Context Flashcards
What was Dickens intention by creating the novella?
Dickens crafts an allegorical novella with a didactic (moral message), aiming to teach people and make them aware of the virtulent (harmful) concequences of arvaciousness (greed) and fragility (stinginess) in society. He criticises the upper class for their apathy (lack of concern) towards the poor and their complicity in perpertrating dehumanising laws and social structures. He wants the reader to reflect on wether or not they are contributing to social injustice.
What are the 5 pieces of Context we are expected to know for the exam?
.Industrial revolution
.Dickens relationship with the poor
.1834 poor law
.Religion
.Thomas Mathus
What was the Industrial Revolution?
It was a period of immense change from 1978-1840. It was a change from farming to factories which changed London from a rural state to an industrial one. Britian was now in the “progressive era” and was the transition was commonly described as the “pinnacle of excellence” as it was gaining domestic and foreign power around the world.
What was bad about the industrial revolution?
It exacebrated (made worse) the class divide- with lower classes being subject to dangerous and dehumanising conditions. Rich= owned the factories. Poor= worked in them for days for little to no money.
What was Dickens opinion on the Industrial Revolution?
Dickens was critical of the Industrial Revolution and the overzealousness of money as a result of it. He criticsed Britain being “pinnacle of excellence”, as it neglected the most vunreable people of its society.
What was Dickens opinions on the poor?
Dickens was empathetic towards the poor and their suffering. As he grew up poor, he experienced it firsthand. He wrote ACC to inform people on mistreatment of the poor and to encourage wealthy people to help.
What was A Christmas Carol written in response to.
The novella was written in response to the report of Children’s employment commision which covered the dehumanising and exploitave conditions which children were subject to in the Victorian era.
What did critic G.K Chesterson call Dickens.
Critic G.K Chesterson called Dickens the “spokesman of the poor”
How is Dickens opinions on the poor evident in the novella?
The cratchits and Tiny Tim’s death are characters Dickens has constructed to carry this message about the exploitation about the poor. Bob was exploited by Scrooge, his boss in workforce, whereas, Tiny Tim was left to die due to his rejection in society as a rich people would have had better treatment. Scrooge acts as the upperclass who is respected when they shouldn’t be at the start, whereas the Cratchits have it hard despite being genuinley nice people.
What is the 1834 New Poor Law?
The 1834 New Poor Law is the law that introduces workhouses a “solution” to poverty. Workhouses were places were poor people could go if they had no where else to go, they would do work for food and shelter.
What was wrong with these workhouses?
They were aimed to be a solution for poverty, yet were just a place where poor were exploited by the rich for work, split up from families and more. Children as young as 4 would have to work. It is estimated that 145,000 people died a year in workhouses and 10% of people admitted died.
How is Dickens opinion of the law evident within the novella.
Dickens utilises Scrooge’s ignorance to replicate the upper classes treatments towards poor people. Evident in the quote- “Are there no prisons? Or the union workshops?”. This is to subtely critique the laws.
Who is Thomas Mathus?
He was an influential British econominist who believed that poverty was an inevitable concequence to the increasing populating- as while population increased the food supply didn’t.
What was Dickens opinions on Thomas Mathus’s view on poverty?
Dickens saw this as wrong and believed that there was plenty of food to go around in the rich were more generous.
How is Dickens opposing views to Thomas Machus evident in ACC?
The political diatribe (a book about politics at the time) can be seen as an Anti Malthusian tale. He directly indicts the idea through the Ghost Of Christmas Present- who can be seen as the mouthpiece of Dickens- who sits on a pile of food and symbolises abundance. This is done to show society these views are wrong.
