English christmas carol Text Response Essay

Submitted By studyeverday
Words: 731
Pages: 3
Open Document
‘A Christmas Carol’ is not a simple tale as it has a political element embedded into the plot that criticises and delivers a 'sledgehammer blow against poverty' in the Victorian Era. The main character Scrooge, suggests that by helping “support the establishments” such as the Treadmill, Poor Law, Union workhouses and prisons, he has done enough, “and those who are badly off must go there”. Dickens however, uses satire in this passage to show the audience that just because he has payed taxes, Scrooge has still clearly not done enough- suggesting to society that they too, have not done enough. Dickens then addresses Malthus’ essay on starvation when Scrooge states that the poor “had better [die] and decrease the surplus population”. It is clear to the audience that through this statement, Dickens is ridiculing Malthus’ idea that the solution to the ‘surplus population’ is to let the poor die of starvation. He is proposing its stupidity and heartlessness when even Scrooge, a character “which no steel had ever struck a generous fire” is shocked and a little ashamed as he follows up with “besides –excuse me- I don’t know that”. Dickens similarly addresses poverty with the character Fred, who is “all in a glow” and embodies the idea of ‘Christmas spirit’ where “men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they were fellow-passengers to the grave”. In conversation with Fred, Scrooge says “what right have you to be merry? ... You’re poor enough”. Similarly, Dickens uses irony to demolish the concept that the poor in the Victorian Era deserve to be unhappy. Dickens counters this argument by saying “what right have [Scrooge] to be dismal? ... [He’s] rich enough” which shows ironically, that even though the rich are rich, they are also unhappy, meaning that the poor do not deserve to be unhappy just because they are poor. Together, these criticisms make this novella a powerful one as it questions and criticises the ideas surrounding poverty in the Victorian Era.

An essential element that gives empowerment to ‘A Christmas Carol’ is the theme of reformation. Throughout the novella, readers are encouraged to be “jovial and full of glee”. Dickens uses a clear, didactic tone to encourage the audience to “learn a lesson... [and] profit by it”. He uses Scrooge’s reformation and eager attitude to “conduct [him] where you will”, to inspire his audience to change also. For Scrooge, a character in which “no warmth could warm” eventually “could not hide the light” nor forbid “a freer passage to his tears”. Dickens uses these passages to reinforce the idea that everyone can change, showing that if such a “tight-fisted hand at the grindstone” as Scrooge is capable of
Show More

Related Documents: English christmas carol Text Response Essay

Essay on Exam 2

§ Engage Education Foundation Units 3 and 4 English Practice Exam Question Booklet Duration: 15 minutes reading time, 3 hours writing time Structure of book: Section Number of questions A B C 21 4 1    Number of questions to be answered 1 1 1 Total Number of marks 20 20 20 60 Students are permitted to bring into the examination room: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers and rulers. Students are not permitted to bring into the examination room: blank sheets of paper and/or white out liquid/tape…

Words 3153 - Pages 13

Conversational Differences Between American And British English

INTRODUCTION The purpose of our project is to find and analyze conversational features and discover if there are any differences between American and British English. In order to achieve our aim, we have selected as a corpus two chapters of distinct TV series: The first one from the American series ‒Six Feet Under‒ and the other one from the British series – Teachers. Our corpus contains approximately 12000 words, each script having around 6000 words. Both series belong to comedy genre, with adult…

Words 16037 - Pages 65

A Mercy Notes Essay

savage” (in reference to Lina as both Indian and Christian) A praying Indian, or praying savage, was a native person who had converted to Christianity, in Notes, A Mercy, page 2 response to European proselytizing. As suggested by William Cronon (Changes in the Land), such conversions may also be seen as pragmatic responses to shifts in political power as more Europeans occupied and claimed exclusive ownership of land. While the term seems inoffensive enough today, Morrison has changed the usual “praying…

Words 4957 - Pages 20

Managing Information Technology (7th Edition) Essay

Ltd. Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers Cover Printer: Leghigh-Phoenex Color Text Font: 10/12, Times Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within the text. Microsoft® and Windows® are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A. and other countries. Screen shots and icons reprinted with permission…

Words 239873 - Pages 960