A Christmas Carol Essay Example for Free

A Christmas Carol Essay Children went to work as soon as they could in the industrial revolution if they were of the working class community. Many children never got an education, which Dickens believed was the only way out of poverty. There was little to do for leisure, and what was available was only really affordable for the rich, so the only affordable pleasure for the poor was sex, but as contraception wasnt available then, there was a very high birth rate resulting in thousands of children ending up in poverty. In 1839 almost half of the people who died in the UK were children under the age of ten. This was probably due to poor housing, too little food and accidents at work. If you failed to pay your bills in the Victorian era you were sent to a debtors prison or your family went to a workhouse where they would probably be split up. Then there was a greater gap between the rich and the poor. The rich knew very little about poverty and destitution and, in my opinion, thought themselves superior to the poor. Many people from the countryside went to the cities to find jobs but many lived in cheap accommodation with no running water or toilet. There werent any bin men so rubbish was thrown out onto the streets causing various diseases which was another reason for a high death rate. A Christmas Carol is about a tight-fisted, money-obsessed man called Ebenezer Scrooge. It begins with Scrooges long-term business partner, Jacob Marleys funeral. Seven years later on Christmas Eve the sign above Scrooges office still read Marley and Scrooge. Scrooges nephew visited him in his office and was full of Christmas spirit, he invited Scrooge to Christmas dinner. Scrooge called Christmas humbug and couldnt understand what he had to be merry about, What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? Youre poor enough. This is a fine example of how Scrooge only thinks of money and nothing else. As Scrooges nephew walked out, two charity workers came in. They asked him how much they could put him down to give to charity, Scrooge replied Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? The charity workers told him many would rather die. Scrooge then said coldly, If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. This shows how cold-hearted Scrooge is. Bob Cratchet, Scrooges clarke, asked if he may have Christmas Day off but Scrooge was very reluctant to allow it. A poor excuse for picking a mans pocket every twenty-fifth of December! But he eventually gave him the day off. This being yet another example of how Scrooge is so money-obsessed. After that, Scrooge went home. As he was opening his front door a spirit appeared in the doorknocker, then disappeared. The same happened again but on his bedroom door handle. When he got into his bedroom he locked the door. Later, as he was eating his gruel, bells started to ring, the locks on the door opened and Marleys ghost appeared. He looked the same except for a few things. The chain he drew was clasped around his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a tail, and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers and deeds and heavy wrought steel. Marley warned Scrooge that three ghosts would haunt him. ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. And that listening to them was the only hope of escaping the same fate as Marley. When the bell tolled one, the ghost of Christmas past visited Scrooge and took him back to his old school where he spent a depressing Christmas. The spirit also showed him a Christmas party at where he used to be an apprentice, Scrooge saw himself enjoying Christmas. Afterwards he was taken to see the breakup of him and his only love, Belle. The reason for the breakup was that she believed Scrooge loved money more than her. The following night at the same time, the ghost of Christmas present visited Scrooge and showed him people in debtors prisons enjoying Christmas. He also viewed his nephews Christmas dinner; he saw him and all his guests enjoying it. Then he was taken to Bob Cratchets house and was shown his family enjoying a very meager Christmas dinner. Then the spirit predicted if the future events dont change then Tiny Tim, Bobs son whom is crippled, will die. Scrooge was then taken back to his own house but just before the spirit died it uttered these words, Are there no prisons? said the spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words, Are there no workhouses? This scared Scrooge and made him realise how selfish hed been. On the last stroke of midnight the last ghost visited him. The ghost of Christmas future showed him a man who died. The mans business associates showed not one drop of remorse for his death and would only attend the funeral if there was free food on offer. Scrooge was then shown a chairwoman, laundress and undertaker stealing the mans possessions and selling them. Scrooge was then taken to the grave of the man who died, Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went, and following the finger, read upon the stone of the poor neglected grave his own name, Ebenezer Scrooge. This is the darkest point within the story, the tension builds up into desperation as Scrooge confronts his potential death and sees his life for the waste it could be if he didnt mend his ways. The next morning Scrooge awakes to find himself still alive and he is ecstatic. The first person he saw was a young boy and he got him to buy him the prize turkey in the butchers and got the butcher to deliver it to Bob Cratchets house anonymously. As Scrooge walked the streets in a happy manner he bumped into the two charity workers and made a big donation. He then went to his nephews Christmas dinner and the next day he gave Bob Cratchet a pay rise and promised to help his struggling family. Ebenezer Scrooge represents the affluent community of the Victorian era that Charles Dickens despised. Scrooge is the protagonist in A Christmas Carol. Scrooge only cares about money, but he is so obsessed that he never spends any, just counts it. His personality is miserly, selfish and self-centred. If he had his way Christmas would be banned as he believes there is no profit or gain in it, just a waste of time when he could be making money. This is how Dickens describes Scrooge: External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm him, no wintry weather chill him. When his business partner Jacob Marley died he didnt even show any emotion, he didnt even consider him a friend although they worked together for many years. He didnt even replace the sign that said Marley and Scrooge after seven years after Marleys death. Scrooge didnt have any friends, just business associates. A Christmas Carol has a typical moral to it as there is a fight between good and evil where good triumphs. It also teaches people to be kind, considerate, live life to the full and be thankful for what theyve got. It also makes you think about the people in the poorer communities. The social intent of A Christmas Carol is to try and educate the rich of the lives of the poor and destitute. Also to make the rich aware of their responsibility to the poor. A Christmas Carol is a good supernatural story as it has a good moral plot which teaches us many lessons which are still relevant today.