Context notes for a Christmas carol that will get you that grade 9.
Includes: family life, industrial revolution, poverty + charity, education + childhood, religion + Christmas.
A Christmas carol context
Family life:
o His father was put in a debtors prison and his father, john dickens was a clerk just like Bob Cratchit
o Also, the Cratchit’s house is based on Dickens’ own home growing up, which may perhaps explain why the
narration is sympathetic towards the Cratchit family and idealises them to such an extent
o At 12 years old, Dickens was split up from his family and was sent to Warren’s Blacking factory to live and work
by himself, in which he endured the appalling working conditions that many of the poor faced in the Victorian
times, this experience clearly gave him another view of society as he experienced poverty first hand and so went
on to portray this image in many of his novels
o After three years at the factory, Dickens’ father inherited some money and so Dickens was able to return to
education, maybe this experience highlighted the unjust inequalities of life between the rich and poor, as Dickens
was forced to work when in financial difficulty but was able to enjoy an education after receiving money
o The negative aspects of Dickens’ childhood is mirrored through his character Scrooge, he is described to be a
‘lonely boy’ who ‘read near a feeble fire’ which portrays him as vulnerable to the reader and causes them to be
empathetic to him
o The purpose of this was to show the reader how his childhood experience shaped him, while education might
have been a dark time for Scrooge it also enabled him to have a successful career, something that the working
class could not get the opportunity to
Impact on the novel:
Journalism | Dickens wrote ‘a Christmas carol’ not only because he was the victim to the troubles of poverty but also
because as a journalist he had to inform people about what was going on in London. ‘A Christmas carol’ outlines Dickens’
own beliefs on society perhaps because he felt its troubles should be handled in a way which was accessible to the public –
that is, in the form of the novella.
Fanny | Dickens had a sister named Fanny which also happens to be the name of Scrooge’s sister, in the novel Fanny is a
symbol of goodness.
Tiny Tim | Another inspiration for a character which comes from Dickens’ own life is the character of Tiny Tim. Dickens’
sister Fanny had a son who was crippled similar to Tiny Tim. In the novel Tiny Tim is used as a tool for Scrooge to discover
empathy. For example, at the idea of Tiny Tim’s death Scrooge felt an ‘interest he had never felt before’ which is significant
as this is one of the few times we see vulnerability of Scrooge, signposting his character development.
Education | It is clear Dickens would not have been able to become a novelist if he had never been to school. Dicken’s
value of education is a clear recurring theme throughout the novel, illustrated through his linking of ‘ignorance’ and ‘want’.
Workhouse | It can be argued that the reason ‘A Christmas carol’ brings to light the dark side of the workhouses is because
Dickens lived very close to them and so would have been familiar with the stories of people inside. This closeness would
enable him to be empathetic to the plight of the working class. Though the two charity workers at the beginning of the
novel explains that ‘many would rather die’ than attend the workhouses, this is not hyperbole as it was the very truth for
many.
The industrial revolution:
o Dickens wrote ‘A Christmas carol’ in what was widely acknowledged at the end of the industrial revolution
o The mechanisation of industry meant that they were no longer needed, resulting in an economic boom, it had a
detrimental impact on the working class as it meant they were no longer needed
o In some ways, unlike the start of the industrial revolution, the end of the revolution exacerbated the inequalities
within society, this is because it became increasingly difficult for the working class to earn enough to support
themselves and their family
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