Context

Industrial Revolution

A time of rapid urban growth and wealth inequality. Dickens shows the dehumanising effects of capitalism through Scrooge’s greed and the Cratchits’ poverty.

Workhouses and the Poor Law of 1834

The law forced the poor into harsh workhouses. Dickens strongly opposed this and uses Scrooge’s attitude (“Are there no workhouses?”) to criticise this brutal system.

Christian Morality

Christian values of charity, forgiveness, and redemption are central to the novella. Dickens promotes these ideals as a moral guide for Victorian society.

Malthusian Economics

Thomas Malthus argued that the poor should be left to die to control population growth. Scrooge echoes these views early on, which Dickens critiques as heartless and dangerous.

Child Poverty and Education

Lack of education and child labour were major social issues. Dickens highlights this through Tiny Tim’s fragility and the symbolic children Ignorance and Want.

Dickens’ Own Childhood

Dickens experienced poverty firsthand when his father was imprisoned for debt. This personal suffering shapes his sympathetic portrayal of the poor and his call for reform.

Christmas Traditions

The novella helped revive and shape modern Christmas values—family, generosity, goodwill—which were fading in Victorian times. Dickens popularised them through this story.

Social Responsibility

Dickens believed the rich had a moral duty to help the poor. Scrooge’s transformation promotes this idea, reflecting Dickens’ hope for a more compassionate society.

The Gothic and the Supernatural

Dickens uses ghosts and eerie imagery to explore moral truth and human conscience, blending Gothic tradition with a moral tale.

Serialized Publication

First published in 1843 as a short novella. Its accessible format meant it reached a wide audience, including the working class, spreading Dickens’ social message more effectively.