A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Essay - 1576 Words

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Charles Dickens wrote his novels during the Victorian times. Britain was a harsh place at this time with the upper and lower classes being clearly separated. Dickens himself grew up as part of the lower classes, and so he knew what it was like. It was very hard for the poor to survive, many of them having no alternative but to go into the workhouses. This seemed to be the worst place to end up, as many people would rather have died than gone into the workhouses. When people went to the workhouses, they were separated from their families, forced to work long hours and hardly fed at all. The workhouse system was the upper classes solution to poverty, but it did not help at all. The lower†¦show more content†¦From this, we can tell that Scrooge did not care about the situation of the poor in London at the time and did not see any reason why he should help. This view was commonly held by Victorian people when Dickens wrote the novel. I know this because if the upper did actually try to help the lower classes, then the inhumane workhouse system would not have been in existence. Scrooges attitude towards Christmas completely contrasts to everyone elses attitude in the novel. The ordinary people walking around on Christmas Eve were jovial and full of glee whereas Scrooge carried his own low temperature around with him. He said that they had nothing to be merry about because every Christmas they found themselves a year older, and not an hour richer. Nevertheless, the poor in this novel find their happiness with the simplest things, as we are shown by the Ghost of Christmas Present. The Ghost of Christmas Present is portrayed as a warm character with a jovial air about him. This particular spirit shows us that although there was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, there was an air of cheerfulness amongst the people in the streets i.e. the lower classes. It is through this sprit that we see the lower classes that make do with what they have, and are grateful and happy about the simple things in life. I think that Dickens is trying toShow MoreRelatedCharles Dickens and A Christmas Carol1613 Words   |  7 PagesCharles Dickens and A Christmas Carol: Famed British author, Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. He was the second of eight children, living in a poor neighborhood in London. His parents were John Dickens, a naval clerk, who always lived beyond his means. Married to his mother Elizabeth Dickens, who aspired to be a teacher and a school director. Dickens went to William Giles’ school in Chatham, Kent, for approximately one year before his father’s money habitsRead MoreA Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens1139 Words   |  5 Pages The book I have chosen is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It has been rewrote few times but I wanted to pick the author that started it all. 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