Why should you read A Christmas Carol? A Christmas Carol is an amazing book because it teaches you many life lessons. It teaches you to be grateful for what you have, the consequences of not being selfish, but most importantly it teaches you transformation and that it’s never too late to change. Although this book is a good, the author’s vivid imagination makes the book more difficult to read. I will also show how Dickens addresses the social injustice of the poor laws in the Victorian Era. The first of the life lessons I’ve learned is to be grateful for what you have. The Cratchit family was always grateful for what they had even when it wasn’t much. Dickens writes, There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such …show more content…
Ebenezer Scrooge was a very selfish man that felt as though he gave enough. Dickens shows his feeling towards giving donations, when two men asked him to donate to the workhouses Scrooge says, “I wish to be left alone...I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishment I mentioned -- they cost enough”(Dickens 14). Scrooge does not care about people and although he donates he feels he should not have to because it is not his fault that they are in that situation. Instead of turning the men away he could have gave them something because Scrooge is well off and alone. Later Marly points says, “‘Business!...Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.’”(Dickens 23-24), this will later show Scrooge how he should stop being selfish because it is all apart of …show more content…
Not an easy time for anyone unwealthy, in England had things called poor laws and workhouses for the poor. Dickens addresses these issues right from the beginning of the book. Scrooge gets visitors who want him to make a donation and Scrooge goes to say”Are there no prisons?...And union workhouses?...The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour.then?”(Dickens 13-14).Scrooge, points out a few of the systems that they had for the poor at that time. The poor laws were split in two categories called the New Poor laws and the Old Poor laws(History of Workhouses). They both were a set of rules and regulations for the non wealthy people. The History of Workhouses, says that people of old age and young age, families and pregnant girls casted out by their family could stay there. The workhouses had strict rules of bathing before entry and not coming and going everyday. Although it was a long entry and exit program many people often did it many times. Workhouses were not fun and people did not want to stay in them. At one of the union workhouses there was a arch familiarly known as the”Archway of Tears”(Entering and Leaving Workhouses). A lot of research could be found on the poor laws and workhouses during the Victorian Era. Dickens did a good job of adding detail into his book to make people think about them and want to know more about
Scrooge was and owner of a factory and made a whole bunch of money, but he did not care about anyone else. “Merry Christmas said his nephew, what right do have to be merry you are poor enough”. This shows that scrooge is mean to family and does not care about Christmas.
Although he didn’t reach this point his business partner Jacob Marley did. When Marley died he had to wear a chain link for every bad deed he did. So his punishment was bearing the weight of his actions. Scrooge was also headed down this path but lucky for him Marley and the ghosts helped him to shun his path. The ghost of Christmas yet to come showed him the reaction of people when Scrooge was going to die. This was one of consequences, since he was mean and cold-hearted to everyone people seemed happy and joyous at the fact of his death. Some people said they would only go to his funeral if there was food and because they could wear their fancy black gloves. “It's likely to be a very cheap funeral,'' said the same speaker; ``for upon my life I don't know of anybody to go to it. Suppose we make up a party and volunteer?'' ``I don't mind going if a lunch is provided,'' observed the gentleman with the excrescence on his nose.” In the end though Scrooge was able to shun his path and started treating people kinder with more respect. His was able to change his attitude towards people from being rude and nasty to being kind and found that people liked him a lot better that
A Christmas Carol is a Novell by Charles Dickens about Ebenezer Scrooge , an old man,who is outstanding for his parsimonious ways.
The title to the novella 'A Christmas Carol' this suggests that the story will be a joyful Christian message. 'Christmas' is a time for celebration and togetherness. It is the time for forgiveness, kindness and charity. 'Carol' is a chant which a group of people sing Christmas and Christian songs, so this is meant to be a time where people have fun and are united with family and friends.
In the beginning of the play in spite of being selfish Scrooge is also cheap, cold-hearted, and cruel. Scrooge behaves in this manner to his nephew, Fred. One way of proving this is when Fred said “Merry Christmas.” Scrooge replied salty saying “Humbug Christmas is just a time for spending and wasting money.” Not only he treats Fred badly but many more people. For instance take one of his quotes towards the Gentleman Visitor, “Are there no Jails for the poor, are there no
Another chthonic journey that Charles Dickens faced was his working condition and his pay. Dickens worked at a blacking warehouse. The blacking warehouse was in terrible condition. There were rats everywhere, decaying floors and extremely small rooms. From this job he only earned six pints a week, which is very little to live on. With getting so little money he could barely buy the things that were necessary to live on. Once he bought things that he needed he had little to no extra money. He couldn’t buy any fun things to play with or extra food for a bedtime snack, which meant that at times he had have to go without food or other necessary items.
Scrooge is a great example of the wealthy, who never gave to the poor and would rarely put money into charities. Dickens was appalled by the conditions the working class had to endure. “Dickens felt that self-interest, uncontrolled, subject to the passions and desires
In this Stave, Dickens shows the importance of kindness by showing Scrooge’s absence of it and the effects of his harmful indifference. Scrooge is taken into his own past and shown memories of when he was young. The Ghost shows him scenes of when he was small and alone on Christmas. This memory makes him regret his harshness towards a young caroler that had come to his door the previous day. He sees that he lacked kindness and wishes he gave something to the caroler. His indifference towards the caroler insured that Scrooge would remain alone. The Ghost also reminds Scrooge of his beloved sister, Fannie who had died and left only her son. “’Always a delicate creature, whom a breath might have withered,’ said the Ghost. ‘But she had a large heart!’ ‘So she had,’ cried Scrooge. ‘You’re right. I will not gainsay it, Spirit. God forbid!’ ‘She died a woman,’ said the Ghost, ‘and had, as I think, children.’ ‘One child,’ Scrooge returned. ‘True,’ said the Ghost. ‘Your nephew!’ Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind; and answered briefly, ‘Yes.’” (pg. 33-34). Scrooge’s only connection to his kind and gentle sister is his nephew, who also shares Fannie’s sweet nature. Scrooge is then filled with regret because of his callous treatment and lack of relationship with his nephew, who only wanted to be kind and spread the joy of the season. Scrooge’s sheer indifference and lack of kindness towards his nephew prevented
Charles Dickens’s powerful novel encompasses the notion that generosity involves more than just the giving of money, it requires the giving of one's goodwill and compassion, this required for Scrooge’s own redemption as well as attempting to insinuate within the reader a reflection of their own values and behaviours. Dickens’s novella also acts to warn Scrooge and the audience of the ramifications of their actions if they do not take this into consideration, that generosity always involves more than just the giving of money, it requires the giving of one's goodwill and compassion.
He is like Victor and chooses to be isolated for how he treated others. For example, Scrooge says, “I wish to be left alone. Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas, and I can’t afford to make idle people merry” (Dickens 16). Scrooge is showing the reader that he is an ungrateful and a non-friendly man. The author wants us to know that he has no Christmas sprit and is selfish man that is also very stingy with his money. He also is rude to the people that come to his store. Charles Dickens describes him in A Christmas Carol as “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel has ever struck generous fire; secret, and self contained, and solitary as an oyster” (Dickens 12). This description of Scrooge shows that he is a very negative person, that chooses to isolate himself, and keeps things all to himself. He does not care about anyone other than money and himself. He loves money and also watching his clerk; “the door of Scrooge’s counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk” (Dickens 13). Scrooge was always watching what his clerk was doing; he was not a friendly guy. There is an example of this in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein also, where Victor was being watched constantly by the monster, everything victor did the monster was watching. Scrooge
Charles Dickens born February 7th 1812 – 9th June 1870 is a highly remarkable novelist who had a vision to change wealthy people’s scrutiny on the underprivileged and by fulfilling the dream he writes novels. Furthermore, I think that Dickens wrote about poverty as he had experiences this awful incident in his upbringings.
The novel introduces Scrooge as a man of greed. This is shown in the first stave when Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit can barely keep warm by such a small fire "that it looked like one coal." Because of Scrooge's greed, he insists on storing up on his wealth by burning less coal, despite it's lack of warmth. Furthermore, one can notice Scrooge's greed as he refuses to give any donation from his surplus wealth to the poor and destitute that the collectors were raising money for. Scrooge's selfish response to the collectors was, " 'I wish to be left alone...I don't make merry myself at Christmas, and I can't afford to make idle people merry..."
Explore how Dickens makes his readers aware of poverty in A Christmas Carol One of the major themes in "A Christmas Carol" was Dickens' observations of the plight of the children of London's poor and the poverty that the poor had to endure. Dickens causes the reader to be aware of poverty by the use and type of language he uses. He uses similes and metaphors to establish clear and vivid images of the characters who are used to portray his message. Dickens describes his characters like caricatures. Dickens exaggerates characters characteristics in order to make his point and provide the reader with a long living memory.
Characters who yearn for appreciation, the portrayal of a depressing ambiance, and the repetition of buried guilt are a few resemblances of the Masterpiece rendition of Great Expectations and Dickens’ novel. In both adaptations, many characters struggle with the loneliness and troubles of life. Although life’s issues differ from when the novel was written until now, the audience can still relate to the characters. This classic story has traveled through many era’s and the moral is still understandable to all people who have enjoyed the tale in its many different formats. It is especially relatable to those who have struggled to cope with the challenges of life.
...t, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within [him]." With this still resonating in his mind, he jumps out of bed and immediately begins setting things right. He buys a turkey bigger than Bob Cratchit's son and sends it to him, and instead of being rude to the Poulterer, he pays for a cab to get them to Cratchit's home. He then goes out with joy in his heart and bumps into a man who asked him to donate money to the poor the day before. As opposed to being unkind and cruel, the new and improved Scrooge donates a large sum of money to the cause happily. This kind, happy, and generous man is a complete change from the stingy and unkind Scrooge from Christmas Eve. If someone this awful can change, anyone and everyone can do the same. They just need a little push in the right direction.