Page 1: Poverty and Social Commentary

Dickens masterfully portrays the harsh realities of Victorian poverty through powerful descriptive language and symbolism. The author uses five significant adjectives - "wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable" - to paint a devastating picture of poverty's impact on society's most vulnerable.

Vocabulary: Abject - A state of complete hopelessness and lack of dignity

Quote: "Decrease the surplus population" - Scrooge's initial callous attitude toward the poor

Highlight: The Industrial Revolution's impact is reflected through London's description as filled with "dirt" and "filth"

Example: Marley's ghost appears bound by cash-boxes and padlocks, symbolizing how wealth can imprison rather than liberate

The text contrasts negative and positive approaches to wealth through characters like Fezziwig, who uses his money to benefit others, demonstrating that wealth and morality can coexist harmoniously.