A Christmas Carol Key Theme: Poverty (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

Poverty mind map 

The theme of poverty in each stave of A Christmas Carol: 

How is poverty presented in A Christmas Carol?

Poverty is presented in A Christmas Carol throughout the novella:

• Charity collectors (Stave 1): In his interaction with the charity collectors, Scrooge’s ignorance of the plight of the poor is revealed:

  • Dickens highlights the importance of charity and benevolence to support those most in need, but also suggests that the poor are not provided with the resources they need to help themselves

• The Cratchit family: Dickens uses his presentation of the Cratchit family to offer an insight into the lives of the working poor in 19th-century England:

  • The Cratchit family’s welfare and financial security are dependent on Scrooge, who pays pitiful wages

  • The Cratchits are presented by Dickens entirely positively, to challenge the idea of the ‘idle poor’ and to contrast with Scrooge’s miserly and misanthropic nature

• Allegorical figures (Ignorance and Want, Stave 3): Dickens uses these figures to symbolise the suffering of the poor and the ignorance of society:

  • The figures are hidden under the Ghost of Christmas Present’s robe, symbolically suggesting that poverty and its consequences are also largely hidden and ignored

• Minor characters (Old Joe, the charwoman, the laundress and the undertaker’s man, Stave 4):  Dickens uses these characters and their exchange to highlight the harsh realities of being poor in Victorian Britain:

  • Poverty has a far-reaching social impact, as these characters are depicted as being involved in criminal activity to subsist

The impact of poverty on characters

The theme of poverty is prevalent throughout the novella and has a significant impact on a range of characters. 

Why does Dickens use the theme of poverty in A Christmas Carol?

1.  Exposing social injustice 

• As a social reformer, Dickens wanted to expose the social injustices of the time and how the poor had no way to improve their situation

• Dickens shares his message of social responsibility leading to a fairer, more equitable society through Scrooge’s transformation (from a miserly and materialistic employer to a socially-conscious benefactor) 

2. Symbolism 

• By presenting Christmas as a symbol of hope and generosity, Dickens wanted to encourage more generosity towards the poor, at a time for charity and benevolence

• He suggests that society will be doomed unless it becomes more generous and equal; by linking poverty and the threat of death through the character of Tiny Tim, he underscores the need for action for readers

3. Setting and atmosphere 

• Dickens establishes poverty as a central theme from the start of the novella, through gloomy and deprived descriptions of London and its inhabitants 

• He creates a dichotomy between the Cratchit’s poverty and Scrooge’s wealth through descriptions of their homes

Exam-style questions on the theme of poverty in A Christmas Carol

Try planning a response to the following essay questions as part of your revision of the theme of poverty:

• Explore how Dickens uses the Cratchit family to show the suffering of the poor.

• Explore how Dickens presents the effects of greed in A Christmas Carol.