the poor law 1834

• In 1834, the new 'poor law' was introduced which caused the introduction of workhouses.
• The poor were sent to workhouses, which were intended to be there to provide shelter and food for the poor in exchange for work.
• In theory, workhouses seemed like a reasonable solution to reduce poverty and give back to the economy.

  • In practice, the workhouses were hubs of squalor (dirty and unpleasant) which exploited the poor, splitting up families and making young children work in these belligerent (hostile and aggressive) conditions.
• It was estimated that 145,000 people died each year working in the workhouses and around 10% of people admitted to the workhouses, would die.

  • This includes young children as young as 4 or 5.
• Dickens himself was put into a workhouse when his father was sent to debtor's prison.

  • This meaning he was put into a workhouse in which he was separated from his family.
• Link to novella:

  • The social commentator, Dickens, condemned the dehumanising laws put in place for the poor such as the 'poor law'.

  He firsthand experienced the belligerent conditions and aimed to criticise the humanity of such laws.
• Link to novella:

  • Dickens uses Scrooge's ignorance to replicate the ignorance of the upper class towards the poor: "Are there no prisons? Or the union workhouses?"
• Link to novella:

  • Dickens also uses the allegorical characters of Ignorance and Want to reinforce the plight (dangerous/unfortunate situation) of the poor.

  Significantly the plight (dangerous/unfortunate situation) of the poor that the rich subject them to.