Dickens constructs the theme of charity and the Christmas spirit in his allegorical play of A christmas Carol by constructing Scrooge to be a miser and void of the christmas spirit. Dickens does this to depict to the religious Victorian reader that the consequences of not maintaining the christian values of charity will ultimately lead to eternal damnation as seen with Marley. Dickens may also do this to implicitly critique Victorian values and the Malthusian theory.
At the beginning of the novella, Dickens describes the weather as 'foggier,' 'colder,' 'piercing,' and 'biting,' which serves to reflect Scrooge's cold and unfeeling nature. This use of pathetic fallacy emphasizes how Scrooge's emotional state is mirrored in the harshness of his surroundings, reinforcing the theme of charity as he isolates himself from the warmth of human connection furthermore Dickens contrasts this with the “bright” “jovial” weather that is seen by the end of the stave where Scrooge embraces charity and the Christmas spirit. The unpleasant verbs “piercing” and “biting” characterise scrooge at the start of the play who is seen by everyone around him as a unforgiving and ruthless man with no emotions. Dickens highlights this seclusion of scrooge from society as being the consequence of his rejection of the Christmas spirit by constructing his nephew as “ radiating a positive and cheerful demeanor”. The figurative language of “radianting” suggests that Freds jolliness is almost contagious which is further elicited by the semantic field of happiness through the verbs “positive” and “cheerful”. Dickens may have constructed Fred this way to show to his readers that embodying the christmas spirit like Fred is the best chance of attaining happiness in life and avoiding becoming a miser like scrooge which would cause both the contemporary and Victorian readers to realise that to avoid being a miser you must avoid neglecting the Christmas spirit.
In Stave 2, Dickens portrays the importance of charity through the character of Fezziwig, describing “the happiness he gives…as great as if it cost a fortune.” As an employer, Fezziwig serves as a direct foil to Scrooge, embodying warmth, generosity, and community spirit. The verb “gives” frames happiness as a gift, suggesting that emotional generosity is just as vital if not more so than financial generosity. The simile comparing Fezziwig’s joy-giving to something that “cost a fortune” acts as a clear hyperbole, exaggerating the value of his kindness to show that small, thoughtful actions can have a monumental emotional impact. There is also irony in the comparison as although the happiness he provides is described in terms of extreme wealth, it likely cost very little in monetary terms. Dickens uses this to critique the capitalist notion that value must come from money, showing instead that true richness lies in human connection. Through this, Dickens encourages particularly the Victorian elite to reassess what they consider valuable, and to see that sincere, heartfelt charity creates lasting joy without the need for financial excess.
As the novella progresses, Dickens highlights the importance of the Christmas spirit through the utilisation of the ghost of christmas present and the Crachit family. Dickens does this by depicting the Cratchits as “they were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed…” This initial description of the Cratchits would have highlighted the severity of the poverty that they faced. Furthermore, the repetition of “not” alongside the use of semicolons seemingly prolongs the suffering afflicting the Cratchits which would have resonated with the Victorian upper class as being proof that the poor are just a burden to society. However, Dickens quickly includes The triplet 'happy,' 'grateful,' and 'pleased' juxtaposed with the Cratchits' poverty serves to challenge the Victorian upper class's belief in materialism. Each word encapsulates a facet of the Christmas spirit, illustrating that true happiness stems from emotional richness rather than financial wealth and that the poor although plagued with problems still find ways to keep themselves merry while Scrooge is unable to do so. This may have been Dickens' way to persuade the reader that neglect of the Christmas values such as a gratefulness are far more consequential to one's happiness than lack of material wealth is. This unexpected euphoric depiction of the Cratchits would likely leave the material minded Victorian readers to honour the Christmas spirit.
Scrooge is depicted as to maintain his promises of keeping the Christmas spirit and doing “infinitely more”. The hyperbolic phrase “infinitely more” suggests how Scrooge gave and did a lot more than he needed to and as a result Tiny Tim was able to live and he became a “second father” to him. Scrooge's newfound interests and the cratchits along his charitable actions all build up to his new identity where he is described to be “ as light as a feather and as happy as an angel”. This use of simile by Dickens may have been his way to show the outcomes of Scrooge's change in heart were a result of his charitable actions. Furthermore, Scrooges’ charitable work can be seen as a direct rejection of the Malthusian Theory which states that the poor should be left to die and decrease the surplus population to achieve a better society. However, by highlighting the stark contrast and transformation of scrooge from stave 1 where he would have been the perfect follower of Malthus’s theories to stave 5 where he is the antithesis of the Malthusian theory Dickens portrays the flaws in Malthus's theory as Scrooge is seen to have been irreversibly transformed for the better by abandoning the societal neglect that his theory encourages. This would likely leave the Victorian upper class questioning their beliefs and encouraging them to change just as Scrooge has done.
In conclusion, Dickens illustrates that charity and the Christmas spirit are not merely personal virtues but essential societal values. By transforming Scrooge from a miser to a benevolent figure, Dickens urges his Victorian audience to embrace these ideals, suggesting that true happiness and community thrive on generosity and compassion.
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