Context

• Victorian Christmas traditions:

  • Decorated Christmas tree brought to Britain from Germany by Prince Albert in 1841
  • Christmas card tradition started in 1843 by Henry Cole
  • Serving turkey as the main meal at Christmas introduced by the Victorians
  • Singing carols, with the first collection published in 1833
  • Dickens believed Christmas should be a time of peace and goodwill to everyone, regardless of social status
• Poverty in Victorian Britain:

  • Overpopulation in cities due to the Industrial Revolution
  • Crime was rife and difficult to control
  • Disease was widespread due to unsanitary living conditions
  • Poor living conditions and struggling sewers
  • Workers in factories were exploited by rich businessmen and factory owners
  • Introduction of the New Poor Law in 1834, requiring jobless individuals to enter workhouses for financial assistance
  • Dickens criticized the New Poor Law in his works, such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol
• A Christmas Carol themes:

  • Scrooge represents hard-hearted businessmen
  • Contrasted with the poor but hard-working Cratchit family
  • Education presented as a way out of poverty
  • Two children, Ignorance and Want, symbolize the consequences of lack of education