A Christmas Carol - Context

Dickens sympathised with the poor because his father was jailed for debt and Dickens had to spend time working in a factory.
The poor Law of 1834 sent the poor into workhouses. Dickens opposed it as inhumane.
The economist, Thomas Malthus believed famines (extreme scarcity of food) and disasters were nature's way of controlling the surplus population.
Infant mortality was high in Victorian times. Dickens explores the emotional consequences of this in the novel.
Characters with a humanitarian outlook (seeking to promote human welfare) are created to contrast with Scrooge's selfish personality. Mr Fezziwig is a good example.
Dickens was a Christian; by the end of the novel, Scrooge's behaviour embodies the Christian virtues of charity, generosity and compassion.
The novel celebrates food at Christmas. For the poor, Christmas was the one time of the year in which they could indulge themselves and enjoy what they have - Cratchits.
The novel explores the poverty of London. Streets are often described negatively and some of the poor have been brutalised by the harsh conditions.
The novel suggests that London could be a grim place in Victorian times with pollution, crowding and poverty.
Dickens passionately supported the idea of education for all. He championed the Ragged Schools movement which provided schooling for the destitute.
The detailed description of shops celebrates the power of commerce to transform a normally drab environment at Christmas.

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