Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: Social Critique and Key Themes
Dickens’ Social Critique in A Christmas Carol
Dickens’ work questions the social configuration of Victorian society. Any society that openly permits and accepts the presence of impoverished people as part of its social order cannot be seen as necessarily good. Dickens’ work questions the value of a society where such stratification is evident. The presence of obscenely rich people like Scrooge and others who are very poor and economically challenged is a social condition that the novel illuminates.
Dickens’ construction of Scrooge at the end is one in which there is a call to change this order. Scrooge becomes the agent of change in a social configuration that is predicated upon the acceptability of very wealthy people at its summit and very, very poor people at its large base. This social configuration is something that the work calls into question.
Key Themes in A Christmas Carol
Moreover, there were other issues that Dickens portrayed in his novel.
Dickens and the Poor Laws
An obvious target of Dickens’ novels was the New Poor Law of 1834, which confined paupers to workhouses. The Poor Laws were England’s response to poverty. However, the Poor Laws barely kept the poor alive while trampling their dignity; arduous labour in workhouses or humiliating stays in debtors’ prisons (both of which Scrooge references in Stave One) were the two welfare options for the poor.
Emphasis on Philanthropy
Dickens also emphasized philanthropy, advocating that people should help the poor. An act of charity is presented as one of the best ways to live a Christian life, showing the benefits of philanthropy.
The Role of Fancy (Imagination)
As well as in Romantic poetry, “Fancy,” or Imagination, was an issue in the novel. Although, for Dickens, it is irrational, as opposed to Coleridge. He defines “Fancy” as the ability to create a story.
Memory and the Past
Memory is another important issue. In A Christmas Carol, memory is used to connect with the past to understand the present. Scrooge travels back to the Past to understand the present and change himself.
The Plight of Working Children
The condition of working children is a significant theme. Education was not a right for everyone in the Victorian period. Dickens criticized this through the figures of Ignorance and Want, who represent society’s abandonment of the poor and the consequences of that abandonment.
The Symbolism of Prison
The concept of Prison is also represented in A Christmas Carol. It can be either a physical or metaphysical prison. The term references workhouses, which Dickens considered prisons. The concept of ‘prison’ symbolizes the human condition, reflecting states of confinement or isolation. Scrooge, for instance, builds his own prison through isolation from everyone.
The Importance of Charity
Dickens also compared society to a family, portraying the idea that people should help the poor. Charity is a recurring theme, and Jacob Marley’s character illustrates the consequences of failing to act charitably in life.
The Power of Will
Furthermore, Dickens portrays the important issue of the Power of Will. It suggests that individuals have the power to change and save themselves. The Power of Will can change one’s future and, by extension, society. Scrooge’s transformation after seeing his potential future exemplifies this power.
Autobiographical Connections
It is also to be noted that Dickens identified himself with Scrooge, which is why there are significant autobiographical references in the novel. Dickens’ family was sent to debtors’ prison when he was twelve (he was able to work in a shoe-polish factory), and the experience clearly marked his later work.
Conclusion: Dickens’ Message
In conclusion, Dickens aims to depict the darker aspects of society while asserting that change is possible. The novel’s autobiographical nature is also notable, reflecting the poverty Dickens experienced, mirroring the plight of many families during the period.