Essay Two

INTRODUCTION

Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol is a cautionary tale against the woeful perils of selfish ignorance. Dickens ultimately condemns selfish incomprehension¹ as a perpetuator of greed and indignance, exemplified through the bitter character of Scrooge. A Christmas Carol is anchored in the Victorian era, where there was a stark divide between the rich and the poor, in which the middle and upper classes would exploit the manpower and desperation of the working classes.² Thus, Dickens’ novella serves as a societal critique, imploring the subjects of ignorance to open their eyes to need for sympathy and benevolence.

1. It’s good to introduce synonyms or related key terms for major themes like ‘ignorance’ that appear in the prompt. This helps you showcase your understanding of what these themes mean, while also ensuring your writing doesn’t get too repetitive.

2. This sentence contextualises the novella, whilst simultaneously adhering to the prompt. Given that the prompt requires you to explore the notion of ‘Victorian society’, it is necessary to tap into this idea by explaining various aspects of this era.

PARAGRAPH 1

Dickens denounces the way in which ignorance blunts the empathy of individuals with respect to the poor and less fortunate. Scrooge, above all, is the ultimate embodiment of this sympathetic deficiency. When the portly gentlemen confront Scrooge for donations to the “Poor and destitute” of London, Scrooge engages in a sardonic dialogue, insensitively suggesting that the London poor seek the aid of the “prisons” and “Union workhouses.” Scrooge then quashes the efforts of the gentlemen altogether, cruelly arguing that if “they would rather die” than reside in these public institutions, then “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”³ Unwilling to witness, or at least conceptualise, the suffering of the less fortunate, Scrooge’s ignorance causes him to harvest and covet his wealth. Ironically, when this ignorance is unveiled in his voyage with the Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge his ashamed to have his own words spoken to him once more. After witnessing the “poor revellers” of London with their humble dinners, Scrooge recognises the unjust class divide which pervades Victorian society. Scrooge questions why “these people’s opportunities of innocent enjoyment” should be “cramp[ed].” Likewise, when Scrooge desperately enquires whether “Tiny Tim will live,” the Ghost curtly echoes Scrooge’s own previous sentiments: “if he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” It is only when Scrooge’s ignorance (symbolic for broader Victorian ignorance), is dissolved with living experience, that he becomes capable of sympathy and empathy.⁴

3. Here, we are directly engaging with the quote in the prompt. It is important not to completely neglect the attached quote, as technically, it is part of the question itself. If it is not addressed in the introduction, it should certainly be addressed in one of the body paragraphs. You can think of the quote as a kind of hint that answers the question: in this case, to what extent is Dickens criticising ignorance? Well, here’s a quote in which Scrooge is being so ignorant and callous that he’s later embarrassed to hear the words thrown back at him, so clearly Dickens is presenting us with a scathing critique of such attitudes!

4. It is important to always link back to the topic. In this specific prompt, we have the bifold task of addressing both the notion of ‘ignorance’ and ‘Victorian society,’ and both are equally important. Try to address how these concepts relate to one another too – don’t just write about each idea in a separate paragraph, as this makes it harder to tie everything together and explore your overarching interpretation or thesis.

PARAGRAPH 2

By constructing a stark dichotomy between the rich and the poor in A Christmas Carol, Dickens highlights the apathetic⁵ attitude of London’s wealthy. Whilst the poor continue to squander in poverty, the rich pass idly by with no sense of moral obligation. Throughout his novella, Dickens constantly employs language which distinguishes the poor from the rich, whether explicitly or implicitly. Food, for example, becomes symbolic of an individual’s social status.⁶ Whilst the Cratchits dine on a small turkey and an even smaller pudding, scarcely large enough to satisfy a “large family,” the London shop windows are filled with “tea and coffee,” “raisins,” “almonds,” “sticks of cinnamon,” “candied fruits,” and “French plums.”⁷ Thus, while the wealthy may gorge on all manner of Christmas delicacies, the poor are confined to a meagre fraction of these commodities. Nevertheless however, humble families like the Cratchits are not trumped in their ability to enjoy the spirit of Christmas. On the contrary, they are consumed not by greed but by gratitude, with the most unfortunate of all, Tiny Tim, passionately exclaiming “God bless us, every one!” In the fifth stave, the “prize turkey” which Scrooge sends to the Cratchit household is no economic sacrifice for Scrooge, yet is certainly a reverent blessing for the Cratchits. Through this, Dickens therefore critiques the ignorant selfishness of the Victorian rich, and examines the bitter truth that the wealthy cannot truly appreciate what they have in the same way the poor can.⁸

5. This is a great word to use when discussing societal attitudes, and creates a good link between the previous paragraph’s discussion of sympathy and empathy.

6. It is important not to loose sight of literary techniques. Symbolism is often useful, as it more easily allows you to connect form and content.

7. Employing quotes in a list like this is often incredibly useful and efficient. It allows you to display a breadth of information, without making your writing extremely clunky and jarring.

8. Linking back to the topic is often as simple as inserting some brief words/vocab. Here, speaking specifically about ‘the Victorian rich’ means we’re making a clear reference to the essay question, contextualising the discussion and securing more marks!

PARAGRAPH 3

Moreover,⁹ Dickens condemns the way in which ignorance blinds individuals to the futility of wealth and opportunism. Scrooge, sheltered in his own insular and covetous world, fails to consider the nonmaterial assets which lie beyond money. In his journey with the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge recognises the significance of human benevolence and joviality, over wealth and frugality. The Christmas Party which Scrooge’s old boss Fezziwig hosts is scarcely an indulgent or excessive one, with only but “a few pounds” of expense. The spirit probingly questions Scrooge as to why “these silly folks [are] so full of gratitude” over a “small matter.” Scrooge, now recognising the relative insignificance of “mortal money” in comparison to Fezziwig’s spirit, champions the way in which Fezziwig “has the power to render us happy or unhappy, to make our service light or burdensome, a pleasure or a toil.” Ironically, it is Scrooge’s avarice-driven attitude, contrary to Fezziwig’s, which causes his previous fiancé Belle to leave him. Ignorant to the futility of wealth, young Scrooge now has an “eager, greedy, restless motion in the eye.” Dickens therefore critiques the way in which the “nobler aspirations” of Victorian society have given way to the ignorant “master passion, Gain.” Moreover, Scrooge’s journey with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come unveils the solicitude and isolation produced from futile wealth. Scrooge is ultimately shunned in death for his bitterness in life, and his wealth serves him no useful purpose. Indeed, a lifetime of money-making earns him a painful and lonely death, devoid of “somebody to look after him when he was struck in Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself.” As such, Dickens disparages¹⁰ blind ignorance to the futile nature of avarice.

9. Though this may seem too good to be true, a single linking word like ‘Moreover’ or ‘Furthermore’ at the start of a new body paragraph can make your overall essay flow much better for your marker. Obviously it’s still important that your ideas and sentences flow together too, but don’t neglect these simple linking words in facilitating a nice, smooth reading experience!

10. Remember to have synonyms on hand for frequently used words (particularly for those in the prompt). Here, we have used the verb ‘disparages’ to replace the word ‘critiques.’ Other synonyms may include condemns, castigates, admonishes, denounces, etc.

CONCLUSION

Whilst Dickens A Christmas Carol may depict a fictional London, he nevertheless employs his novella as an allegory¹¹ for the perils of greed which afflict Victorian society. Whilst characters like Scrooge and Jacob Marley represent the Victorian rich, individuals like the Cratchits embody the pitiful London poor. Ignorance towards the struggles of the “Poor and destitute” is ultimately conveyed as a perilous deed which yields unwelcomed consequences for the antagonists. Through Scrooge’s own moral awakening by the visits of the three ghosts, Dickens also encourages a moral awakening for Victorian society at large.¹²

11. Here, we have a reference to form. It is important not to neglect the overall characteristics and purposes of the novella. Specifying that the novella is an allegory not only achieves this broader concept, but also links in smoothly to the prompt.

12. By establishing this parallel between a central character and the reader (our specific reader in this case includes Victorians), we are addressing the requirements of the prompt.