what can we do to improve this answer?
how Dickens presents the suffering of the poor in the novel as a whole.
In a Christmas carol Dickens uses Scrooges actions and their consequences to present the suffering of the poor. He also uses a range of other characters in the novel to show this, these include; the Cratchits, Ignorance and Want, as well as the Portly Gentlemans words to present the suffering of the poor. He uses the suffering of the poor as a way to show those reading the novel (especially the rich) how their actions have led to the poor's suffering. Dickens use Tiny Tim as the main poor person in this novel who is suffering. This is due to him being young and innocent and being led to an untimely death. He is seen as innocent due to him being a child, his innocence can also be linked to his Christianity. Dickens does this so the readers are more inclined to feel sympathy towards him and therefore want to give to the poor, so they do not need to go through what the Cratchits went through and suffer any longer.
In this extract the suffering of the poor is being presented through the characters Ignorance and Want. Their suffering is presented throughout this extract, and we are inclined to feel sorry for them due to their description. This is shown in the quote ‘Yellow meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate too in their humility.’ The adjective ‘prostrate’ has the meaning of being overcome or helpless – especially with distress or exhaustion. Dickens may have used this in order to create a small sense of sympathy for these characters from his readers. This may be done as a way to remind his readers how those poorer than the Cratchits are seen as, and what they experience. This is due to them not having a home and having to do things they are not proud of in order to survive. Dickens is also emphasizing how these characters are children and how this can affect them further as they have gone through so much in such a small period of time. Dickens is seen to emphasise their childness through the following phrases found in the extract, ‘children’, and ‘...a boy and a girl.’ Dickens may have done this to show his readers that those who are suffering due to being poor are mostly children and through the characters of ignorance and want the readers can see this, therefore, being invoked with further sympathy and sadness for these characters suffering. This suffering can be seen in the description of them – which was shown in the quote stated above. This can also be seen in the quote ‘where graceful youth should have filled their features out ... a stale shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched and twisted them.’ The simile ‘a stale shrivelled hand like that of age’ could have been used by Dickens as a way to show how poor children are all aged due to the work they are doing – prematurely – in order to survive. And through this work there can be consequences of stress of which ages them. Dickens may have also used this simile in order to show the readers that Ignorance and Want could look aged due to them being close to death. This idea can also be shown through Tiny Tim. This can be due to his cane – this can link to being aged as he has something that is helping him walk like an old man would have (a walking stick). From this we can see that Dicken s uses wordings usually used to describe those close to death in order to describe poor children. This is done to these characters in order to emphasize how the suffering of the poor, and the suffering that they have endured has led to them having a premature death and as a result it continues the cycle of the poor and death. There is a continuous cycle due to the riches’ actions and how they give minimal help to the poor, therefore making it so the poor are not being paid enough to become richer. Dickens has done this in order to create sympathy for the poor and so the rich are more inclined to give to the poor after reading this book and seeing the messages Dickens is giving them. They may also feel more inclined to give to the poor in hopes that they will continue to live and make something of themselves or at least break this unfortunate cycle.
The suffering of the poor is also presented in the wider novel. This is done through the Cratchits and the use of Tiny Tim’s death. This suffering can be presented in the quote ‘my little, little child!’ This is said by Bob Cratchit in stave 4 when Scrooge is taken to the future by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The use of repetition in the adjective ‘little’ is done in order to emphasize how small Tim really was. This can be done by Dickens as it links to the innocence of Tiny Tim, this is due to little being used to describe children and babies. This can then be the reason for the use of ‘little’ in this quote as well as the use of ‘Tiny’ in Tim’s name. Dickens does this in order for the readers to have a sense of empathy towards Tiny Tim as well as for Mr and Mrs Cratchit as they have lost their child. Dickens does this as through the readers feeling sympathy for the Cratchits they will then realise how they are not the only poor people that go through loss like this. This idea could be seen as being initially planted in their mind when they see ignorance and want and the loss of their childhood and eventually the loss of their lives at such a young age. The repetition of ‘little’ is also done by Dicken’s it emphasises how overwhelmed with grief Bob is and adumbrates how Bob will act if Tiny Tim actually dies. This could be done by Dickens to invoke emotion into Scrooge and so Scrooge feels more sympathetic towards the Cratchits and their situation. Dickens may have done this in order to make it so Scrooge is more likely to transform as he has known Bob for a long period of time and deep down may see him like how Marley saw Scrooge. This quote also helps to show how the suffering of the poor is brought about due to capitalism. This is due to Scrooge not raising Bob’s salary and paying him only a meagre wage, of which could not help support Bob’s family, and Tiny Tim’s health, so he had to make it so his children have to work. Dickens may have done this to show how poor people in the Victorian Era lived with bosses making them a victim of capitalism and loss. Dickens may have also done this in order to invoke sympathy in the readers and to get them to become moved by the novel making it so they are more inclined to give to the poor.
The suffering of the poor is also shown in the given extract. It is shown, again, through the characters of Ignorance and Want. However, this time thir suffering is presented as something that was put onto them through others actions. This can be seen in the quote ‘ “They are man’s,” said the Spirit, looking down upon them. Dickens uses the phrase “they are man’s” in order to emphasise how what has happened to them is due to man. From this we can infer that man can also fix them. This is later backed up in the extract through the quote ‘unless the writing be erased’. Dickens is saying in both that what has happened to Ignorance and Want has occured due to the ignorance of the rich and how they ignore the poors problems through putting them in workhouses and prisons. This ignorance is shown in the novel through Scrooge and his actions/ words. His ignorance of the poors situations and him saying ‘ if they had rather die they better do it.’ By Dickens making it so Scrooge’s character says this , it is emphasizing the riche’s views and how they acted. Dickens may have done this so the readers (the rich) could see how they act and what their actions do to people (Ignorance and Want).
i still need to finish this paragraph and write a conclusion
In a Christmas carol Dickens uses Scrooges actions and their consequences to present the suffering of the poor. He also uses a range of other characters in the novel to show this, these include; the Cratchits, Ignorance and Want, as well as the Portly Gentlemans words to present the suffering of the poor. He uses the suffering of the poor as a way to show those reading the novel (especially the rich) how their actions have led to the poor's suffering. Dickens use Tiny Tim as the main poor person in this novel who is suffering. This is due to him being young and innocent and being led to an untimely death. He is seen as innocent due to him being a child, his innocence can also be linked to his Christianity. Dickens does this so the readers are more inclined to feel sympathy towards him and therefore want to give to the poor, so they do not need to go through what the Cratchits went through and suffer any longer.
In this extract the suffering of the poor is being presented through the characters Ignorance and Want. Their suffering is presented throughout this extract, and we are inclined to feel sorry for them due to their description. This is shown in the quote ‘Yellow meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate too in their humility.’ The adjective ‘prostrate’ has the meaning of being overcome or helpless – especially with distress or exhaustion. Dickens may have used this in order to create a small sense of sympathy for these characters from his readers. This may be done as a way to remind his readers how those poorer than the Cratchits are seen as, and what they experience. This is due to them not having a home and having to do things they are not proud of in order to survive. Dickens is also emphasizing how these characters are children and how this can affect them further as they have gone through so much in such a small period of time. Dickens is seen to emphasise their childness through the following phrases found in the extract, ‘children’, and ‘...a boy and a girl.’ Dickens may have done this to show his readers that those who are suffering due to being poor are mostly children and through the characters of ignorance and want the readers can see this, therefore, being invoked with further sympathy and sadness for these characters suffering. This suffering can be seen in the description of them – which was shown in the quote stated above. This can also be seen in the quote ‘where graceful youth should have filled their features out ... a stale shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched and twisted them.’ The simile ‘a stale shrivelled hand like that of age’ could have been used by Dickens as a way to show how poor children are all aged due to the work they are doing – prematurely – in order to survive. And through this work there can be consequences of stress of which ages them. Dickens may have also used this simile in order to show the readers that Ignorance and Want could look aged due to them being close to death. This idea can also be shown through Tiny Tim. This can be due to his cane – this can link to being aged as he has something that is helping him walk like an old man would have (a walking stick). From this we can see that Dicken s uses wordings usually used to describe those close to death in order to describe poor children. This is done to these characters in order to emphasize how the suffering of the poor, and the suffering that they have endured has led to them having a premature death and as a result it continues the cycle of the poor and death. There is a continuous cycle due to the riches’ actions and how they give minimal help to the poor, therefore making it so the poor are not being paid enough to become richer. Dickens has done this in order to create sympathy for the poor and so the rich are more inclined to give to the poor after reading this book and seeing the messages Dickens is giving them. They may also feel more inclined to give to the poor in hopes that they will continue to live and make something of themselves or at least break this unfortunate cycle.
The suffering of the poor is also presented in the wider novel. This is done through the Cratchits and the use of Tiny Tim’s death. This suffering can be presented in the quote ‘my little, little child!’ This is said by Bob Cratchit in stave 4 when Scrooge is taken to the future by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The use of repetition in the adjective ‘little’ is done in order to emphasize how small Tim really was. This can be done by Dickens as it links to the innocence of Tiny Tim, this is due to little being used to describe children and babies. This can then be the reason for the use of ‘little’ in this quote as well as the use of ‘Tiny’ in Tim’s name. Dickens does this in order for the readers to have a sense of empathy towards Tiny Tim as well as for Mr and Mrs Cratchit as they have lost their child. Dickens does this as through the readers feeling sympathy for the Cratchits they will then realise how they are not the only poor people that go through loss like this. This idea could be seen as being initially planted in their mind when they see ignorance and want and the loss of their childhood and eventually the loss of their lives at such a young age. The repetition of ‘little’ is also done by Dicken’s it emphasises how overwhelmed with grief Bob is and adumbrates how Bob will act if Tiny Tim actually dies. This could be done by Dickens to invoke emotion into Scrooge and so Scrooge feels more sympathetic towards the Cratchits and their situation. Dickens may have done this in order to make it so Scrooge is more likely to transform as he has known Bob for a long period of time and deep down may see him like how Marley saw Scrooge. This quote also helps to show how the suffering of the poor is brought about due to capitalism. This is due to Scrooge not raising Bob’s salary and paying him only a meagre wage, of which could not help support Bob’s family, and Tiny Tim’s health, so he had to make it so his children have to work. Dickens may have done this to show how poor people in the Victorian Era lived with bosses making them a victim of capitalism and loss. Dickens may have also done this in order to invoke sympathy in the readers and to get them to become moved by the novel making it so they are more inclined to give to the poor.
The suffering of the poor is also shown in the given extract. It is shown, again, through the characters of Ignorance and Want. However, this time thir suffering is presented as something that was put onto them through others actions. This can be seen in the quote ‘ “They are man’s,” said the Spirit, looking down upon them. Dickens uses the phrase “they are man’s” in order to emphasise how what has happened to them is due to man. From this we can infer that man can also fix them. This is later backed up in the extract through the quote ‘unless the writing be erased’. Dickens is saying in both that what has happened to Ignorance and Want has occured due to the ignorance of the rich and how they ignore the poors problems through putting them in workhouses and prisons. This ignorance is shown in the novel through Scrooge and his actions/ words. His ignorance of the poors situations and him saying ‘ if they had rather die they better do it.’ By Dickens making it so Scrooge’s character says this , it is emphasizing the riche’s views and how they acted. Dickens may have done this so the readers (the rich) could see how they act and what their actions do to people (Ignorance and Want).
i still need to finish this paragraph and write a conclusion
Reply 1
(Note: I didn't study A Christmas Carol, so I don't know any text-specific stuff)
You're doing well with picking out specific words/phrases, but I think you could use more techniques (connotations, semantic field, etc.) to really hit the references examiners want. If you struggle with techniques, don't worry, so do I at A-level English!!! They're a difficult part of the course and very few can master them, but I think giving your best try to include some can really give this answer a boost.
You're doing well with picking out specific words/phrases, but I think you could use more techniques (connotations, semantic field, etc.) to really hit the references examiners want. If you struggle with techniques, don't worry, so do I at A-level English!!! They're a difficult part of the course and very few can master them, but I think giving your best try to include some can really give this answer a boost.
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