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(Poverty, Redemption, Social injustice, The supernatural, Family, The…
Poverty
Poverty was a huge problem in Victorian society, particular in over-crowded cities like London
Dickens was very concerned by poverty - his own experiences with poverty had taught him how unpleasant it could be. He strongly believed that it was the responsibility of the wealthy to help those who were in poverty. He believed that ignoring this responsibility would eventually cause much bigger problems
Dickens urged people to help the poor by providing them with education and by donating to, and working with, charities.
Scrooge tells the charity collection that it would be better if poor people would die and in doing so 'decrease the surplus population'. This is a direct reference to Malthus's theories - Dickens is highlighting how cruel Malthus's views seemed to be.
Redemption
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Scrooge feels ashamed when the Ghost uses his own words against him. We see him beginning to wish he could change.
In Scrooge we see a man who is transformed from a greedy, selfish miser into a generous and good-natured character by the end.
He is shown the error of his ways by the ghosts that visit him and is redeemed by his own willingness to change. The moral message of the novella is that all human beings have the opportunity to behave in kinder ways towards each other.
Social injustice
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Dickens felt strongly that Victorian society ignored the poverty of its underclass. On the one hand were the rich who enjoyed comfort and feasting at Christmas, and on the other were children forced to live in dreadful conditions in workhouses.
The supernatural
Dickens uses the supernatural to manipulate time and allow Scrooge to travel to his past, present and future - "Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was hos own, to make amends in!"
Family
Dickens balances Scrooge's isolation with descriptions of fun family life that shows us positive benefits of a close and loving family life.
The Spirit ofChristmas
A Christmas Carol focuses on charity, forgiveness, goodwill and generosity 0 values which are an important part of the spirit of Christmas and also reflects Dicken's view of Christianity. A key message in the novel is that people should try to observe these values all year round, not just at Christmas - Scrooge promises, 'I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year'.