Literature themes

Página 1

A Christmas Carol - Themes

Redemption

1) Misery

Scrooge rejects all offers of Christmas cheer - 'Christmas a humbug!' 'Bah .. Humbug' . Rejecting all offers of compassion and Christmas cheer. Because the country was very strongly Christian, it is an abnormality for Scrooge to not be celebrating Christmas. This is a true reflection of how strongly he feels because it would have been expected of him to be celebratory.

2) Seeing his errors

Ghost of Christmas present to show his unpleasant behaviour. 'Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words'. Scrooge feels ashamed when the ghost uses his words against him. He begins to start changing.

3) Redemption

We are shown that Scrooge is now a new man. 'His own heart laughed'. Scrooge becomes generous and full of life. He is welcomed into the homes of other people who are all delighted about his transformation.

Social Responsibility, Injustice, Poverty and Greed

1) Refusing to give money

Scrooge refuses to give money to the poor and desperate. 'The Treadmill and Poor Law are in full vigour, then?'. Putting people from the streets into workhouses (and prisons) to benefit the government and this is his excuse - they are working and he does not need to give money.. Scrooges refusal represents the selfishness of the richer portion of Victorian society. Dickens is highlighting the injustice of wealth distribution.

2) The significance of Ignorance and Want

Dickens uses two wretched children (Ignorance and Want) to represent the poor. 'A stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them to shreds'. The children that hide under the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present are 'pinched' and 'twisted' rather than being happy and joyous as we would expect children to be. The Ghost tells Scrooge that the children are the responsibility of all mankind. Scrooge has not accepted this responsibility.

3) Thieves taking Scrooge's property

Dickens uses thieves dividing Scrooge's property to show him how his death is received. 'Every person has a right to take care of themselves. He always did.' The thieves are commenting on how Scrooge acted in his life, his possessions and misery. Both the reader and Scrooge are being warned and educated about the effects of only thinking of oneself, as this frame of mind was very common in Victorian England. Dickens is trying to convey the message that this system is unfair and doesn't work for anyone other than themselves. This also shows how desperate the poor are as they are having to steal from a dead man.

Christmas

1) Title and Structure

The theme is clear from the title 'A Christmas Carol' which refers to traditional that are sung at Christmas time. The novel has an unusual layout which uses Staves rather than chapters. These reflect the traditional structure of a carol and link to the story and joy in singing.

2) Scrooge's nephew Fred

Fred has a persistent cheerful approach to Christmas. We see him wholeheartedly celebrating with his family. Dickens shows Scrooge's nephew as the complete opposite of Scrooge.

Página 2

An Inspector Calls - Themes

1) Social and personal responsibility

Each member of the family has a different attitude to responsibility. The Inspector wanted the family to share responsibility of Eva Smith's death - 'each of you helped to kill her'. His final speech is also aimed at the audience 'One Eva Smith has gone, but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths'. Here Priestly is using the inspector as a mouthpiece to tell the characters and the audience that social responsibility should be shared across the society.

2) Wealth and Influence

The Birlings take pride in their social class

Página 3