Context
Cards (17)
- Industrial Revolution-Industrial revolution = immense change (1760-1840) change from farming to factories-Increasing number of factories built-Changing London from a rural state to an industrial state known as the progressive era (Britain seen as the pinnacle of excellence)-Britain gaining domestic + foreign power throughout the world
- Industrial Revolution (2)-Positive effects = more job opportunities increased production , efficiency an migration-More benefit for upper class rather than the lower class-Class divided exacerbated with lower class subjected to dangerous + dehumanising conditions-Hours were long and hard-Children as young as 4-5 years old forced to work in these conditions
- Industrial Revolution - Link to Novella-Dickens very critical of Industrial Revolution obsessiveness of money ,particularly scathing of the idea Britain being the pinnacle of excellence when most vulnerable being neglected-Scrooge = Personifying the capitalist greedy mindset towards money + willingness for poor to be exploited-Highlights capitalism replacing compassion in society filling it its misery
- Industrial Revolution - Summary-Change from farming to factories-Positives = more job opportunities , increased production , efficiency +migration-Negatives = poor subjected to dehumanising work conditions + 4-5 years olds forced to work in these conditions
- Charles Dickens and the poor-Dickens = extremely empathetic towards the poor and their suffering-Dickens grew up in poverty , has first hand experience of mistreatment + exploitation of the poor-Fictional Novellas = giving the poor a voice-Social critic , understood mistreatment of the poor not because of laziness but because of abuse of authorian peers (Government)
- Charles Dickens and the poor (2)-Dickens characterised as “the spokesman of the poor”-ACC written by Dickens in response to the report of children’s employment commission , covers the dehumanising + exploitative conditions children subjected too in the Victorian era-Dickens appalled by the report wanted to share the message about dehumanising treatment of the poor from his allegorical tale
- Charles Dickens and the poor (3)-Dickens first wrote a pamphlet to try and spread awareness of the plight of the poor-Turned this into a Novella as he was aware his fictional tales would galvanise more support / reach a larger readership
- Charles Dickens and the poor - Link to Novella-Cratchits + Tiny Tim are characters constructed to carry the exploitation of the poor message-Bob was exploited by Scrooge his superior in the workforce , Tiny Tim left to die due to neglect faced from society-Dickens debunks the common help stereotype that the poor = lazy through the Cratchits , highlights how compassion towards plight of the poor will solve poverty
- Dickens and the poor - Summary-Dickens was poor growing up so used his Novella to give a voice to the poor + highlight exploitation of the poor-A Christmas Carol written responding to the report of dehumanising and exploitative conditions children subjected to-Wrote a pamphlet , then wrote a Novella to reach wider audience
- Thomas Malthus-Thomas Malthus (1766 - 1834) an influential British economist , strong beliefs about the impact the poor have in society-Believed poverty was an inevitable consequence to the increasing population-Famine and poverty were unavoidable due to an increasing population = increasing food demand , food demand could not be met = starvation
- Thomas Malthus (2)-Scrooge demonstrates hyperbolic views towards Christmas and the poor Scrooge references the poor as the “Surplus population”-Presents throughout the Novella the detrimental effect of having ignorant Malthusian mindset , vilifies it through Scrooge at the beginning of the Novella
- Thomas Malthus - Link to Novella-Dickens‘ political diatribe can be seen as anti-Malthusian tale-Directly indicts Malthusian ideas the Ghost of Christmas present (sits on a pile of food) symbolises abundance-Abundance = large quantity of something
- The 1834 Poor law-1834 The new poor law was introduced causing the introduction of the workhouses-Poor were sent to workhouses intended to provide shelter + food in exchange for work-Seemed like a good solution to reduce poverty + give back to the economy-However this lead to exploitation of the poor , splitting up families , making young children work in belligent conditions
- The 1834 poor law (2)-Estimated 145,000 people died each year-10% of people admitted to the workhouses , would die including children as young as 5-Dickens himself was pu into a workhouse when father sent to debtors prison = separation from family
- The 1834 poor law - link to Novella-Social commentator Dickens condemned the dehumanising laws put in place e.g “The poor law”-Dickens‘ first hand experience with the belligerent conditions aimed to criticise the humanity of such laws-Uses Scrooges ignorance to replicate the ignorance of the upper class towards the poor “are there no prisons? Or the union workhouses ? “-Allso uses allegorical characters ignorance and want used to reinforce the plight of the poor that the rich make them Subject too
- Religion-Foundations of morality in the Victorians era-Redemption and salvation were key ideas believed you would receive salvation therefore experience redemption if you confessed your sins-The 7 deadly sins (cardinal sins) seen as the root of all evil - Pride , greed , lust , envy , gluttony , wrath and sloth
- Religion - link to Novella-Redemption + salvation is pivotal in Scrooges transformation-Seen in Stave 5 when he is reborn into a “baby” showing he’d been redeemed from his sins given another chance-Beggining of play embodies 7 deadly sins greed , wrath and pride-Greed = preserving his wealth (materialism)-Wrath = angry towards genoricty-Pride = does not want people to see him vulnerable +joyous hence persists in keeping his image