Conditions of the Poor in the 19th Century Portrayed in A...

In A Christmas carol, how does Dickens make the reader aware of the conditions of the poor in the 19th century? In what ways does he make his message palatable? The story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is set in Charles Dickens home town of London. In the Victorian period Londoners were split in two categories, the rich and poor and the streets were filled with diseases and many poor children died at young ages. There were many big families who had small but affordable meals throughout the year, but for one day in the year they attempted to earn as much money as they could so families could have a special meal. This day was Christmas and in my essay I am going to be describing how Dickens get across the Christmas spirit people have.†¦show more content†¦But Bob Cratchit who worked for Scrooge as a clerk was treated even worse then most poor workers who were never treated with dignity. He was paid below the average pay for a regular poor worker, so struggled to pay for food and his family bills. He had to work in terrible conditions, for example Scrooge looked after the coal box and wouldn’t give Cratchit fclerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which efforts, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed.’ Bob Cratchit really loved Christmas and when he applauded Scrooge’s nephew talking to Scrooge about how great Christmas was, Scrooge said, ‘Let me hear another sound from you and you’ll keep your Christmas by losing your situation.’ Scrooge had threatened to sack Bob Cratchit so close to Christmas and just shows how mean he was and how poorly workers were treated in Victorian times. In Dickens time workers were paid poor money but they had to rely on this income so much because if a poor person didn’t have this small amount of money they would surely have to live on the stre ets begging for food and would find it difficult to get another job which is why Bob Cratchit can’t argue with Scrooge’s dismal treatment of him and he just has to cope with it. Cratchit had to work everyday in the year, except Christmas which was the one day the Cratchit family would have a proper meal with a goose and lots more treats they wouldn’tShow MoreRelated 19th Century London in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Essay2454 Words   |  10 Pages19th Century London in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens A time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer this is a good example that represents Scrooges overall attitude to Christmas and those who celebrate it. The central character of a Christmas Carol is Ebenezer Scrooge a man portrayed by Dickens as a miser who cares little for others around him, a man whose only interest in life is money that can be made from exploiting other people. The novel is set in VictorianRead MoreHow Does The Author Use Language From Present Scrooge s Unpleasant Personality?1376 Words   |  6 Pagesprison. Today s audience will see Scrooge this way and agree that he is a misery, bitter old man, who doesn t like giving away however back in the 19th century the audience would not be shocked to see a wealthy man as selfish as Scrooge. It was common in London at the time to see factory workers exploiting children who worked in hard conditions by hurting them with the most dangerous work and the cruelest words which is why I can only but say that Scrooge is an unpleasant, old wretch. FurtherRead MoreVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 PagesTEXTS 3 IV TOPICS 3 INTRODUCTION Many associate the word â€Å"Victorian† with images of over-dressed ladies and snooty gentlemen gathered in reading rooms. The idea of â€Å"manners† does sum up the social climate of middle-class England in the nineteenth century. However, if there is one transcending aspect to Victorian England life and society, that aspect is change. Nearly every institution of society was affected by rapid and unforeseeable changes.  As some writers greeted them with fear and others embracedRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pageswave This page intentionally left blank Project Management The Managerial Process The McGraw-Hill/Irwin Series Operations and Decision Sciences OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Beckman and Rosenfield, Operations, Strategy: Competing in the 21st Century, First Edition Benton, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, Second Edition Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper, Supply Chain Logistics Management, Third Edition Brown and Hyer, Managing Projects: A Team-Based Approach, First Edition Burt, Petcavage, and