Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol: Ignorance & Want Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol is a book which conveys a certain and special message towards the struggling society of the mid 1800s. Ebenezer Scrooge, a shrewd, mean spirited cheapskate goes about a journey of his life, to find the key which will unlock his blindness towards societies problems. Mr. Scrooge in a way, symbolizes societies prosperous future, or at the other extreme represents doom towards another revolution. His ignorance and greed has led society down the path of self destruction, the rich are getting richer the poor are starving and there are only two alternatives: rebellion or poor relief. (pg. 266 kit) The ghost of Christmas present, revels two wretched miserable children who not only scare scrooge by their appearance, but by what they represent symbolically. Scrooge must undergo a transformation, to prevent humanity from enduring a hostile response, to help create a better standard of living for the world in which their children live in. Spirit! Are they yours? They are Mans (pg.108 Dickens) This quote is referring to the two children, and how they belong to Man or are societies children representing the future of humans in this world. If no actions are taken immediately, all of society will feel the affects of the greed, selfishness , and ignorance in a tremendously negative way. Want and Ignorance are a common theme which echo throughout the book. In the position of the poor, they want a better a life. They want education and they want to live. Many thousands are in want , sir. (pg 50 Dickens) However, the ignorance of the rich is the only factor preventing this from happening. Scrooge refers to prisons and workhouses, and if the poor can not go there they should die and decrease the surplus population. (pg 51 Dickens) Dickens uses this phrase to display the ignorance that not only scrooge portrays, but society in general portrays towards the poor. Want ...
