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Summary Grade 9 A Christmas Carol Context
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‘A Christmas Carol’ ContextThe Poor Law
- In 1834, a new Poor Law was introduced. The law stated that people who
could not afford to live independently would have to go to the workhouse.
It was introduced to combat the widespread poverty on the streets of
England and to provide relief to the poor.
- The conditions in the workhouse were harsh: families were split up, and
people were forced to work long hours. It was a last resort for many
families.
- Some people believed that giving financial help to the poor made them
lazy and unwilling to work, so they welcomed the harsh conditions of the
workhouse.
- Dickens disagreed with this view. He was a philanthropist and cared about
the welfare of others.
- Dicken’s wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’ as a morality tale. He wanted his
middle-class readers to see themselves as Ebenezer Scrooge and change
their ways. He wanted people to see the plight of the poor and do more to
help them.
- In 1834 a new Poor Law was introduced. Some people welcomed it
because they believed it would:
- reduce the cost of looking after the poor
- take beggars off the streets
- encourage poor people to work hard to support themselves
- The new Poor Law ensured that the poor were housed in workhouses,
clothed and fed. Children who entered the workhouse would receive some
schooling. In return for this care, all workhouse paupers (a recipient of
relief under the provisions of the Poor Law or of public charity) would have
to work for several hours each day.
- However, not all Victorians shared this point of view. Some people, such as
Richard Oastler, spoke out against the new Poor Law, calling the
workhouses 'Prisons for the Poor'. The poor themselves hated and feared
the threat of the workhouse so much that there were riots in northern
towns. Use this lesson to find out how some people felt about the new
Poor Law of 1834.
- The Poor Law Commission of 1832 decided to amend the previous poor
laws, for they were too liberal and did not implement discipline into the
poor. The poor had to agree to go to workhouses and obey the parishes
and beadles. Those who refused to do so feared unemployment.
- DEBTORS PRISON
- Debtors prison was a British Prison System, in which individuals (who
could not pay off their debts, taxes, rents, etc.) were taken in by higher
authorities.
- Typically, the entire family, as well as the debtor, were imprisoned. The
prisons were similar to workhouses, where the debtors had to mass-
produce items (e.g. potato sacks).
- THE CONDITIONS IN A WORKHOUSE
- The conditions in a workhouse were horrendous and disease-ridden.
- The paupers were treated as prisoners. Men and women were separated;
mothers and their children were also separated.
, - The inmates received little gruel and they were not clothed properly.
Moreover, they were forced to do unpleasant jobs (i.e. crushing stones).
‘A Christmas Carol’ Context
Thomas Malthus and Charles Dickens feud
- Within the novella, Scrooge dismisses the working class as simply the
‘surplus population’ which is arguably a reference to the economist
Thomas Malthus.
- How does Dickens use A Christmas Carol to deliver his message on
poverty?
- Dickens creates an extensive allegory which delivers his message on
poverty to the public.
- Dickens uses Scrooge as a Malthusian capitalist used to evoke emotions to
the aristocratic readers in the Victorian era.
- Scrooge is deployed by Dickens as a catalyst to instigate change in
attitudes to the lower-classes who were abused by the Capitalist machine.
- Dickens exaggerates how callous and cruel, Scrooge is towards the lower-
class.
- Who is Thomas Malthus?
- Thomas Malthus (1766-1834) was an English economist whose ideas on
population growth proved very influential in the early 19 th century.
- In short Malthus believed that the government should not give money to
help the poor.
- He wrote a book entitled ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’, in which
he outlined his argument.
- Thomas Malthus claimed that population would always grow faster than
food supplies so poverty was inevitable
- Dickens disagreed. He believed there was enough food for everyone if the
rich were generous. He emphasises this in Stave 3 with the descriptions of
the "shops and food".
- Many viewed Malthus’ ideas as cold-hearted and viewed the Malthusian
Population Theory as justification for the exploitation of the working-class
people in the Industrial Revolution. For example, in Charles Dickens'
famous story ‘A Christmas Carol’ the character of Ebenezer Scrooge
expressed Malthus' ideas in an early scene. For instance, when
approached by two men collecting donations for the poor, Scrooge
responded by suggesting that the poor should die and “decrease the
surplus population”. ‘A Christmas Carol’ was first published by Dickens in
1843, and is generally viewed as a critique of the social system present in
England at the time. As such, Dickens’ portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge is
viewed as a criticism of Malthus’ ideas.
- How does Dickens' use Scrooge?
- A Christmas Carol exemplifies Dickens' vigorous opposition to those
Victorian social reformers and businessmen who believed, like Scrooge,
that charity encouraged idleness and that the poor should be left to die
and 'decrease the surplus population.' This Victorian Malthusianism was
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