Social Justice In A Christmas Carol

People say it is better to be poor and happy, than rich and miserable. The Victorian Era was a harsh and cruel time which discriminated and dehumanized lower social classes causing unfair living quarters within the rich and the poor. This is shown in the book, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, because it takes place within the victorian era with evident themes such as, social class, childhood innocence, and Scrooge’s transformation. Charles Dickens was the most successful English author during the Victorian Era. Social class is the different class systems separating the rich and the poor causing a barrier between the differences needed in each other. Childhood innocence is the thought that all children, good and bad, were thought as angelic

creatures brought upon this earth. Scrooge’s transformation is the changes Scrooge goes through from the beginning of the book, to the end of the book, and all the thoughts of him in between. Although the time is a cruel one, each theme contains the sub theme, kindness. By analyzing the beginning, middle, and end of the book, it becomes clear that kindness is shown through each theme in their own impactful and important way.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Kindness is an important part in the theme social justice.

This quote is a confrontation between Scrooge and his clerk, Bob, “You’re poor enough”. “You’re rich enough” (Dickens 3). This quote shows social justice because the juxtaposition shows the difference between the attitudes of the rich and the poor. Moreover, knowing the difference of the social classes can help the reader determine the feelings each character has on the thoughts of Christmas. This shows that the less someone has, the more they appreciate the little things, and vice versa for the people with more. The next quote is about the difference between a rich Christmas, and a poor one. The rich have, “Holly, mistletoe, red berries, ivy, turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, meat, pigs, sausages, oysters, pies, puddings, fruit, and punch, all vanished instantly. So did the room, the fire, the ruddy glow, the hour of night…”. As opposed to the poor whose, “house fronts looked black enough, and the windows blacker, contrasting with the smooth white sheet of snow upon the roofs, and with the dirtier snow upon the ground; ...thick yellow mud and icy water. The sky was gloomy, and the shortest streets were choked up with a dingy mist, half thawed, half frozen... There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer air and brightest summer sun might have endeavoured to diffuse in vain” (Dickens 33). This quote supports the theme social

justice because it shows the difference between the rich community and the poor community. They both have very different lifestyles and different attributes to their lives. Moreover, the perfect little Christmas that the rich people celebrate transforms into a poor neighborhood with a poor Christmas. The description of this poor neighborhood is negative and dismal. However, the people within the poor neighborhood are filled with happiness and joy, as well as joyful thoughts and celebration within each other, even though they had almost nothing compared to the rich people being described in the book. Therefore, proving that kindness is an important part of the theme social justice.
SCROOGE’S TRANSFORMATION
As well as social justice, kindness is evident in the theme Scrooge’s transformation. Once Scrooge’s heart starts to grow he says, “Nothing,” said Scrooge. “Nothing. There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something: that’s all” (Dickens 22). This quote supports the theme Scrooge’s transformation because Scrooge regrets not giving a caroler anything. It shows his transformation because in the beginning of the book Scrooge was a nasty,
Christmas hating old man, but now he starts to see the true beauty of Christmas. Moreover, he starts to understand why everyone loves this holiday. This changes Scrooge into a better man and allows him to appreciate what Christmas is all about. Once Scrooge finds out he can rewrite the future he exclaims, “I am light as a feather, I am happy as an angel. I am as merry as a school boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world. Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!” (Dickens 63). This quote supports the theme Scrooge’s transformation because it shows how Scrooge is giddy and happy at the end of the book. Now, Scrooge has a new angle of perspective on life and Christmas. He dramatically changes since the beginning of the book Moreover, it shows us the transformation from a cruel old man, to a jolly and happy man. Obviously, Scrooge’s transformation has evidence of containing the sub theme, kindness.
CHILDHOOD INNOCENCE
The most important theme, childhood innocence, contains the sub theme kindness.

Talking about Scrooge’s innocent sister, “But she had a large heart!” (Dickens 23). This quote is an example of Childhood innocence because the character being described is a child. This shows how the younger someone is, the more angelic, and innocent that person is. Moreover, it proves how the child has a large heart and her appearance and character is more innocent and angelic because she is young and hasn’t been exposed to horrific things. After the death of Scrooge the family was talking about the fortune coming because of his passing, “The children’s faces hushed, and clustered round to hear what they so little understood, were brighter” (Dickens 58). This quote supports the theme, childhood innocence because it shows the younger you are, and the less you are exposed to bad things causes you to be more innocent. Children do not understand the concept of death and other horrible tragedies because they are younger and more angelic. Furthermore, the younger the person is, represents the symbol of hope and kindness. The book shows us this by telling us the children do not understand what is going on and they have a more innocent understanding of the world. Therefore proving that kindness is represented in the theme childhood

innocence.
CONCLUSION
The unfair living quarters that separates the rich and the poor have not changed, but the thoughts of people within the gates of these neighborhoods, have changed drastically. The theme childhood innocence is important because it shows the kindness within the angelic children proving that people always start out kind but decisions being made can affect the person's ability to be kind as they grow old. Social justice is important because it shows that with the more someone has, the more kindness you have lost, while the less someone has, the more kindness is still left within them. Scrooge’s transformation is important because it shows that when given the opportunity, anybody can grow their kindness and become a better person, no matter what type of person they were. Kindness is the driving power that builds the world up. If the world lacked kindness today people would lose hope in humanity causing riots and an inability to be kind to one another which would make the world a horrible tragic place. Although the world still has problems that the Victorian Era made as well, it has become better because the world has learned from it’s past mistakes. Some of these problems are still acknowledged but disappointingly, are still problems much of the world if facing daily. It would repeat the mistakes of the Victorian Era causing dehumanization, and discriminating again, yet at a whole new level.