Martha Cratchit

• Context: "poor apprentice at a milliner's",

  • In 1843, the year in which the novella was written, milineries were one place that would hire women
  • Women were forced to work in dirty, unsafe conditions under cruel supervisors and were often underpaid.
  • forced many of them to turn to prostitution in order to survive.
  • women were assigned the same low social status as prostitutes and so were generally looked down on.
  • Dickens chose to have Martha apprentice at a milliner's he is trying to challenge widespread prejudice against the poor.