Suffering of the Poor as a Social Problem in Christmas Carol
In a Christmas Carol, Dickens demonstrates the extremities of the suffering of the poor by showing their silent suffering. Although living in horrible conditions, the poor in this novella were always shown in happy spirits. This portrays that the poor were jolly externally while suffering internally.
One way in which Dickens presents the suffering of the poor is through the living situation of the Cratchitts. He writes “It’s tenderness and flavor, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. It was a sufficient dinner…” This shows that Cratchitt remains happy even in these situations. The family’s determination to use the meager ingredients shows great signs of optimism. The juxtaposition of “Cheapness” and “universal admiration” further emphasizes the fact that the Cratchitts are living in horrible conditions but making do with what they have. This demonstrates that while the Cratchits are clearly suffering, they will not show it.
Another way in which Dickens presents the suffering of the poor is by showing Scrooge’s negligence of the poor. For example, he writes “Many thousands are in need of common necessaries…” Scrooge’s refusal of giving money to the charity to aid the poor shows he doesn't care about them. Scrooge is a representation of society in that day and age, implying if Scrooge neglected them, then many others did the same. The choice of the word “common” emphasizes that the poor are struggling to even get their hands on what they need to survive. This is reflected later on in the novella where the poor steal Scrooge’s belongings after his death and sell them in order to be able to afford these “common necessities.”
Dickens also presents the suffering of the poor as an unfortunate chance and not a choice. For example, he writes “Children were dancing about the table and potatoes were knocking to be let out and peeled,” This demonstrates that even the nicest, jolliest, and most hard-working families cannot escape the hands of poverty, since the Cratchitts are a moral example of a family who does not deserve to live in poverty. The personification of the potatoes implies that the Cratchitts were so happy, their effect had rubbed off on the potatoes. This further implies that the Cratchitts and the rest of the poor did not choose this life but must learn to live with it.
Another way in which Dickens presents the suffering of the poor is by personifying the evil of mankind that created this suffering. As seen in the extract, he writes “It might be a claw, for the flesh there is upon it...It brought two children, wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet and clung upon the outside of its garment.” Here, the ghost of Christmas presents Scrooge with the harsh reality that his ignorance can lead to horrible consequences to the poor. The use of the word “claw” suggests that Scrooge is so ignorant, that his actions make children seem like nothing more than animals. The vulnerability of the poor is also emphasized by the words “knelt down” as they are metaphorically kneeling to Scrooge and asking him for help, but he decides not to help them. This resonates with earlier on in the novel where Scrooge refused to give money to charity without hesitation but is now realizing the consequences of his selfishness.
The suffering of the poor is also reflected in the poor’s living conditions. For example, Dickens writes “The ways were foul and narrow; the shops and houses wretched. Alleys and archways, like so many cesspools, disgorged their offenses of smell, and dirt, and life, upon the straggling streets; and the whole quarter reeked with crime, with filth, and misery.' This line gives the reader a clear insight on how unsafe and unpleasant it was to live in poverty. The listing of negative verbs emphasizes the fact that it was highly unfair and plainly disgusting to be living in these areas of appalling conditions. It is also very prominent that Dickens does not vilify the poor or blame them for their situation. He is a sympathetic observer who seeks to highlight his point to the reader. This shows that Scrooge should’ve been much more sympathetic towards the poor but made the choice to ignore them.
In conclusion, Dickens presents the suffering of the poor as a social problem that was being highly neglected as well as avoided. He showed that the suffering of the poor was not a choice, but merely a consequence of the “ignorance” society had. He showed this through Scrooge’s transformation where he showed that opening one’s eyes to the world around them and its problems could drastically change one’s life. For example, Scrooge raising Bob Cratchitt’s salary saved Tiny Tim’s life.
