Christmas carol Flashcards
1
Q
Overall novella why
A
- Dickens uses the novella as a vehicle to address poverty within the mid nineteenth century,
- hoping to change his reader’s attitudes toward the poor from complacency and indifference, to compassion and altruism.
2
Q
Cratchit Family why
A
- Through the depiction of the Cratchit Family, Dickens presents a human face to the plight of the poor,
- rejecting harsh economic theories (such as the Thomas Malthus theory on population), which dehumanise the poor.
- He hoped to prevent his middle and upper class readers as viewing the poor as distant and removed,
- evoking a sense of empathy on an individual level
3
Q
Portly Gentlemen comments
A
- Through the comments made by the two portly gentlemen, Dickens emphasises the extensive flaws in the proposed solutions
- to the wide scale problems of poverty with the mid nineteenth century London, namely workhouses and prisons.
- By suggesting that for many people death would be preferable over these facilities ,
- Dickens exposes the desperate need for a more humane and compassionate solution: namely altruism and charitable giving.
4
Q
Cratchit family quality’s why
A
- Through the Cratchit Familie’s humility, gratitude and resilience in the face of adversity,
- Dickens guides his readers to respect and admire the lower class,
- dismissing prominent views about the poor being idle or poverty being self inflicted.
5
Q
Tiny Tim why
A
- Through the sentimentalised depiction of Tiny Tim and the prospect of his untimely death,
- Dickens evokes pathos and a sense of Urgency from his readership before it is too late and innocent lives are lost.
- In doing so he criticises Laissez-faire attitudes of allowing poverty to run it’s due course without any interference,
- showing the inevitable bleak consequences of the failure to intervene and support those in desperate need.
- His solution to this is the acceptance of collective responsibility and commencement of charitable giving.
6
Q
Childhood why
A
- Through Scrooge’s callous facade and hard demeanour, Dickens highlights the formative impacts of childhood experience,
- demonstrating how neglect in childhood inevitably shapes the next generation of adults.
- He therefore stresses the importance of protecting the most vulnerable members of society from neglect and exploitation.
7
Q
Employer why
A
- Through the lack of relationship between Sorge and his clerk Bob, Dickenses condemns the way within which the lower class are exploited by their employers,
- who fail in their duty of care towards their workers and then reap the benefit of this unjust treatment.
- As the antithesis of Scrooge, Dickens heralds Fezziwig as a modal employer, who treats his employees as individuals: worthy of compassion and respect.
8
Q
Wealthy why
A
- Throughout the novella, Dickens exposes the false economy of wealth and capitalism;
- the pursuit of money leaves Scrooge deeply dissatisfied and ultimately destroys all the positive relationships in his life.
- Ironically, the least wealthy characters in the Novell seem the most content,
- highlighting Dickens’ message that unity, familial bonds and togetherness far surpass material wealth
9
Q
Time why
A
- Through the repeated motif of time expiring and references to the potential perils of eternal damnation,
- Dickens emphasises the need to seek redemption and atone for sinful behaviour : before it is too late: a message for Scrooge and Dicken’s readers alike.
- Scrooge’s transformation highlights that even the worst of us are capable of change
10
Q
Moral journey why
A
- Through Scrooge’s moral journey, Dicken emphasises that for transformation to be meaningful and sincere, individuals must first recognise their flaws and repent their wrong doings,
- but then must also seek atonement by attempting to repair the damage they have done.
- Dickens makes it clear, that a passive or purely emotional response is insufficient, demonstrating he clearly wanted his readers to be moved with action and impact positive change within society
11
Q
Giving why
A
- Dickens emphasises that given should not be understood purely in financial terms;
- some of the most profound moments of the novella are when characters give their time and compassion to others.
- For instance Fed takes the time to speak to Bob Cratchit when he passes him on the street following the death of Tiny Tim, and Fezziwig takes the time to interact with each of his employers at his party, shaking them by the hand ‘individually’.
- At no cost ti Fed or Fezziwig, sincere human interaction makes a significant difference to their respective recipients, highlighting the significance of an ostensibly small gesture.
12
Q
Dickens
A
13
Q
Relevant poverty context
A
- Poor Law Amendment act 1934, consequent of poverty being endemic, was intended as a deterrent regime, strove to make the welfare landscape a less hospitable place
14
Q
Marley’s ghost
A
- Marley and Scrooge had been established as inextricably connected characters; therefore Marley’s Ghost foreshadows the fate that awaits Scrooge if he fails to repent and seek redemption.
- His purgatory like existence represents the inescapable consequences of leading a sinful life and failing to act upon moral obligation to help others.
15
Q
Dickens context
A
- Dickens’ affinity with hunger, dispossession and Christmas all relate back to his own life experience of being imprisoned within a debtors prison in his childhood alongside his family
- Having lived only two doors away from the major London Workhouse, Dickens felt deeply sensitive about the sufferings suffering he know that was occurring within the institution.
