Introduction ACC Flashcards
Fred
Dickens uses the morally righteous character of Fred as a foil to Scrooge by presenting him as a generous, jovial and social individual who helps to amplify Scrooge’s negative qualities. Dickens heightens and foregrounds stability and Scrooge’s transformation by keeping Fred constant and allowing him to maintain his optimistic outlook. Fred represents the middle class and shows that people can be reasonably wealthy but can still be good-natured and kind to the impoverished. Dickens does this to remind society that we are all accountable for each other - highlighting the idea of social responsibility. Furthermore, Fred embodies the Christmas Spirit and reinforces the motif of light, which symbolises innocence and goodness. Consequently, Fred is presented as the antithesis of Scrooge.
The CRATCHITS
Dickens uses the Cratchit family to epitomise the financial sufferings that were advanced by the catastrophic economy in Victorian England and to emphasis the importance of family. Their compassion for one another is portrayed through the Cratchit family’s use of kind-hearted and nurturing language and behaviours. Through this depiction Dickens manages to reject harsh economic theories, like Thomas Malthus’ theory of population, which dehumanises the poor. He guides the readers to respect and admire the class, dismissing the prominent view during the Victorian era, that the impoverished were idle and lazy.
Scrooge
Dickens presents the protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge as a misanthropic and miserly businessman, who has a strong aversion to society and Christmas. Dickens uses his character to firstly, highlight that anyone is capable of change and secondly, that Christmas is a time of family and compassion - juxtaposing Scrooge’s isolation. In addition, Scrooge represents the Victorian upper class and their opinions about the impoverished as he makes no distinction between the lower class and criminals. Scrooge’s redemption allows Dickens to convey the importance of social responsibility by displaying his parsimonious nature towards the idea of charity at the start and then, demonstrating his new-found generosity in the end of the novella.
