Character Analysis and Social Commentary
Scrooge's callous attitude towards poverty is revealed through his infamous rhetorical question: "Are there no workhouses? No prisons?" This technique shows how Dickens exposes the wealthy's ignorance about the brutal reality of these institutions. Scrooge genuinely believes these places solve poverty, when they actually made life worse for the desperate.
During the Industrial Revolution, many poor people were sent to union workhouses or prisons - places that were meant to help but often caused more suffering. Dickens deliberately shows how society's elite had no clue what these places were really like, highlighting their complete disconnect from working-class struggles.
Marley's ghost delivers one of the story's most powerful messages through the metaphor "mankind was my business!" This shows how his obsession with money doomed him both in life and death. Dickens uses this character to argue that caring for others matters far more than accumulating wealth.
Key Point: Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol to wake up Victorian society to the reality of poverty and encourage the wealthy to take responsibility for helping others.
The Ghost of Christmas Present uses powerful symbolism when presenting two children representing Want and Ignorance. This personification of poverty is designed to make readers feel genuine sympathy for those suffering whilst also criticising the lack of education available to poor children.