Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol
‘A Christmas Carol’ written by Charles Dickens tells the story of aman named Ebenezer Scrooge who is taught the true meaning of Christmasand is shown the errors of his ways. ‘A Christmas Carol’ was publishedin 1843, this was a time of social and political unrest. Dickensmotivation for writing this story was to encourage employers to treatworkers well, he uses the Christmas Carol to portray this message.
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Charles Dickens felt strongly about the working conditions and povertythat many people endured. He wanted to encourage employers to treattheir workers well. At the time that ‘A Christmas carol’ waspublished, the Chartists were agitating for better pay and conditions,and the poor where placed in workhouses. Another problem for the poorpeople was that the legal system treated them unjustly and it wasclear that it favoured the rich. Dickens wanted to make people realisethat by changing their ways they could make life better not just fortheir selves but for the less fortunate.
Ebenezer Scrooge a hard working businessman who was rich enough, butan uncharitable man, unsympathetic to the poor and without a truefriend in the world. He hated Christmas. Dickens portrays Scrooge as,“A squeezing, Wrenching, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” Wecan clearly see from this that Scrooge is an unpleasant man who needsto change the errors of his ways, as the lasting impression we areleft with is that, he is the worst possible employer there is. We seea true representation of Scrooge’s character, when charity workersvisit him. “ I help to support the establishments I have mentioned:t…
…ally emphasises the factthat how if small actions are changed the major differences it canmake in people’s lives. By showing it through one-person shows ifeveryone was to change their actions for the better the greater thingswould be come. I think that the most effective way Dickens has shownthis, is where he shows scrooge looking at his own gravestone. As itmakes people think would people care if they had died? If the answerwas no then they had to change for the better as no one wants to bethat person. Also using the death of tiny Tim of scrooge didn’t helpthe poor really showed if you gave a little you can save a lot.Dickens really involves the reader through out the novel, which iswhere the effectiveness is emphasised as it carries the reader througha variety of emotions from sympathy and sadness to joy.
