family - acc

• dickens popularises an emotional element to christmas to emphasize the significance of unity and love during the festive season
• ideas about family were changing in the Victorian era, so readers were more likely to be receptive to Dickens's interpretation of family.
• dickens emphasizes ideas surrounding family by exploring them in great detail, highlighting the positive impact family can have on an individual.

  e.g. cratchits on xmas day lots of listing and deep description.
• dickens presents the idea that a supportive family is instrumental in a person's development...

  e.g. scrooge might have "cultivated the kindness of life" if he had a loving family to support him.
• dickens presents the idea that family should be interwoven in everyone's lives by displaying how a lack of affection and support can initially lead to an abhorrent characterisation like Scrooge.
• Dickens uses the Crachit family to showcase the benefits of having a close-knit family unit, as they are spiritually rich in their familial bond