermore, the younger the person is, represents the symbol of hope and kindness. The book shows us this by telling us the children do not understand what is going on and they have a more innocent understanding of the world. Therefore proving that kindness is represented in the theme childhood
Dickens displays guilt as the main form of how Scrooge’s character develops into a compassionate person by the end of the novella. As Scrooge feels this quilt, it's purely based on the visions that the ghosts provide which further causes Scrooge to realise the consequences of his actions. His alienation from specific characters that he used to love such as Belle, “...has displaced me…” whom left Scrooge, due to his desire for money and wealth which grew. This desire grows with him as he is rejecting the christmas joy and spirit as he continuously states that Christmas is a “humbug,” but by stating this it provides comparison. Dickens depicts that Scrooge has become a better person because of fear but in the end he has become kinder. As the
Scrooge was and owner of a factory and made a whole bunch of money, but he did not care about anyone else. “Merry Christmas said his nephew, what right do have to be merry you are poor enough”. This shows that scrooge is mean to family and does not care about Christmas.
Attitude Toward the Poor in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol Dickens encourages readers to change their views by showing what scrooge is like before, during and after the ghosts have visited him. " A Christmas Carol" is about a horrid old accountant and how people react around him on Christmas Eve. He is visited by 3 ghosts and they try and change his wicked ways. Dickens knows what it is like to work in factories because, as a child. he used to work in one, putting labels on shoe polish bottles.
In the beginning of the play in spite of being selfish Scrooge is also cheap, cold-hearted, and cruel. Scrooge behaves in this manner to his nephew, Fred. One way of proving this is when Fred said “Merry Christmas.” Scrooge replied salty saying “Humbug Christmas is just a time for spending and wasting money.” Not only he treats Fred badly but many more people. For instance take one of his quotes towards the Gentleman Visitor, “Are there no Jails for the poor, are there no
(Dickens 11) During the visit of Christmas Past, Mr. Scrooge traveled through the past from another’s perspective, instead of his own. (Video 1984) To Mr. Scrooge, Christmas is no longer a bah-humbug. No matter what medium you watch A Christmas Carol, there will be one moral: greediness and selfishness will result in a depressing life with loneliness surrounding you. This was the message the three Christmas spirits delivered in conclusion, welcome family and friends into your life, and you will enjoy a jubilant life.
Scrooge, was able, to repent himself from living a life full of sorrow and he learned to appreciate everyone, even the poor people. The Cratchit family always showed a positive attitude even with their poor living conditions. The Victorian age, marked a significant impact on all the poor families that were unable to speak up, causing them to allow other people to feel higher than they were. Fire is a light symbol in this story. The fire, was able, to open Scrooge’s mind and ask for forgiveness. Warmth, was spread across the town, even to the tiniest places that cannot be seen. Hope was the only thing that the low-class families never lost. They kept a firm in their wishes that someday, Scrooge would change.
Often, readers don’t hear their protagonist shouting phrases such as “Bah!” and “Humbug!”, yet Ebenezer Scrooge is known as the prime character in the novel A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens. Right off the bat, the reader can notice Scrooge is known for being bitter, self absorbed, selfish, and cruel. Over the course of the book, the reader will reevaluate the main character and notice he becomes warmer, joyous, and pleasant. Growth and prosperity have both taken place by the end of the novel.
An example of this is shown in his bitter attitude towards the cheerfulness of his nephew Fred and by thinking Christmas a "humbug." And then, moments before he bitterly declines his nephew's friendly invitation to come dine with him, he says crossly to him, "'Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.'" Lastly, an instance that illustrates the cold heart of Scrooge is when he speaks of the poor, "'If they would rather die, they better do it, and decrease the surplus population.'" By these demonstrations, Scrooge exposed the coldness of his own
In this Stave, Dickens shows the importance of kindness by showing Scrooge’s absence of it and the effects of his harmful indifference. Scrooge is taken into his own past and shown memories of when he was young. The Ghost shows him scenes of when he was small and alone on Christmas. This memory makes him regret his harshness towards a young caroler that had come to his door the previous day. He sees that he lacked kindness and wishes he gave something to the caroler. His indifference towards the caroler insured that Scrooge would remain alone. The Ghost also reminds Scrooge of his beloved sister, Fannie who had died and left only her son. “’Always a delicate creature, whom a breath might have withered,’ said the Ghost. ‘But she had a large heart!’ ‘So she had,’ cried Scrooge. ‘You’re right. I will not gainsay it, Spirit. God forbid!’ ‘She died a woman,’ said the Ghost, ‘and had, as I think, children.’ ‘One child,’ Scrooge returned. ‘True,’ said the Ghost. ‘Your nephew!’ Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind; and answered briefly, ‘Yes.’” (pg. 33-34). Scrooge’s only connection to his kind and gentle sister is his nephew, who also shares Fannie’s sweet nature. Scrooge is then filled with regret because of his callous treatment and lack of relationship with his nephew, who only wanted to be kind and spread the joy of the season. Scrooge’s sheer indifference and lack of kindness towards his nephew prevented
In this case, they control the thoughts and values of how to celebrate Christmas. The other socioeconomic class, which is the Grinch, can't enjoy the same tradition because he is penniless, which is how he developed the character of being rude and vindictive. One example is, "Then the Whos, young and old, would sit down to a feast.... Which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least!" In this quote, it shows that the Grinch is quite jealous of the Whos because they are joyously feasting, while he can't experience it because he's financially broke. As the plot continues, the tensions between the two classes had made the Grinch too furious that he wanted to destroy Christmas. Soon, after he stole all the gifts, he still see the Whos all enjoying the festivities. He then realized that it wasn't the toys or the food that brought them happiness, it was the songs and the joy of being a well-connected society. After that, he learned his lesson, and then joined the Whos and their socioeconomic class. It is shown in the last few lines of the poem, "And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast! And
Scrooge is a great example of the wealthy, who never gave to the poor and would rarely put money into charities. Dickens was appalled by the conditions the working class had to endure. “Dickens felt that self-interest, uncontrolled, subject to the passions and desires
Charles Dickens’s powerful novel encompasses the notion that generosity involves more than just the giving of money, it requires the giving of one's goodwill and compassion, this required for Scrooge’s own redemption as well as attempting to insinuate within the reader a reflection of their own values and behaviours. Dickens’s novella also acts to warn Scrooge and the audience of the ramifications of their actions if they do not take this into consideration, that generosity always involves more than just the giving of money, it requires the giving of one's goodwill and compassion.
“The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than in things.” In this quote, Thomas S. Monson explained the true meaning of Christmas which is very similar to the meaning of Christmas in the Victorian Era. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, one man named Ebenezer Scrooge discovers the true meaning of Christmas in his town and his heart. By analyzing social justice, Scrooge’s transformation, and childhood innocence; it becomes clear that all these elements help shape the characters in this novel, as well as define the time period.
At the beginning of the novel, Dickens presents Scrooge as an outsider by describing Scrooge as physically Cold hearted and unemotional person. This is seen in the quote, "A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him.". The words ‘frosty’ and ‘wiry’ shows the uses of adjectives and metaphor. Dickens uses these figurative techniques to emphasize to the reader how Scrooge has secluded his soul against society as a result of his own actions. Dickens uses dramatic irony here effectively to symbolise how the rich who are characterized as the construct Scrooge, who is presented as a gothic and supernatural being. This is ironic as the rich in Victorian society are
In "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a transformation as a result of his encounters with three ghosts and becomes a kind, happy, and generous man. His greedy, cruel, and grumpy demeanor is replaced seemingly overnight, but he doesn’t just wake up and decide to be nice. It takes three Spirits to change his outlook on life - The Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. The Ghost of Christmas Past makes Scrooge begin to regret his selfishness, and the Ghost of Christmas Present begins to teach him about others. This second Ghost helps to make him realize that money doesn't buy happiness. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, however, teaches the most profound lesson of all: unless he changes, no one will care if Scrooge dies. Because of the Ghosts, by Christmas morning Ebenezer Scrooge is a completely different person from the man who went to bed on Christmas Eve.