How is poverty presented in A Christmas Carol stave 3?
Throughout stave three, poverty is rife and obvious and the Cratchit family are the most obvious example of how poverty is a terrible curse on society but that it cannot define you. The whole stave reinforces the joy in being a part of the human race and shows that despite hardship people can be and are resilient.
The five words – 'wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable' – that Dickens uses to present these children express his view of the pitiful effects of poverty on vulnerable people. He shows that even Scrooge is 'appalled' at their plight.
The kindness of the spirit and the way he favors the poor with his incense shows both how strong the virtues of Christmastime are in the poor population but also how those poor are neglected by the charity of the living.
Poverty is represented by the character Cratchit who is Scrooge's clerk. He symbolises their two classes through the motif of coal. Scrooge gets as much coal as he likes and gets the bucket to “top it up,” but Cratchit only gets “one piece” and daren't ask for another in case he gets fired.
- "Many thousands are in want of common Necessaries" quote from a charity collector. ...
- "brave in ribbons" ...
- "reeked with crime, and filth, and misery" ...
- "If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population" ...
- "This boy is ignorance, this girl is want" ...
- "Dismal little cell"
At the start of stave three the reader is introduced to the opposite of poverty with the abundance of food and Christmas greenery surrounding the Ghost of Christmas Present which could be to show how much food and wealth was available to a select few.
Dickens presents the Cratchit family in the extract as poor, Tiny Tim is not well and can't afford a doctor because they have not much money Tiny Tim says “God bless us every one”. This shows he is happy and glad he can enjoy christmas.
" Scrooge entered timidly and hung his head before the spirit." This shows that Scrooge is changing and is ashamed of himself for what he has done in the past. This makes a harsh contrast to scrooge previously, "hard and sharp as flint." which shows he is changing.
He felt that he was restored to consciousness in the right nick of time, for the especial purpose of holding a conference with the second messenger dispatched to him through Jacob Marley's intervention.
The figure, a majestic giant clad in green robes, sits atop a throne made of a gourmet feast. In a booming voice, the spirit announces himself as the Ghost of Christmas Present. He tells Scrooge that he has more than 1800 brothers and his lifespan is a mere single day.
How are Ignorance and Want presented in Stave 3?
Ignorance and Want are allegorical characters that lack a personality and purely symbolise Scrooge's ignorance and want. They make an appearance on page 75&76 in Stave Three. Allegorical- they are just the words 'ignorance' and 'want' and are not real life children with real personalities.
Dickens knew this and campaigned against this and perhaps the repetition in Stave three of A Christmas Carol, by the Ghost of the Present, of Scrooge's callous disregard for the poor is a reminder that all mankind of the time had a social responsibility to object to the cruelty of the workhouses and indeed the prisons.
The boy in this scene represents Ignorance, and the Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge to “most of all beware the boy”. This strongly conveys Dickens' message about poverty and the poor, as he is trying to tell society that ignoring the struggles and problems of the poor will be their downfall.
“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.”
Scrooge is apathetic about the plight of the poor. He believes that his taxes pay for the prisons and workhouses, so he doesn't feel the needs to donate anything to charity. He suggests that if they would rather die, "they had better do it", and "decrease the surplus population".
Dickens illustrates how the ignorance of those in society, who like Scrooge, assume that people suffering in poverty are sinners, undeserving of help, creates a cycle of poverty where children Page 2 suffer hardships and then develop into damaged “hideous,” and “miserable,” adults.
In Stave 3 of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', the Ghost of Christmas Present appears to Scrooge. Learn more about what happens on Scrooge's journey with this ghost.
In the figure of Tiny Tim, Dickens is essentially remaining his readers that poverty has little or nothing to do with being lazy; all too often it's a case of simple bad luck, and it's innocent children like Tiny Tim who are the main victims.
Ignorance and Want are allegorical characters that lack a personality and purely symbolise Scrooge's ignorance and want. They make an appearance on page 75&76 in Stave Three. Allegorical- they are just the words 'ignorance' and 'want' and are not real life children with real personalities.
The Cratchits are poor but they appreciate what they have. They're portrayed as an unrealistically perfect family who don't need money to make them emotionally rich. By contrast, Scrooge is financially wealthy, but he's poor in companionship and enjoyment.
How does Ignorance and Want change Scrooge?
Ignorance and Want in 'A Christmas Carol' - YouTube
How does Ignorance relate to Scrooge? Why does the ghost focus on him? Ignorance is bred from people of Scrooge's nature, who ignore the poor and refuse to give them help for the problems they face. This will lead to greater problems in the future.
" Scrooge entered timidly and hung his head before the spirit." This shows that Scrooge is changing and is ashamed of himself for what he has done in the past. This makes a harsh contrast to scrooge previously, "hard and sharp as flint." which shows he is changing.
Through the characters of 'Ignorance and Want' who lurk beneath the spirit's gown, poverty is presented as being incredibly harsh on those that suffer from it. The spirit reveals to Scrooge how their limbs might, “be a claw, for the flesh” upon it.
He tells Scrooge that he has more than 1800 brothers and his lifespan is a mere single day. The spirit orders Scrooge to touch his robe. Upon doing so, the feast and the room vanish instantly and Scrooge finds himself alongside the spirit in the midst of the bustling city on Christmas morning.
