A christmas carol - poverty and social injustice Flashcards
“fog and darkness” “misanthropic ice” “obscure” “wretch” “filth” “dirt”
Dickens uses the setting to highlight two different aspects of poverty and social injustice which act alongside each other to present a greater social commentary. London is described to be filled with “fog and darkness”, covered in “misanthropic ice”. By personifying the ice, describing it as “misanthropic” (which means ‘to dislike other people’), Dickens uses the setting to reflect the attitudes of the inhabitants of London as well as the gloomy atmosphere. He moves on to describe an “obscure” area of the city as “wretched” and filled with “filth” and “dirt”. This reflects how the Industrial Revolution brought about economic and environmental problems causing overcrowding and smog.
“replenish” “very much smaller” “assist” “struggling family”
The dynamic between Bob Cratchit and Scrooge is perhaps a metaphor for class relations. In the opening stave Bob works in fear of Scrooge; he is helpless to even “replenish” the coal for his fire despite it being “very much smaller” than Scrooge’s. This may be symbolic of how the rich dominate the lower class. However, following Scrooge’s transformation, he becomes more socially conscious, raising Bob’s salary and trying to “assist” his “struggling family”. This acts as a perfect example of social responsibility, explaining to readers how they should aim to act within society.
“got over the back wall and stolen it”
Furthermore, Dickens provides an insight into the lives of those living in poverty when Mrs Cratchit shares her anxieties about Christmas dinner. She worries that someone might have “got over the wall of the back-yard and stolen it”. While this may appear to be a criticism of the poor, it is entirely more plausible to argue that Dickens is simply highlighting the realities of poverty in Victorian society. He portrays the lengths that people are forced to go to in order to feed themselves and their families, contributing to the idea that poverty breeds crime. Through this, he is once again able to present the idea that poverty is an issue which causes multiple different problems and so should be prioritised and dealt with.
context
The thematic focus on poverty and social injustice underpins the novella. This theme is introduced from the very offset of ‘A Christmas Carol’ through the charity collectors, who come to visit Scrooge. They immediately make the readers aware of the “poor and destitute” in society who are suffering “greatly”, setting the tone for the remainder of the novella. Dickens is widely accepted to be an author who had a strong social commitment which translated into his work. He believed in the use of literature to convey ethical and political statements and so it is unsurprising that these undertones exist within the text.
