A Christmas Carol: Context (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Nick Redgrove
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
A Christmas Carol historical context
The Industrial Revolution brought significant changes, often worsening living and working conditions.
The Industrial Revolution and the Poor Law
The Industrial Revolution ushered in huge economic and social changes and had a detrimental impact on many people’s lives:
For many, it was increasingly difficult to live and work during this period as it involved the conversion from traditional, manual labour to machine-driven intensive labour which was often highly dangerous
The increase in the production of factories (with a lower cost for manufacturers) expanded the gap between the upper and lower classes
Industrialisation also meant that child labour became commonplace in factories
The Poor Law Amendment Act was passed by Parliament in 1834 which largely prevented money from going directly to the poor:
It established the workhouse system which rather than being a refuge for the poor, sick or elderly, was more similar to a prison system
Workhouses were harsh institutions: families were separated, belongings were sold and hard labour was enforced:
They were deliberately designed to be cruel so that only the most desperate would enter
Prevailing Victorian attitudes towards the poor meant they viewed their predicament as entirely of their own making
How this links to the novel A Christmas Carol | |
Working conditions | Scrooge is symbolic of the Capitalist system which Dickens believed denied others access to wealth and opportunity. He represents the self-centred businessman, unconcerned about the conditions in which their employees were forced to work. In Stave I, Bob is too fearful to ask Scrooge for more coal to replenish his fire and instead tries “to warm himself at the candle”, which highlights the dreadful conditions that employers could make employees accept. Dickens contrasts Scrooge’s conduct with that of Mr Fezziwig’s, and he illustrates the difference than a benevolent and kind employer can have. |
Attitudes towards the poor | Scrooge also demonstrates his support for the workhouse system when he refuses to give a charitable donation towards the poor, instead declaring: “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Scrooge reveals his — and Victorian society’s — ignorance since the inhabitants of workhouses were generally there through no fault of their own. Dickens depicts the cycle of poverty which meant the poor could not easily escape destitution. |
A Christmas Carol social context
Victorians shaped modern Christmas celebrations and embedded Crhistian values of charity, goodwill and family into its traditions. Victorian families were characterised by patriarchal structures and were often large in size. However, Victorian England also experienced high child mortality rates due to malnourishment, poverty and disease.
Christianity and redemption
The Victorians are associated with how people celebrate Christmas in modern times:
The general population only began to celebrate the Christian belief in the birth of Jesus in the 19th century
Dickens uses this newly found celebration as a major element of his novella and consequently A Christmas Carol helped to popularise the traditions associated with Christmas
While some may view A Christmas Carol as a secular text, the influence of Christianity in 19th-century England can be seen to be interwoven throughout the novella
Dickens attempts to convey to the reader that the principles of Christmas (charity, goodwill, benevolence and family) should be followed throughout their lives:
He underscores the importance of these virtues in fostering a more compassionate and just society
How this links to the novel A Christmas Carol | |
Personal redemption | Ideas relating to redemption and salvation are concepts that Dickens explores throughout the novel. The central narrative purpose of Marley’s ghost and the three Spirits is to help Scrooge save himself, and by the end of the novel Dickens clearly presents Scrooge’s transformation from avarice to benevolence. |
Christian attitudes to the afterlife | Marley could also be seen as symbolic of Christian beliefs in Heaven, Hell and repentance, as he is presented in a purgatory state and is forced to remain there until he has repented for the sins he committed when alive. |
Christmas spirit | The Ghost of Christmas Present could be viewed as the personification of Christmas spirit in that it represents everything that is positive about Christmas: it is cheerful, giving and jovial. |
Mortality
Victorian England experienced high rates of child mortality, especially in cities:
Malnourishment, disease and poverty were significant issues which contributed to the high death rate among children
Overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions in cities facilitated the spread of illnesses such as cholera, typhus and tuberculosis
The lack of access to clean water and adequate medical care further compounded these issues
Many families, driven by necessity, sent their children to work in factories and mines at a very early age:
These workplaces were often extremely dangerous with people expected to work long hours, poor ventilation and frequent accidents
Child labour was not only a symptom of poverty but also a contributor to it, as it perpetuated a cycle of limited education and poor health
Dickens considered Capitalism as destructive and harmful to humanity:
In his view, this system led to the exploitation of workers, including children, and the neglect of their well-being
How this links to the novel A Christmas Carol | |
Child mortality | Dickens presents images of death to signify the consequences of the unfair Capitalist system in which the characters exist: Dickens depicts the devastating consequences of a system in which Tiny Tim could potentially die: Bob’s insufficient wages mean that he cannot provide adequate care for his son. Tiny Tim’s potential death highlights the poor living conditions and malnourishment experienced by many poor children and Dickens uses Tiny Tim to highlight the high levels of child mortality in Victorian England, especially for those who were poor. |
Relationships and family
Family was an important aspect of Victorian England:
Family life, as epitomised by Queen Victoria and her nine children, would have been idealised
Victorians generally had large families (with an average of five or six children) and they were organised along patriarchal lines:
This is evident through the character of Bob who is the head of the Cratchit family
Family provided a retreat from the stress and turmoil of the industrial world and it was idealised as a stabilising force:
The household would have been viewed as completely separate from the world of work
By the 19th century, the concept of marriage had changed and matches could be made for personal fulfilment as much as for status and power
Companionate marriage had become common and many people were largely able to exercise free choice based on mutual love
How this links to the novel A Christmas Carol | |
Centrality of family | Dickens conveys the importance of family and its centrality to people’s lives through the Cratchit family and Fred’s family: these are depicted as loving and supportive, while Scrooge initially is depicted as alone. However, by the end of the novella, Scrooge does eventually reconnect with family through Fred and establishes a “new” family through the Cratchits. |
Love and marriage | When Scrooge queries Fred as to why he got married, he declares it was because he fell in love to which Scrooge responds: “Because you fell in love! … as if that were the only one thing in the world more ridiculous than a merry Christmas”. Scrooge’s attitude towards marrying for love links to his former engagement to Belle, with Dickens perhaps suggesting that earlier generations were less likely to be able to have companionate marriages. |
A Christmas Carol literary context
The novel emerged as the dominant literary form during the 19th century.
The Victorian era saw the novel become the dominant literary form, although serialised publication was also common:
A Christmas Carol was published as a novella but its themes and techniques are closely related to Dickens’ longer serialised works
The novella is an allegorical tale of redemption with the message that everyone is capable of change and highlights the importance of charity and kindness in society
A Christmas Carol incorporates elements of the Gothic tradition, which was popular in Victorian literature:
It follows the conventions of a typical ghost story which was traditionally designed to bring about a crisis in which a character is confronted by spirits from the dead
The novella is also influenced by Romanticism, particularly in its emphasis on individual transformation
How this links to the novel A Christmas Carol | |
Features of the Gothic genre | The Gothic elements within the novel are central to the plot. The ghosts guide Scrooge to redemption by confronting him with his actions and their consequences. Dickens depicts Scrooge’s journey of transformation from a cruel miser to a benevolent and kind man. The ghosts are used to deliver a moral message. |
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