ignorance and want
Set up against the rampant industrialization of the 18th century, Charles Dickens classic novella “A Christmas Carol” endorses the notion that all people have a responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of every member of society. By taking his seemingly irredeemable protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge on an other worldly journey. Dickens intends to convey to the complacent classes of the age, the necessity of various traits that are essential in life, such as the responsibility for those whom are less fortunate and other vital traits such as charity, generosity and simply caring for others. Dickens warns the reader of the consequences that will follow if these lessons are not taken into consideration.
Through the use of characters such as Tiny Tim and the Cratchit family, Dickens is able to display towards scrooge and his audience the extent of the poverty and the level of hardship within eighteenth century society. Dickens observes the penniless family through the Ghost of Christmas Present sprinkling his torch, ‘to a poor one most’, because ‘it needs it most’ upon the Cratchit household. Their impoverished circumstances are further exhibited by Dickens through their surroundings. For example their inability to flaunt an array of glassware, ‘Two tumblers and a custard cup without a handle’ and other household items. Despite this, the merriment exhibited by the family act as a stark contrast to their circumstances which acts to teach Scrooge and Dickens’ audience of the importance of happiness in life over wealth. Through Tiny Tim, Dickens also intends to critique the ideologies expressed by Bentham and Malthus, popular philosophies of the time, who believed the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation and that famine and poverty acted as a form of natural intervention to prevent over population. Through Scrooge’s shame upon hearing his regurgitated words said by the Ghost of Christmas Present which were "Are there no
Through the use of characters such as Tiny Tim and the Cratchit family, Dickens is able to display towards scrooge and his audience the extent of the poverty and the level of hardship within eighteenth century society. Dickens observes the penniless family through the Ghost of Christmas Present sprinkling his torch, ‘to a poor one most’, because ‘it needs it most’ upon the Cratchit household. Their impoverished circumstances are further exhibited by Dickens through their surroundings. For example their inability to flaunt an array of glassware, ‘Two tumblers and a custard cup without a handle’ and other household items. Despite this, the merriment exhibited by the family act as a stark contrast to their circumstances which acts to teach Scrooge and Dickens’ audience of the importance of happiness in life over wealth. Through Tiny Tim, Dickens also intends to critique the ideologies expressed by Bentham and Malthus, popular philosophies of the time, who believed the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation and that famine and poverty acted as a form of natural intervention to prevent over population. Through Scrooge’s shame upon hearing his regurgitated words said by the Ghost of Christmas Present which were "Are there no