A Christmas Carol - Themes

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The Christmas Spirit

Christmas brings out the best in people. It is a time when people show generosity, charity, kindness and goodwill to others

The Cratchits Christmas celebration shows love for one another and their happiness for being together. For example Bob is disappointed when Martha cannot be with them for Christmas even though they are joking.

Fred fully embraces the spirit of Christmas and thinks of it as a 'kind, forgiven, charitable, pleasant time' He hopes Scrooge embraces this spirit too.

Generosity and Kindness

Charity collectors

Fred thinks it's a time when the rich and poor should unite

Fezziwig shows generosity and kindness by involving all workers in his celebrations

The Christmas spirit is powerful enough to transform Scrooge. At first his reaction to Christmas is 'Humbug' however, by the end of the novella he is shouting 'merry christmas' to everyone. Dickens uses ignorance and want to remind people that these problems still exist once christmas is over and we should be helping all year round.

Redemption

Scrooges redemption is the main focus of the text

He needs to give up misery and his mean ways to make up for all the bad things he has done.

At first it seems impossible that he will change as he is negatively portrayed as a misanthropist from his dislike of charity and people

However despite all this Scrooge shows that he wants to change and starts to set things right in the final chapter

Dickens did this to show even the worst people in society can change however, to do this it has to be their choice

Hints that Scrooge will be redeemed by his past. We are shown that Scrooge was once a kind nice boy and it was society and life around him that changed that.

Scrooge is transformed by learning the value of empathy. He feels pity for the carol singer who was alone. He remembers the fun he had at Fezziwigs and regrets the treatment of Bob. He is terrified by other peoples attitude to his death.

Poverty and Social Responsibility

Scrooge cares about himself and money showing a lack of concern in the poor. For all he cares he hopes they die to 'surplus the population'. This leads him to exploit people like Bob. Belle explains that Scrooge lives in fear of poverty.

Dickens exposes the unfair treatment of the poor and that the wealthy must take responsibility

cratchits show what living is like

highlights the rich and poor

Family life

Cratchits

Fred

Fran