A Christmas Carol Analysis

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a classic novella that many throughout the world enjoy. It is widely known throughout the world, even the youngest of children know of its basic elements and its lasting message. Although the novella seems to coincide with current views of Christmas, it was not always the same. During Dickens’ early life, Christmas was more about partying and not about giving or helping others, especially the poor. At the time, many of the poor and working class, including children, were forced to work an obscene amount of hours with very little breaks and almost no holidays. A Christmas Carol made the world acknowledge the social injustices that were rampant during the 1800s and tried to be an advocate of change for

Ebenezer Scrooge is a very frugal man who believes in his government and that the taxes that he pays are enough the help the poor. This is shown when two gentlemen asked for some donations so they could help the poor. Scrooge believes that those who are poor are lazy and do not deserve to be helped by the rich when the government has laws and programs that assist them, even though it is not enough. Scrooge is a representation of the upper class in Victorian England because of his wealth and his views on the poor. In Stave I, he is also seen saying, “If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population” (Dickens). This shows that Scrooge believes that those who are in need should just die rather than encumber

This ghost takes Scrooge to the Cratchit’s home. He shows Scrooge how his employee lives, a humble and scant life. The Cratchits have barely enough to survive and although Scrooge originally thought this was enough, it is proven false. Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit’s youngest son, may die due to his disability and frail constitution if they do not receive external support. The Ghost of Christmas Present even states, “If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die” (Dickens). Dickens is trying to tell his readers that children like Tiny Tim will die if there is no change in the foreseeable future. In this part of the novella, the reader is shown that wages and hours that the commoners are not nearly enough, especially when there is only one day off a year for most workers. Dickens shows that new laws and change are necessary to help the working class thrive and