poeverty and social justice Flashcards
what does Dickens do throughout the novella
highlight and describe the gap between rich and poor in Victorian England
what and how does Scrooge represent (3)
the wealthy upper class
1 he shows no sympathy for the poor saying those who can’t support themselves should be in the workhouse, prison ort dead
2 He assumes people are poor because they are lazy
in contrast to Scrooges view of the poor what does Dickens do and how (3)
shows the reader this is not the case
1 uses the Crachets to represent the poor, but through no fault of their own
2 Bod is hard working, honest and kind
3 Eldest son Peter also works to support the family
What does Tiny Tims character do (2)
1 represents thousands of innocent children living in poverty in Victorian England
2 His potential death reminds the reader that the poorest are dependent on compassion from those who are more fortunate
what does Dicken’s use Scrooges character to demonstrate
1 Bobs employer Scrooge is in a position to improve their lives but it is up to Scrooge to decide to help or not
2 Dickens shows that a relatively small amount from someone like Scrooge can be life changing for someone like Crachets
what does Dickens demonstrate about social justice
shows the reader that if everyone shares some responsibility for the welfare of the poor then all of society benefits
How does Dicken’s use the appearance of of Ignorance and Want (urchin ghosts) (3)
1 to show children born into poverty and who are denied education have no chance of improving their situation and are stuck in poverty.
2 Dickens argues generosity to the poor benefits all society as it breaks the cycle of poverty
3 The alternative is for poor children to grow up into desperate adults who turn to crime to make a living
what are the contextualised points of poverty and social justice (5)
1 it was a common belief amongst the wealthy that poverty was a result of laziness
2 poor laws of 1834 removed government support for those that struggled making their only option the workhouse
3 Those in debt were put in debtors prison - Scrooge refers to these when he refuses to give to charity
4 Scrooge describes the poor as “surplus population” this refers to malthusianism - a belief that claims poverty is caused by to many people and the only way to reduce poverty is to reduce the population
5 Dickens had experience of being poor when he was 12 his father was in debtors prison and Dickens had to work instead of going to school. It was here he realised that poverty is usually due to bad luck or unfortunate circumstances not laziness
what are the key quotes for poverty and social justice and how are they interpreted (4)
1”i can’t afford to make idle people happy” - by describing the poor as idle Scrooge shows his belief that laziness is the cause of poverty
2 “if they would rather die…. they had better do it and decrease surplus population “ - Dickens uses Scrooge to show the callous attitude of many rich towards the poor in Victorian England where many followed the idea that poverty was caused by to many people and the only way to reduce the poverty is to reduce population
3 “i wear this chain I forged in life “ Marley’s chains are a metaphore for his heatless treatment of the poor. He made himself rich and did nothing to help others.
4 “are there no workhouses” the spirit repeats what Scrooge had said earlier it shows Scrooges attitude has caused this situation and we remember when he refused to give money to charity
