Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: How Our Responses Define Us
Dickens shows the reader that the important things in life cannot be measured. Discuss.
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” paints a bleak world of 19th century industrial society with the stark division of classes. Despite this miserable, poverty stricken setting, Dickens portrays a range of characters that have been affected by this social cataclysm, illustrating each of their responses to it in order to illuminate what the important things in life are, and how they can be measured through non tangible sources. The Cratchit family act as an accurate epitome of the values that are family and gratitude, whilst Fezziwig is the antithesis to Scrooge as an employer and measures the important things in his life on the basis of his employees’ satisfaction. Through humanizing Scrooge, Dickens develops a connection between him and his past, realizing that his forgotten self was the important thing in his life, ultimately measuring it through the amount of remorse he has now.
Dickens’ portrayal of the Cratchit family demonstrates the important values of family and gratitude, which are effectively measured through their contentment with life. Although it is not a monetary scale, Dickens conveys the significance of their value for each other as a whole family by creating busy bustling scenes to describe their preparation for a Christmas feast. Bob Cratchit is devastated when he thinks one of his five children, Martha, cannot make it to the dinner, and the importance of family is exemplified when Martha no longer has the heart to see his spirits wilt away. Tiny Tim’s broken body does not deteriorate his jovial spirit, as he remains grateful for the life he has been given, expressing his contentment by exclaiming “God bless us, everyone”, in spite of destitute living conditions. Such appreciation is also seen in Bob, who, in spite of his low wage, gives a toast to Scrooge. This acts as another measure for the important things in life, as it highlights the
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” paints a bleak world of 19th century industrial society with the stark division of classes. Despite this miserable, poverty stricken setting, Dickens portrays a range of characters that have been affected by this social cataclysm, illustrating each of their responses to it in order to illuminate what the important things in life are, and how they can be measured through non tangible sources. The Cratchit family act as an accurate epitome of the values that are family and gratitude, whilst Fezziwig is the antithesis to Scrooge as an employer and measures the important things in his life on the basis of his employees’ satisfaction. Through humanizing Scrooge, Dickens develops a connection between him and his past, realizing that his forgotten self was the important thing in his life, ultimately measuring it through the amount of remorse he has now.
Dickens’ portrayal of the Cratchit family demonstrates the important values of family and gratitude, which are effectively measured through their contentment with life. Although it is not a monetary scale, Dickens conveys the significance of their value for each other as a whole family by creating busy bustling scenes to describe their preparation for a Christmas feast. Bob Cratchit is devastated when he thinks one of his five children, Martha, cannot make it to the dinner, and the importance of family is exemplified when Martha no longer has the heart to see his spirits wilt away. Tiny Tim’s broken body does not deteriorate his jovial spirit, as he remains grateful for the life he has been given, expressing his contentment by exclaiming “God bless us, everyone”, in spite of destitute living conditions. Such appreciation is also seen in Bob, who, in spite of his low wage, gives a toast to Scrooge. This acts as another measure for the important things in life, as it highlights the