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Essay / Exploring Dickens' View of Money in A Christmas Carol His)Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayCharles Dickens, in his writings, strove to recreate the world around him and its problems, and so he is normal that money occupies a central place in his novels. He uses fiction to point out the many problems brought to light by industrial progress, such as the pursuit of money, which results in social and economic inequality. He criticizes a society where the accumulation of money is the only reason for living and ignores the plight of the poor. This article attempts to show Dickens's view on money and what it does in his fiction by exploring his short story A Christmas Carol. Dickens has a dual attitude towards money, which is presented as both the source of social problems and their apparent solution. Dickens uses his fictional ghost story to draw the reading public's attention to the consequences of misusing money through the moral development of his hero Scrooge. Dickens despised moneylenders like Scrooge whom he described as a cruel, greedy and lonely person. from the first pages of the story. For Scrooge, money itself is represented as a destination. He is dominated by the search for money, by acquisitions, as the ultimate goal of his life. He was a tight hand on the grindstone, Scrooge! A greedy old sinner who squeezes, tears, grabs, scratches, squeezes! Hard and sharp as flint, of which no steel had ever produced a generous fire; secretive, autonomous and solitary like an oyster. Scrooge embodies the greed and selfishness of 19th century society. The only thing that matters to him is making money. Love and sympathy have no place in a society ruled by money. Scrooge refuses his nephew's invitation to the Christmas dinner because he considers money and materialism more important than love and human relationships. “Why did you get married because you fell in love!” As if it's the only thing in the world more ridiculous than a Merry Christmas. For Scrooge, any pleasant connection between individuals is a “sham”. His ambition changes his personality from a kind child to a cold man. Because his lifestyle is hated by everyone around him, except his nephew and his employee. "No one ever stopped him in the street to say: 'My dear Scrooge, how are you, when will you come to see me?'" Dickens considers that considering money as an end in itself, as an objective of a lifetime, leads to a kind of empty morality. Victorian ideas considered that money instilled cruelty in people and the values that disappear in the human being who has money. disease which infects the one who has it and who desires it However, Dickens considers that the evils which arise from the accumulation of money are due to the nature of the people like Scrooge who seek it and the means by which they do so. Scrooge's failure is not that he is rich but that he does not spend his money. He amassed the fortune inherited from his business partner, Jacob Marley. He did not spend any of his wealth on his own. comfort He lives in the same house as Marley, he only lights one room in the house and his Christmas Eve dinner is a bowl of porridge. He hoards his money and apparently lives in impoverished conditions, suggesting a relationship between wealth and poverty. Money can buy everything but Scrooge spends nothing. Money is seen as a measure of success and he fears losing his place as a reputed businessman in society. Bytherefore, he is a slave to the money he worships. This attitude towards money makes everyone around him unhappy, especially Bob Cratchit. "Scrooge had a very small fire, but the seller's was much smaller than it looked like a simple coal." It's not practical and it's not fair to give your employee a day off on Christmas Day because it prevents Scrooge from earning half a crown for it. His only happiness lies in making a quick profit. The Cratchit family represents the plight of the poor in Victorian England. Scrooge underpays his employee Bob who struggles to provide for his large family despite working hard for his boss. However, Bob has neither the choice nor the means to improve his situation and that of his family. 'Let me hear one more sound from you, and you'll keep your Christmas by losing your situation!'' Bob remains a loyal, dedicated, and humble employee despite Scrooge's harsh treatment. These characters are not able to survive in the world of competitive capitalism. The tale calls for a change in perspective on the poor by treating them with dignity and respect. “I myself do not rejoice at Christmas and I cannot afford to rejoice idle people.” Dickens' intention is to raise awareness of the existence of a poor social class, who work and deserve to be helped. Dickens attributes the growing wealth disparity to laissez-faire capitalism, which is not controlled by law. As a result, this group of workers continues to be exploited and abused. The middle class mentality was to turn a blind eye to unfortunate realities. Dickens uses Scrooge to represent this mentality of ignorance: “But you must know; These are not my things ; It is enough for a man to understand his own affairs and not to interfere in those of others. Scrooge refuses to give money to private charities because he invests in public charities and considers his low rates to be quite sufficient: “Are there no prisons? And the Union workshops? Are they still in force? So the treadmill and the Poor Law are in full force? Oh, I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something would stop them in their useful course, "I contribute to supporting the establishments of which I spoke: they are quite expensive: and those which are badly off must go. “For Dickens, it is morally wrong to think that a person's wealth gives him the right to decide whether someone else has the right to live or die.” The government's efforts to deal with the enormous suffering that existed in early Victorian England with the new Poor Law were seen as harsh and a lack of concern for individual dignity. “Many cannot go, and many prefer to die. » Scrooge places himself in a position of superiority to judge the worth of people. “If they would rather die, they had better do so and reduce the excess population. Besides, I don't know. » Dickens hated businessmen who measure everything in terms of gain and profit, believing that all human beings, all living beings and inanimate objects have a real existence only if they make money or help to do so. This idea is represented through Scrooge's attitude towards the poor. “What right do you have to be joyful? What reason do you have to be happy? You are quite poor. » Dickens uses Tiny Tim as pathos to make the wealthy people of London aware of the influence they have had on people's lives. Readers are led to believe that Tiny Tim will die due to the lack of medical care provided due to lack of money. Likewise, the novel emphasizesthe harmful environmental effects of poverty through a boy and a girl who were “yellow, thin, ragged, sullen, wolfish, but also prostrate in their humility”. Dickens takes a materialist and deterministic view of the relationship between character and environment. Ignorance and want are included in the story to demonstrate how they have been forgotten and neglected by the middle classes. Amid the excesses of an industrial society, these children will die of hunger. Dickens establishes a link between generosity and degradation. For Dickens, poverty is an evil in itself. These children are representative of the class of poor children who need help to change their destiny. The lack of education does not give them the opportunity to change their social status and leaves them in poverty where they will die of diseases due to poor diet or lack of hygiene. Money dehumanizes and morally degrades people. The three spirits of Christmas and that of Marley inform him about the inessential nature of wealth. “You have a chance, but a chance and a hope of escaping my fate.” Improper use of their wealth during life dooms ghosts to remain tied to their wares after death, when it is too late to change. After their death, they lose their economic power. Scrooge lives in his bachelor pad surrounded by boxes, keys, padlocks, etc., which represent his financial practice. His apartment is a reflection of himself, a space in which he makes money and spends nothing. To people like Scrooge, every human being has the value of nothing more than a commodity. Scrooge is immune to his nephew's humanizing influence until the very end of the story, when he sees his own future death. The ghost of the past confronts him with the moment in his life when he chose wealth over love. Bell says it was replaced by "an idol of gold." Memory reminds Scrooge of a time when he still felt emotionally connected to others before he locked himself into a stark state of alienation. Scrooge must develop compassion for others so that he can use his money in a different way. After Scrooge's redemption, he becomes more generous. It improves the lives of the entire Cratchit family. He increases Bob's salary and buys them a turkey. He makes a generous donation to the two gentlemen who were collecting money the day before and he thanks them for accepting his donation. The short story emphasizes the need to express correct feelings towards the poor. If people were more generous, society would be a better place to live. Through fiction, Dickens wants to reestablish a sentimental link between the middle class and the poor. However, it exposes the social problems existing in capitalist society; he does not advocate major changes in the social system. Scrooge is not supposed to abandon his business, nor is the capitalist system supposed to be changed in any way. Neither Scrooge nor the reader can ever escape the fundamental principles of capitalist exchange. Dickens' intention is to inspire the masters of society to be compassionate towards others and not only concerned with profitability. They must take responsibility for the general welfare in order to preserve the existence of society. Affection and kindness are essential to the preservation of humanity.Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayTo summarize, Dickens highlights the importance of money as a social panacea. All social issues are organized under the general theme of money. Money can buy everything. It defines a place within society. Nevertheless, Dickens, 1968).
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