themes

• change


  By emphasising Scrooge's initial extreme attitudes and rejection of anything that does not make him money, he shows there is hope for all of us.
• responsibility 


  Dickens had very little faith in politicians or the church to help the issues with poverty at the time. He saw the Poor Law as harsh and unfeeling and he felt that not a lot was being done to help people.
• education


  Dickens emphasizes the value of this through his presentation of the two children, Ignorance and Want. It shocks us that Dickens regards ignorance as more dangerous than poverty, but he using chilling emotive language to show how seriously he takes the issue of the importance of education.
• poverty

  The Cratchits are regarded as Dicken's face of the poor in his novella - they are on the edge of poverty and Bob can only just afford to support his family. But Dickens shows us that poverty is deeper than just the Cratchits - the charity collectors and that many of the poor would rather die than go to the union workhouses.
• supernatural 


  At the time, ghosts were popular and using the ghosts would have been entertaining for the audience, while giving the moral message at the same time. He uses the ghosts to manipulate time and allows Scrooge to travel to his past, present and future.
• isolation 


  Dickens demonstrates the need for companionship and company. Scrooge was alone as a boy but read stories for comfort. The difference between Scrooge at the beginning and the end is huge, and this is because he has rejoined society.
• family


  Dickens uses the image of this to show the positive impact that it can have on society. We see the impact that seeing his sister has on Scrooge and the importance at having family together at key times in the year to spend time together and share experiences.
• redemption 


  A Christmas Carol is essentially a tale of redemption depicting the story of Scrooge : an old miserly man who transformed into a charitable philanthropist learning important values such as compassion which Dickens wants his readers to learn too.
• 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
• compassion and charity 


  In the Victorian Era Christmas was characterised by the exchange of gifts as God gave the gift of Jesus to the world. Dickens' message is perhaps more secular focusin on the idea of compassion and gratitude.
• time 


  Scrooge is able to change his whole attitude towards Christmas, charity, family etc. over one night. Dickens manipulates time in order to emphasise that it is never too late to change.
• christmas 


  Through a Christmas Carol Dickens emphasises the importance of the Christmas Spirit. The Crachits who are proletariat value the importance of the Christmas Spirit over money allowing them to have a valuable experience unlike Scrooge