extra (context, structure etc) Flashcards
dickens’ early family life
-born into a middle-class family was sent to school
-his good fortune was short lived as his father came into some financial difficulties and was put in debtors’ prison
-his father was a clerk just like bob cratchit
-the cratchit house is based on dickens’ own home growing up, which may perhaps explain why the narration is sympathetic towards the cratchit family
dicken’s life after age 12
-at twelve years old dickens was split up from his family and was sent to a factory to live and work by himself
-dickens endured the appalling working conditions that many of the poor faced in the bictorian times
-he experienced poverty first hand -after three years at the factory, dickens’ father inherited some money and dickens was able to return to education
-maybe this experience highlighted the unjust inequalities of life between the rich and the poor, as Dickens was forced to work when in financial difficulty but was able to enjoy an education after receiving money
fanny: impact on the novel
-dickens had a sister named fanny which is the name of scrooge’s sister
-in the novel fanny is a symbol of goodness
tiny tim: impact on novel
-dickens’ sister fanny had a son (dickens’ nephew) who was crippled similar to tiny tim
-in the novel tiny tim is used as a tool for scrooge to discover empathy
education: impact on novel
-dickens would not have been able to become a novelist if he had never been to school
-dickens’ value of education is a clear recurring theme throughout the novel, illustrated through his linking of “Ignorance” and “doom”
workhouse: impact on novel
-dickens lived very close to them and so would have been familiar with the stories of people inside
-he was empathetic to the plight of the working class
-the two charity workers at the beginning of the novel explains that “many would rather die” than attend the workhouses, this is not hyperbole as it was the very scary truth for many1
the industrial revolution
-took place between the 18th-19th century
-an event which characterised the Victorian era
-large percentage of the rural population migrated from the countryside to the city to work in industry
-the need for energy to fuel
the factories created a greater need for coal mining as coal was used to power the machines used in these industrial processes
-dickens wrote ‘a christmas carol in the end of the industrial revolution
-mechanisation of industry = less demand for workers as machines were able to do their jobs
-detrimental impact on the working class as it meant that they were no longer needed.
-the end of the revolution exaggerated the inequalities within society because it became increasingly difficult for the working class to earn enough to support themselves and their families
overpopulation (societal impact of the industrial revolution)
-for people to find work they had to move away from the countryside and into the cities as this is where the industry and jobs were concentrated
-led to slums in order to accommodate the large influx of people
childhood (societal impact of the industrial revolution)
-many workers were needed to run the factories and the cheapest way to do so was through child labour
-the working age of a child started at five years old so many children were exploited
-families needed their children to work so they could afford to live
-children were working, this meant that most were unable to go to school
what is poverty?
the lack of basic necessities that are needed for a person to live
thomas malthus/malthusian ideas
-an economist, who believed that poverty was a natural product of population growth and there was nothing we could do to help the situation
-he believed that because the population in the city was growing quickly there would inevitably be a lack of food supplies and other necessities
poor law
-in 1834 the new poor law was introduced, it stated that for the poor to receive money or support they must go to the workhouses which were essentially harsh and unforgiving prisons
-the rich believed this was a viable option
charity
-some thought that a way to fix poverty was through charity
-the Victorian era produced one of the most intense times of philanthropy and charity
-many also believed that charity made poverty worse as it was rewarding ‘bad behavior’
-people believed that poverty was a choice
-during the nineteenth century philanthropy was becoming more popular, dickens may have been pushing readers towards a philanthropic mindset
education
-some people believed that the only way to eradicate poverty was through education
-due to this, ragged schools were set up to provide basic education
ragged schools
-provided a basic education to poor children but also supplied their material needs
-before this time, only the rich went to school
-education meant that children would be able to work and achieve real careers instead of working in workhouses & factories
