Contextual Knowledge Flashcards
DICKENS LIFE
Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in
Hampshire into a middle-class family. His dad was
imprisoned for debt leading to poverty for the family. At
12 years old he was put to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory and at the age of 15 he worked as an office boy
at an attorney. In September 1843 Dickens visited a
Ragged School and in December that year ‘A Christmas
Carol’ was published.
DICKENS LIFE - LINK
In Stave 2 we see Scrooge’s early life and it’s
argued this is a reflection of Dickens’ own
suffering caused by his father’s financial
irresponsibility. Arguably, the character of
Scrooge is a reflection of Dickens own
paradoxical, unresolved feelings towards his
father. Dickens both loved and loathed his
father, which explains why Scrooge is
depicted in the story as both monster and
angel.
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION + POVERTY
During the Victorian era, Britain became one of the
world’s primary economic powers. The transition from
traditional farming methods to machinery led to the Industrial revolution. People flocked from the countryside to the cities and London’s population between 1800 and 1900 rose from 1 to 6 million people. This led to overcrowding and hunger, disease and crime. Children suffered the most and were exploited by factory owners who forced
them to work long hours in dangerous conditions.
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION + POVERTY - LINK
Throughout the novella, Dickens juxtaposes the wealth and greed of capitalists with the poorer classes and draws attention to how the greed and selfishness of some impact the quality of the lives of others. The transformation of Scrooge suggests that Dickens felt it is never too late for change and redemption.’
EDUCATION
In early Victorian Britain, very few children went to school. Children from rich families were typically taught at home by a governess, however, children from poorer families often worked to help bring in money to survive. Dickens believed strongly in the importance of education. As part of his campaign against the treatment of the poor, Dickens became involved in the Ragged Schools; these schools were often run by churches and had a foundation of charity and religion. The aim was to provide poor children with basic education. Dickens believed that it is through education that one can leave poverty.
EDUCATION - LINK
Dickens introduces poor children through the allegorical twins, Ignorance and Want. They are shown as wretched and almost animal in appearance, to Scrooge with the warning: ‘This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree,
but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom unless the writing is erased.’
RELIGION
Christianity held a strong influence in Victorian Britain,
especially amongst the middle / upper classes. Good
Christians believed in a strict moral code – attending
church regularly and avoiding any addictive desires.
However, Dickens believed that to be a good Christian
people should seek out opportunities to do good deeds for other people. Dickens opposed Sabbatarianism (when people spent Sunday going to church and resting) because it meant that working poorer people were denied any enjoyment on their one day off as everything was shut. Poorer people didn’t have ovens at home so often food was cooked by bakers. Sabbatarianism meant that many people couldn’t get a hot meal on Sundays because the bakers were shut.
RELIGION - LINK
In Stave 3 Dickens voices his concern about
Sabbatianism through this exchange between Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present: ‘You would deprive them of their means of dining every seventh day, often the only day on which they can be said to dine at all,’ said Scrooge. ‘Wouldn’t you?’
GHOSTS
During the Victorian era, people believed spirits who
resided in the afterlife wanted to communicate with the
living. It was a golden age of belief in supernatural forces and energies, ghost stories, weird transmissions and spooky phenomena.
GHOSTS - LINK
Dickens made the supernatural a natural
extension of the real world for Scrooge. He
uses the phantoms as a literary device which
enables him to explore the social and moral
issues central to his fiction: poverty,
miserliness, guilt, redemption.
