Dickens was writing at a time when people of noble birth were no longer the only rich people in the country. Many middle-class people were rising to power and wealth by running successful factories or industries – and through their own hard work rather than the family they were born into. In addition, the Great Reform Bill of 1832 meant middle class property owners could vote for the first time, so these people became influential in society. The belief amongst some middle-class people was that anyone could succeed with enough effort, and that the poor were lazy and not worth bothering with.
Dickens hated this attitude –the one seen in the character, Scrooge, and believed anyone with wealth and influence should help those less fortunate than themselves. He also thought that it was particularly unfair to neglect the poor, as, for example, the wealthy factory owner’s riches was usually built on the hard work and often low wage exploitation of the factory workers.
Scrooge represented the unfair world where for many, human relations were secondary to profit.

	Created by Olivia Bamber over 8 years ago

GCSE English Literature Slide Set on A Christmas Carol Context, created by Olivia Bamber on 05/04/2016.