Poverty Flashcards
Many would rather die
In this quote, the Portly Gentlemen respond to Scrooge when he asks why the poor cannot simply go to the workhouses. Scrooge does not understand that a poor person is not necessarily “idle”, and therefore may not deserve to be punished. His attitude to poor people is inhumane and uncaring.
If they would rather die they had better do it and decrease the surplus population
Scrooge is shown to have no sympathy for the poor. He simply sees the poor as a burden on society, responsible for their own condition and therefore not deserving of charity. Scrooge perpetuates the selfish, inconsiderate and narrow-minded attitude the upper class had to those poorer. The emphasise on the word ‘better’ suggests that some people would actually prefer them to die as it would ‘decrease the surplus population’, almost dehumanising them. This quote is likely to appall and shock readers especially modern readers.
Many thousands are in want of common necessities
The Portly Gentlemen try to convince Scrooge of the need to support those who are suffering and in need. Dickens aims to convey to his wealthier readers the dire situation for the poor in London in the 19th Century in the hope that they offer more support. ‘Thousands’ emphasise the sheer number of them and implies it is only going to increase at this rate. These poorer citizens are in want of things those richer just take for granted
Reeked with crime, filth and misery
Dickens describes London as a dark and dangerous place, suggesting that poverty has bred crime and a deep unhappiness. This is a clear example of how Dickens’ role as a social reformer is conveyed in his writing. ‘Reeked’ implies that the place was overcrowded and the noun ‘crime’ shows the negative consequences that the place had on the people living there yet they cant afford to move anywhere else. ‘Filth’ highlights the dirt in the place that is likely to cause disease and even death. ‘Misery’ is emotive not physical like the other adjectives. It shows how these type of conditions make people feel emotionally, likely causing the reader to feel guilt and sympathy.
Brave in ribbons
The adjective ‘brave’ conveys the idea that although her and her family are affected by poverty, she continues to stay strong for the sake of her family. Mrs Cratchit tries to take as much pride in her appearance as she can implying that she wishes to access to the things that those wealthier do. Yet she is still content with her current life.
The boy is Ignorance, the girl is Want
They are described as the ‘children of mankind’, with Dickens implying that society itself created these traits. He perhaps chose to personify them to show that they have the same importance and influence as actual people. ‘Ignorance’ is the attitude that the higher class have to the ‘lower’ class. ‘Want’ is the desire the upper class have for material and physical possession which they believe makes them superior. Ignorance is personified as more dangerous than want.
