Poverty Flashcards
“the clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like __ _____ ____”
one coal box
the coal box is metaphorical for the capitalists’ dictation of the poor’s lives. Although Scrooge behaves as though the classes exist separately, and the lower classes do not impact him, he is in complete control over Bob’s life. Bob’s fate is manipulated by Scrooge, aka. the rich - in Christianity, which Dickens promotes, God determines fate so placing Scrooge in such a powerful position over Bob’s life and accentuating the control he has over him in this way could be Dickens criticism of the power placed into the hands of those with money, almost as though they are some sort of God. This highlights the moral corruption of Victorian class system, with innoccent people dying at the hands of the rich due to poverty.
“dismal ______ cell”
little
not only does this portray Scrooge as a tyrant of sorts, and Bob his prisoner, but it is also a metaphor for Bob’s imprisonment by the system. Poverty in the Victorian era was inescapable and restricting in every manner. yes, it is obvious that having no money means that Bob’s family cannot have a lavish lifestyle, with expensive clothes, jewellery or a large house, but in a greater, far more distressing sense, it means that they don’t always have enough food, that their children are malnutritioned, that they do not have education to provide their children, nor can they afford to support Tiny Tim through his illness in a physical sense. “little” could hint that due to his lack of money and status, Bob, and people like him are viewed as “little” by society and as insignificant, treating him as though he is not also a human being with a family to provide for and a life to live. Even his “cell” at work is “little” confirming that he is restricted and confined in every sense.
“if they would rather die (…) then they had better do it and decrease the _______ ______”
surplus population
Dickens puts Mathus’ words into Scrooge’s mouth to highlight the completely callous and unfeeling nature of the rich’s view of the poor. This was the conception that there were not enough resources to feed both the rich and the poor so it was only natural for the surplus population, which were the poor to go hungry and die.
“Are there no prisons?”
“Plenty’s Horn”
This was a symbol of abundance and nourishment from the Ancient Romans.
This contradicts the belief that resources are limited - there is plenty to go around, the problem is that food and resources are not evenly distributed. There is nothing natural about the poor going hungry, that is simply the injustice of the class system and the greed of the rich that results in the starvation of the poor - this is reinforced in Stave 5 when Scrooge buys a large turkey for the Cratchitts on Christmas. This proves that if the rich were more generous, the poor can also be well fed.
Furthermore, the vignette with the Ghost of Christmas Present completely reflects this idea, specifically at Christmas time - where the rich feast on more food than they can ever consume, families like the Cratchitts make do with the little food they have - Dickens promotes the idea that Christmas is a time to give, to share, yet the class system has completely destroyed this - the divide between the poor and the rich has never been more prominent than at Christmas time.
“Bob” = colloquial term for amount of money
Bob is defined by how much money he has. Bob’s life, family and survival is naturally determined by how much money he has, but this could be Dickens’ criticism of capitalism and the upper-class’ views on the poor - they are only reduced to the “poor” - i.e. to wanting more. They are treated as though they are not human and are trapped by their lack of money.
Second idea: the rich view the prolateriat as a source of income - Bob works for Scrooge, gets paid very little and then Scrooge profits. Bob is treated inhumanely and is just a tool that Scrooge, and employers alike need in order to run their business.
This is ironic because Scrooge, as a symbol for the upper-classes, believes that the poor have nothing to do with him and exist separately to him, as though he’s in another realm and does not need to acknowledge the poor. Dickens subtly shows the reader how deluded of an opinion this is to have since without the poor, the rich would not be rich. They would not have functioning businesses - therefore, it is immediately proved to us that Malthusian beliefs and turning a blind eye to the plight of the poor is cruel and selfish.
The respectable poor: “Up rose Mrs Cratchitt (…) brave in ribbons”
It is likely that the Cratchitts would have been viewed as part of the respectable, deserving poor as classified by the rich in the Victorian era - this essentially meant that since the Cratchitts were not poor of their own accord they deserve sympathy and since they are still presentable and hard-working they are respectable - this idea is inherently flawed though since it is salient that no one would choose to be poor of their own accord and unemployment and poverty was so widespread that it was unavoidable for there to be those who stole to keep themselves alive or those who gave up on trying to be presentable due to their awful conditions - it would be irrational to deem those who were extremely poor as undeserving.
“brave” could have two possible interpretations - 1. she is styled in ribbons showing that Mrs Cratchitt, despite her lack of money, she still tries to make the most of her resources and attempts to feel happy with the little she has - she has dignity unlike some of the rich, proving that strength in character, which the Cratchitts possess on multiple occassions, is far more important than economic strength.
- She is “brave” - although her and her husband are in an incredibly difficult situation, she still works hard for her children and is therefore a brave mother. It may be difficult to face the reality that even on Christmas they do not have enough food, that their son is ill, and cannot be cured without money, but she still “rises” still tries her best to uphold tradition and celebrate Christmas, as is expected of her as a mother and a Christian. Perhaps Dickens is once again exposing the true worthlessness of money and material goods - where people like Scrooge have lots of money but they cannot be a good family member, a good friend, and are morally corrupt, people like the Cratchitts are still good Christians who support each other. This highlights the importance of community.
“Bob’s ________ property, _____ upon his ____ in honour of the day”
private
conferred
heir
1. A seemingly simple item (shirt) is a big deal for Peter, and is reserved for this special occasion, and he loves it so much that he wants to show it off to the world - and even then it is borrowed. Perhaps this highlights the fact that the little happiness and joy the Cratchitts are able to squeeze out of their situation, is on borrowed time - their lives are determined by higher powers, and are uncertain - shows the instability of their lives - one day they may have enough food, another day they won’t - one day Tiny Tim will be fine, supported by his family - the next he won’t. This explores the tragic nature of poverty.
- “heir” - typically, people leave their heir, money or heirlooms - something valueable in terms of cost - All Mr Cratchitt can offer is a shirt - yet Peter is still grateful for this once again emphasising that the Cratchitts are kind-hearted, good-natured people. They clearly are not “wanting” as is suggest by the imagery of Ignorance and Want which are caricatures employed by Dickens to present the view of the rich on the poor.
Scrooge is wealthy, but is still unhappy. Hammers in the cliche yet true idea that money does not bring happiness.
CYCLE OF POVERTY accentuated by clothing
Belinda and Peter are fated to have the same lives as their parents. Bob and Mrs Cratchitt have always lived in the “dismal little cell” of poverty. Belinda and Peter were born into the cell too. This is how poverty worked in the Victorian era with a lack of education and charity.
IGNORANCE AND WANT: “from the foldings of its robe”
The plight of the poor is forgotten, or rather hidden and ignored
IGNORANCE AND WANT: “Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish”
anthropomorphic - the poor are not another race of creatures as Fred explains, even if the rich treat them as they are, however, these people are dehumanised to such extents, and grow up in such awful conditions, that it is inevitable for them to become another race of creatures - raises the question, are the poor inhumane, or is it in fact the rich whom are inhumane since they treat the poor in such a callous, unfeeling and even arguably barbaric way.
The image of these two children are one of illness and suffering - it can be inferred that due to lack of food and care, they are malnutritioned and weak, just as many children were at the time. This gruesome and distressing image was intended to show the rich what their merciless attitudes truly led to. Employers paying too little, and people like Scrooge not donating to charity or giving aid, was not simply an act of reserving money for themselves, or being greedy - it was an act of turning a blind eye to the death and pain of children who fell ill or starved to death. But, since, as Dickens shows in Stave 4, the poor were kept in the slums and were out of sight, its almost as though the rich could not possibly feel guilty since they could not see the consequences of their actions. They were almost protected from the harsh, shocking reality that was life for the poor in Victorian London. This is emphasised as Ignorance and Want emerge from behind the ghost’s robe. Although they have been there for the entire vignette with the Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge did not see them or acknowledge them. Dickens is inviting people to stare, to completely take in what the world is like for those less fortunate - to accept that their unforgiving attitude is not towards the act of giving more money or food, its towards these starving desperate children.
IGNORANCE AND WANT: “had pinched and twisted them”
Violent verbs - accentuates the merciless way in which wealthy society has destroyed children + souls of the poor.
Perhaps it is suggested that capitalism manipulates the lives of the poor to be able to employ them for the rich’s benefit. They have pinched and twisted them to make them weak and ignorant, so that they can be indoctrinated and controlled -
this resonates with Marxist ideas that argue that capitalism thrives on the exploitation of the proletariat perpetuating ignorance and poverty in order to keep the working class subordinate.
The capitalist cycle of want
Dickens critiques the social system that leaves the poor destitute while the rich hoard wealth and luxury - illustrates the vast disparity between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
IGNORANCE AND WANT: “doom”
The doom attached to Ignorance may also hint at the revolutionary potential of the oppressed masses. Dickens warns that societal neglect of the poor could lead to dire consequences - either a growing population of suffering or violent and dangerous revolutions, which had already began taking place around Europe at the time.
The slums: “half-naked, drunk, slipshod, ugly”
Asyndetic list creates an overwhelming sense of suffering, as though the ugliness and misery of the slums is never-ending.
This presentation of the slums is not exactly Dickens’ view but the upper class’
Instead of emphasising the pain, suffering, illness and starvation the was breeding in the slums, he decides to focus on the more visually observable things - the rich only took one look at the poor and dismissed them as “ugly” and unworthy of attention.
