Revision tip: Find 2-3 quotes that you could use to talk about each key theme.Key Themes
Christmas Christmas is a Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, though it also encompasses Greek, Roman and pagan traditions of giving gifts and feasting around the Winter Solstice. It is a time when families and friends come together to share food and exchange gifts. Dickens wrote this novella before Christmas 1843. The story of Scrooge takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and uses the ideas of generosity and compassion that we associate with Christmas to highlight the transformation of the main character. We see Scrooge change from a miserly man, contrasting with the spirit of Christmas, to someone who is full of joy. Redemption Redemption is the idea of being saved from sin or evil. In Scrooge we see a man who is transformed from a greedy, selfish miser into a generous and good-natured character by the end. He is shown the error of his ways by the ghosts that visit him and is redeemed by his own willingness to change. The moral message of the novella is that all human beings have the opportunity to behave in kinder ways towards each other. How is the theme of redemption shown in the novella? In A Christmas Carol Dickens shows the theme of redemption through:
Miserable At the start of the novella Scrooge rejects all offers of Christmas cheer from everyone he meets. "Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure?" When Scrooge says Christmas is a 'humbug' we see him rejecting all the compassion and celebration that is linked with the festive season Error of his ways Dickens uses the Ghost of Christmas Present to show Scrooge how unpleasant his behaviour has been. Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief. Scrooge feels ashamed when the Ghost uses his own words against him. We see him beginning to wish he could change. Redeemed When the last of the ghosts has left and Scrooge finally awakes on Christmas day, we are shown a new man. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him. Scrooge becomes generous and full of life. We see him welcomed into the homes of his family and friends and readers are delighted by his transformation. Social injustice Dickens felt strongly that Victorian society ignored the poverty of its underclass. On the one hand were the rich who enjoyed comfort and feasting at Christmas, and on the other were children forced to live in dreadful conditions in workhouses. How is the theme of social injustice shown in the novella? In A Christmas Carol Dickens shows the theme of social injustice through:
Scrooge refuses to give money In Stave I Scrooge is asked to make a donation for the 'Poor and destitute' of society. "The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge. Scrooge's refusal represents the selfishness of the richer elements of Victorian society. Instead of creating a community in which life can be enjoyed by all, Dickens highlights the injustice of wealth distribution. Ignorance and Want Dickens uses two wretched children, called Ignorance and Want, to represent the poor. a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. The children that hide under the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present are 'pinched' and 'twisted' rather than being happy and joyous as we would like children to be. The Ghost tells Scrooge that the children are the responsibility of all mankind. Thieves dividing up Scrooge's belongings Dickens uses the thieves dividing up Scrooge's belongings to show how his death is received. "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. He always did." As the thieves sort through Scrooge's possessions they comment on how miserly he had been in life. This makes him, and the reader, appreciate the failings of only thinking of oneself. Social and historical context Men sitting down to a workhouse meal The Poor Law was amended in 1834 to reduce the cost of helping the poor. Those desperate for assistance and having no other option were sent to workhouses. The novella shows these contrasts by presenting poverty in the Cratchit household, in the characters of Ignorance and Want who are sheltered by the Ghost of Christmas Present and also in the scene of thieves going through the dead Scrooge's possessions. The 19th-century social, historical and cultural setting The key social and cultural influences of the time were:
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