A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Essay Example For Students

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Essay A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens An unsurpassed blending of vibrant story telling and social conscience . Dickens achieves such storytelling through a clever use of words woven into both a vibrant story and an analysis of the current centauries social failings. The story follows Scrooge, an old unkind grouch whose actions are usually of a cruel and heartless nature. Even his attitude to the current month of Christmas is that it is merely a waste of time that could be used for more work. Its interesting that Dickens has chosen such a cruel man as the main character; however his intentions are that this will highlight to an extreme the poverty that the secondary characters are shown in. Dickens example of such less well off characters is his main employee is a young worker named Bob Cratchitt, a poor man who lives in poverty with his family and there young crippled son Tiny Tim. Scrooge cares nothing for the poor and only sees Bob as his clerk. This was common at the time that the book was set as the poor were often forgotten, frowned upon and mistreated. Poverty was one of the key points that Dickens tries to put forward in the book to try and influences peoples attitudes towards the poor. Because of Scrooges nature towards Christmas and his clerk he is reluctant to let Bob send the day off, however in the end he does. This reveals something about Scrooges character, it suggest that there is good in him as a truly cold hearted man would have asked Bob to work Dickens may have displayed this to highlight changes that take place at the end of the book. The text then goes on to Marleys ghost. Scrooge is warned by his old friends ghost when he arrives home of three ghosts that will come to visit him. Marleys Ghost scene is there as a sort of introduction to the events that will take place later on in the book. It develops Scrooges character more showing his true frailty. Marleys ghost warns of three spirits that will appear to him of past, present and future. Marley also explains what will become of him if he does not change, mentioning the chains that drape around him are the troubles of his past life, each one represents a bad deed he has perform and they now follow him around weighing down apron him, he warns that the same fate will befall scrooge unless he changes his ways. Marley predicts the arrival of three ghosts the first being the past. The ghost of the past shows Scrooge his childhood. The character of scrooge further develops here showing us how scrooge was mistreated and forgotten as a child. It forwards the story along to the next chapter of the book and acts as an axis for the next part. The ghost of Christmas present. The ghost of Christmas present focuses on the life time now and is there to develop Scrooges kinder side. From the conversation about Tiny Tim where scrooge asks whiter Tiny Tim will live. Dickens also shows a scene that wasnt the custom at the time. He showed the Cratchitt family together at Christmas as a family, this was an image that wasnt usually associated with Christmas and another issue that Dickens was also trying to influence. Much like Dickens ideas of the portrayal of people in poverty Dickens also tries to entangle this message into his story in order to influence the readers of the book explaining the importance of Christmas family values. Shows us Scrooges devolving character. The last ghost of Christmas future serves as the chapter of change. He we learn of what will come. When Scrooge sees his own death and how he is viewed by others now he has passed on. This acts as the closing of this part of the book and brings the book back into a more realistic phase. Moral Development and Dilemmas of Huckleberry Finn EssayAs stated before, the fact that Pip gave him something to eat in the first chapter, the convict is very grateful towards him and furthermore, he acts as if he is indebted to Pip. I can deduce from the way he was kissing Pips hand that what Pip has once done for him in his innocence and fear, means the world to Magwitch. He thinks that the person hes made out of Pip is nothing compared to what Pip has done to him. As far as Pip is concerned, he feels embarrassed by the presence of the convict. He keeps thinking that it is good that his roommate is not in to see such a scene. He looks through the window to see if someone is walking around. He doesnt even want to sleep in the same room as Magwitch and he wants him to go far away very soon as he tells Magwitch my friend and companion, said I, rising from the sofa, is absent; you must have his room, (chapter 39, pg 306, line 37-38). It seems to me that Magwitch is like a burden to Pip. I think that Pip is imagining that how can such a good and refined person like him be talking to a prisoner whom he has once helped and has been so scared of. Likewise, Pip has grown older and much more wiser than in the first chapter. On top of that, hes developed an arrogant attitude towards others less successful than him and to persons who love him as well, like Joe and Magwitch. What is more surprising is at the moment that he knows that the culprit was providing him with money; he does not want to accept that fact at all. He always thinks that Miss Havisham was his benefactor because like that, he could have a chance to marry Estella in the future. He does not imagine his benefactor to be a prison evader. It is amazing how people forget who they are once they get money. They dont even realise that all these material things are provided only for a while and that their loved ones are more important than all things else. I think that the message Charles Dickens wants to pass is how people react when they come to know the truth. The writer wants us to have views on how dirty peoples minds are and how bad they could be although they may seem good. The writer wants to inform people that no matter how bad a person can be on the outside, you never know how good he can really be on the inside. Dickens uses Magwitch and his daughter, Estella, to display how artificial social class is. Also, the writer shows, in the character of Magwitch, how many good people are falsely accused as being criminals, whereas swindlers like Compeyson, who has trapped Magwitch and made him a so-called criminal, can get away with it. In addition to this, the writer wants to point out how the legal system enables the rich to oppress the poor. As far as Pip and Magwitch are concerned, I think the writer is showing us as readers, how people do a lot of good things in the world without expecting something in return. There are some people yet, that want good for us to express their gratefulness, like Magwitch. The lesson that the latter also teaches us is how with time, people grow wiser and realise their past mistakes. Finally, all through the story, we have seen how an orphan for whom we have so much chagrin, turns out to be a self- centered and materialistic young adult. He even goes that far as to reject Joe, who loves him more than his life. Needless to mention the man, Magwitch, who struggled to make him the person he now is and so proud of being. In addition to this, he realises not too late at the end fortunately, that no matter how much fortune one may have, it does not serve much in life, like it cannot buy love and trust. I think that the message in this story is that money does not make a person. We are much more happy poorer, than richer, taking Joe and Pip for good example. Even if Joe is poor, he is finally married to Biddy, the person he loves. Whereas Pip has got all the comfort life has to offer, but he is alone to enjoy it. He has neither a family, nor a lover by his side.