A Christmas Carol: Ideas and Symbolism
In A Christmas Carol, Dickens employs Scrooge, a character who is at first cold, greedy and ignorant but transforms into a benevolent compassionate man, as an example of how society should also change for the better. Indeed, Scrooge's redemption is used by Dickens as a mouthpiece for his beliefs and ideas on social responsibility. Ultimately, Dickens uses his novel to promote the idea that the ‘better off’ have a great responsibility to show generosity, concern, and amiability to those struggling around them and that this generosity serves to benefit both society and individuals who show it.
Dickens presents the idea that the upper class should feel a sense of shame in their mistreatment of the poor. Arguably, Scrooge is a representative of the upper class who does mistreat the poor. When Scrooge is talking to the charity workers who seek help for the poor and asks Scrooge for a donation he replies ‘I wish to be left alone’. This dismissal implies that in his opinion he has no responsibility for anyone except himself and since he pays his taxes and those taxes pay for prisons and workhouses he believes that it is the limit of what society expects of him. Moreover, the cold response shows his attitude towards the community and his values since Christmas is normally a time for family and friends, a time spent with people and not alone. This extreme of characterization continues as Scrooge shows his ignorance when he asks ‘are there no prisons?’
The use of exclamatory language highlights the ignorance he holds and shows us that not only does he not care about the poor and the less fortunate, he actively wants them to be sent off, just like he wants to be rid of the portly gentlemen from his office. Additionally, the rhetorical question shows Scrooge's mocking of the charity workers and serves to show how little he knows about the reality of the prisons at the time. However, although the bluntness of the question sounds hard and unsympathetic, a reader might interpret it as a belief that those people (the poor and less fortunate) are better off when placed in prisons or workhouses because at least they would be fed and employed. This is a deliberate ploy by Dickens to try and hold a mirror up to such ignorant thought, and enable his readers to recognize that such reactions are not helpful for society.
Conceivably, Scrooge can be seen to embody the Marxist theory in which people believe the proletariat should make money for the bourgeoisie who control the means of production. This theory causes conflict which leads to social unrest until it culminates in the social revolution which is why Dickens is against this and believes the bourgeoisie should have responsibility over the poor and that the upper class should be ashamed for their mistreatment of the poor. Moreover, when the charity workers attempt at persuading Scrooge to give money to charity he answers. If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. When Scrooge states this we can feel the lack of empathy he has and a sense of inequality towards the poor. Dickens chooses to use the collective pronoun they which generalizes the poor and exposes the problems of the poor laws.
The poor laws were a set of laws established in workhouses and gave the middle and upper-class people an excuse for lack of compassion. The phrase decrease the surplus population suggests that Scrooge sees the poor as extra who take up space. The noun population indicates he also sees them as a number, not people which dehumanizes them and indicates that he doesn't care about the poor. Scrooge uses the language of accountancy here, decreasing the surplus which reinforces the impression that people are only of value if there is profit in it for Scrooge. This introduces us to the Malthusian attitude, whose warning about the dangers of excessive population growth could be alleviated through the death of the poor was highly debated in the 19th century and remains controversial to this day. Dickens' use of the motif of money and the inequalities of the poor reminds us of the misconceptions the rich had of the poor in the Victorian era who thought the poor were worthless, lazy, and a waste of space.
Moreover, Dickens uses Marley a character who feels guilt and regret over the actions he has committed to present the idea that the upper class should feel a sense of embarrassment in their ill-treatment of the poor. When Marley's ghost comes to warn Scrooge of the suffering he will encounter if he doesn't change his ways he claims ‘I wear the chain I forged in life, I made it inch by inch’. The repetition of I presents the idea that he made this chain himself from the actions he committed and blames himself for it. The noun chain imposes a sense of imprisonment, restriction, and a heavy burden that he has to carry. Here the chain is not something that is imposed on bad people during the afterlife but instead created with free will. In other words, be good to others or you will suffer wearing heavy chains of burden forever as punishment.
This teaches the reader that a lack of compassion imprisons you and doesn't benefit you or others around you. Furthermore, Dickens uses the structure of the novel such as dividing the book into staves, (which are verses of a song), rather than chapters or sections to symbolize a Christmas carol (which is cleverly the title of the book.) Carols are songs that are popular at Christmas time and usually deal with stories of Christ's birth or with themes associated with the festive season. Some carols focus on joy and the spirit of giving to others. The use of a similar structure to a song presents a moral tale of transformation. Moreover, The structure of the three ghosts showing the past, present, and future appeals to readers on many levels. The number three is significant in fairy stories, religious tales, and in traditional myths and legends. Characters are often faced with three choices, granted three wishes, or given three opportunities to change. Scrooge is shown his past, the present, and a possible future and then finally finds the willingness to transform.
Dickens argues that employers have the responsibility to look after their employees and to see them as a part of a family. This can clearly be seen through the character of Fezziwig who is the allegorical representation of a model employer. Before the celebration when clearing away, Dickens describes Fezziwig skipping down from the high desk with wonderful agility. The verb skipping implies how he is in an energetic, cheerful mood and has an impact on everyone else which is the complete antithesis of Scrooge and highlights Scrooge's unbecoming behavior. Additionally, the phrase wonderful agility shows he is healthy, and fit and how he has the ability to move freely through he is old which symbolizes how beneficial compassion is and teaches the reader how showing compassion not only benefits you but everyone around you. Moreover, Fezziwig makes sure fuel was heaped upon the fire and the warehouse was snug, warm and dry.
The phrase fuel was heaped upon the fire not only symbolizes his abundance of compassion and generosity but juxtaposes with Scrooge's shameful behavior as an employer where Bob Cratchit only had a fire so small that it looked like one coal implying that Scrooge doesn't really care for or prioritize his employees but only thinks about and cares for himself and his money. In addition, the adjectives snug, warm and dry radiate compassion and imply that Fezziwigs priority is to keep his staff warm and happy. This also juxtaposes Scrooge who is cold-hearted and in stave one has a very small fire because he believes it costs a lot of money which contrasts with Fezziwig's fire and shows how he is generous and caring of his employees.
Furthermore, another example of Fezziwig embodying a model employer is when he throws a party for everyone and says in they all came. This shows how welcoming and accepting Fezziwig is as an employer by inviting everyone from all backgrounds and statuses. It also tells us he isn't concerned about social status and how inclusive he is. Dickens may have done this to show his readers that class didn't matter and that it shouldn't divide us. On the other hand, we can see the opposite of Dickens' expectations of an employer through Scrooge, an ignorant and greedy character. We are able to see his unlikable behavior when the charity workers are pleading with him to give something to charity and he dismisses it with a mocking tone replying I can't afford to make idle people merry. Through the adjective idle, Dickens conveys Scrooge's views on the poor, and the rest of the Victorian Societies view on the poor. In the Victorian Era many people believed that people were poor because they were lazy, this, therefore, implies that they believed the poor bought poverty upon themselves by being lazy and were undeserving. This is ironic as Scrooge's clerk, Bob Cratchit is also living in poverty but the reader is made aware that Bob is being exploited by Scrooge My clerk with fifteen shillings a week and a wife and family. This highlights the ignorance of the upper class in the Victorian era as their beliefs of the poor were incorrect and the major reason why the poor lived in poverty was in fact exploitation. Moreover, it's ironic that he says he can't afford to make idle people merry as he clearly can afford anything he wants. Scrooge's ignorance can be emphasized through his contemptuous questioning. Are there no prisons? Are there no Union Workhouses? Prisons and workhouses were a last resort for people who had no other place to go and wanted to live. It was a public institution where they were notorious for their harshness to deter the able-bodied poor and to ensuring that only the truly destitute would apply. Families would be broken up and sometimes would never be reunited. Scrooge's lack of knowledge and empathy represents the bourgeoisie in the Victorian era who believed the poor were worthless and his continuous unsympathetic questioning highlights his arrogance and shocks us as most people would have sympathy for the poor. Scrooge's behavior is contrary to what Dickens believes is a worthy employer and opposes Fezziwig's compassion, warmth, and kindness towards his employees.
In conclusion, Dickens presents ideas about social responsibility through Scrooge's redemption and models of compassion and equality such as Fezziwig. This teaches the reader many lessons such as how acting with compassion and kindness will not only advantage you but also others around you and how ignorance and greed are detrimental to oneself and others.
