Charity and Education

• What societal issue did Dickens highlight in his works?

  The importance of generosity and charity
• What was a major consequence of the Industrial Revolution according to Dickens?

  The gap between the rich and poor increased
• Who relied on the generosity of wealthier individuals during the Industrial Revolution?

  Those struggling to survive in poverty
• Which famous chocolate makers tried to improve workers' lives?

  The Cadburys
• What did the Cadburys provide for their workers in Bournville?

  Quality homes and improved lifestyles
• Who was Titus Salt and what did he do?

  A cloth maker who improved workers' lives
• How did Dickens view wealthy individuals who only sought more wealth?

  He criticized their selfishness
• What responsibility did Dickens believe wealthy people had?

  To help those less fortunate
• What warning does Marley's ghost give to Scrooge in Chapter One?

  To pay attention to those around him
• How does Scrooge's attitude towards charity change by the end of the novella?

  He becomes generous and donates money
• What significant action does Scrooge take to reward Bob Cratchit?

  He gives him a pay rise
• What does Scrooge do to help with the prize turkey?

  He pays a boy to fetch it
• What does Dickens suggest about fair pay and the need for charity?

  Fair pay reduces the need for charity
• What is a philanthropist?

  Someone who performs charitable acts
• Dickens believed education was the solution to poverty

  1. Dickens believed that many of the problems in Victorian society - such as crime, poverty and disease - were caused by a lack of education, and Dickens felt that education would help them to gain self-respect and improve their lives

  2. Dickens supported several projects to educate the poor, such as the Ragged Schools, which offered free education, clothing and food to children from poor families - they were called 'ragged' after the ragged clothes the children wore

  3. In Chapter Three of A Christmas Carol, Dickens uses the child, Ignorance, to show how the poor are doomed to a life of want by a lack of education. The Ghost of Christmas Present and want have "no refuge or resource" except prisons and workhouses