Acc Christmas Spirit Flashcards
Christmas Carol Morality
It is a didactic novel(teaches about morals) with many moral messages. Gives dickens a platform to vocalise his slightly socialist ideas, whilst solid as didnt exists as such in 1843 he still has a tendency to demonstrate socialistic views.
He was critical of the laws created about the poooe , he had lost all hope in democracy. Policies such as the poor law in 1834 created workhouses which were cruel unforgiving places dickens believe they were unethical
He shows importance of morality
In Victorian era many people though philanthropy and morality were closely linked so it was of moral duty to contribute to charity
Other (like Scrooge )believed sacristy made it worse , some believed they didt have enough to give but in fact they didnt have enough compassion and care
Throug Scrooges change Dickenns illustrates that philntrophy didt need to grand worthy displays Dickens shows that being old an charitable is about changing attitude d even if there is no money to give be charitable with compassion and care , being a good person is now about how muc money you giveaway but more about how you act
In stave 5 where scrooges transformation is seen, scrooge is more giving and charitable as he says to bob
“I am bout to raise your salary” of course this is a dramatic contrast from “2tight-fisted”
However it can be argued that the biggest change is in his attitude as he is filled with he Christmas spirit and becomes a “good freind, as goo a master, and as goo a man”
Through scrooges changes dickens shoes the steps to being a morally good person
Context
In Victorian era lots of literature had dual nature, to entertain and to inform readers or act as a tool for social conformity
Many moral ideologies were heavily influenced by the bible or Christian doctrines dickens was Christian and presents some of these views in the novel
Scrooge is described as a “covetous old sinner” Covetousness is a sin
Although he was Christian he didn’t believe in salvation and he believed change was possible through a person own self awareness
Many beloved being Christian was enough to live a moral life
Dickens believed being a goood person was less about going to church but more about looking for opportunities to do good
This belief is ecohoded in stave 3 with the ghost of Christmas Present stating“There are som upon this earth of yours[…] who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will,hatred,envy,bigotry and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and al our kith and kin, as if they had never lived2
Scrooge believed the ghost was God- the ghost is saying although people may call themselves Christians claiming to know God but instead the way they actually act is contradictory . The listing of sins builds on eachother creating an overwhelming effect on the reader. Through the voice of the Ghost Dickens hints that Christianity doesn’t necessarily mean morality.
Consequences of immorality
Marley- shows eternal consequences of Marley living an immoral life. These consequences are grounded in Christian doctorine
Marley ghost has been trapped in purgatory because f is actions in lie he is “Doomed to wander the earth”
The “Phantoms,wandering hither and tether in restless haste, and moaning as they went” the fax that he moans of the phantoms are auditable suggest the depth of their furring , it can be argued it even humanises the
Marley ghost is the realisation of Christian ideology is yo live an immoral life you will be eternally dammed, Vic audience were widely religious so markets ghost will have resonated with many Victorian readers”
Marelys ghost is a deterrent not just for Scrooge but towards the reader
Needs continued
