Poverty is the state in which you are not in a financial situation to afford your basic needs. Poverty is seen in all time periods; generations upon generations can relate to this struggle. It is a timeless theme, everlasting throughout history and in all parts of the world. Poverty and the separation of classes has been around since mankind invented common currency. Countless authors have explored it through multiple perspectives, bringing attention to the struggles endured by people living in poverty and the divide that happens between the rich and the poor. Charles Dickens is one such author who explored this theme in the 1800’s. Through his classic novella, A Christmas Carol, Dickens portrayed how poverty affects everyone, both rich and …show more content…
The 1800’s was the commencement of the Industrial Revolution; a marked time in our history when the inventions of many new machines helped to make people’s lives easier. Many machines invented and built during this time period helped businesses produce their products much more quickly and with less employees. However good this may have been it also caused many people to lose their jobs to machinery, making the rich richer and the working class poorer. Charles Dickens presented the Industrial Revolution in multiple scenes, but one of the most notable to me is during the Christmas Eve church service. The rich and the poor stood on opposite sides of the church which physically showed the gap between them. Not only were they physically separated, but you could see the difference between the rich and the poor through their clothing. The wealthy had bright and colourful new clothing while the poor had dull, worn clothing and no jewellry or fancy accessories. During the Industrial Revolution the poor not only found it hard to afford new and warm clothing but they also had a difficult time
During the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s an economic and industrialized revolution took place in America. As important natural and manmade resources such as Iron, coal, and lumber had just become easily accessible. Which for most meant an improvement on their living conditions, but for the poverty it meant sustaining their life was going to get harder. The wealthy became wealthier and the poor became the mule of labor. “Those who are above the point of separation are elevated, but those who are below are crushed down,” (Doc 3).
The Gilded Age was an age of rapid economic growth. Railroads, factories, and mines were slowly popping up across the country, creating a variety of new opportunities for entrepreneurs and laborers alike. These new inventions and opportunities created “...an unprecedented accumulation of wealth” (GML, 601). But the transition of America from a small farming based nation to a powerful industrial one created a huge rift between social classes. Most people were either filthy rich or dirt poor, with workers being the latter.
As industry exponentially grew after the Civil War, the need for labor and materials to power newly-created manufacturing giants caused new social classes to form: the rich corporation owners and the poor laborers. Unfathomably rich Robber Barons, or plutocratic American Capitalists, dominated the economy and industry and profited from the slave-like work of millions of poor laborers during this time period. Moreover, the poor working class and the rich further divided by distribution of wealth. Therefore, exploitation of capitalism widened the gap between the rich and poor classes of America, and both newly-formed classes developed reasons for the change.
A Christmas Carol Literary Analysis Essay “Today I choose life, every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.” - (Kevyn Aucoin).
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, shows how a greedy man turns from his life of cold-heartedness. Ebenezer Scrooge is the greedy man in the novel who values his money more than anyone or anything. His greed has caused many people to dislike him, even his employees find him cruel and cheap. He begins to change, however, when he is visited by his dead partner Jacob Marley. Marley warns Scrooge that three other Spirits will be visiting him throughout the night, and will help convince him to change his ways.
The collective greed of mankind has resulted in a planet where our resources are being used up at an alarming rate. Greedy people are often looked at like selfish and ignorant human beings. Ebenezer Scrooge is like that, but there was a time that he wasn’t. Ebenezer is a rich businessman who despises the poor. Scrooge didn’t believe in the Christmas Spirit, all he thought was that Christmas was just of load of humbug!(Dickens, 6)
In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens utilizes a plethora of literary devices such as similes, metaphors, imagery, and denouement to explore the capacity for change. This reveals that changing is never impossible until you’re six-feet under. A simile is a comparison that usually uses the word “like” or “as”. Dickens’ use of similes demonstrates how Scrooge changes throughout the story and because of this, we see how changing all aspects of yourself isn’t impossible. “Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self- contained, and solitary as an oyster.”
In A Christmas Carol, Charles dickens relates themes of Christmas, loneliness and Family, to the overall Theme of Compassion. The book is set during the time of Christmas to symbolize generosity, selflessness and love. While it looks at the world from the eyes of an old, rich, grumpy man, whom is the exact opposite, and has yet to understand what it means to care for others. Dickens uses this character of Scrooge, to symbolize greed, selfishness and hatred that is found in a person and in a society. While he introduces other characters to represent the good that has surrounds him.
“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction. ”(Erich Fromm)There is a story based on this quote that involves one greedy man who learns a great lesson from three spirits and an inspiring ghost who used to be his partner. This remarkable book is called A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in December 1843, currently a worldwide play and film. The main character Ebenezer Scrooge was the exact definition of greed until he was visited by Marley, his friend that had died and became a ghost, who brought with him the Spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Scrooge with their help he began to realize the true meaning of Christmas.
Poverty is affecting billions of people around our world and the number is growing with each day. Many people think they can avoid the effects of poverty, but it is something that affects all of our daily lives. Many people see poverty as a person who lacks money, although this is true poverty is caused by many more things than being without money. Just the fact that one in two children live in poverty can help people see clearly the impact it has on our world. Poverty truly does influence the type of care and treatment a person will receive when they need it.
Charles Dickens argues in his writing A Christmas Carol that the poor was being treated cruelly and the rich does not care for the poor. Pg 34 “We should make some slight provisions for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at this present time”. This statement shows that the poor and destitute were not provided with anything and they suffered a lot. ”If they would rather die they better do it, and decrease the surplus population”.
Poverty and deprivation of many kinds is a very serious problem, not only in the United States, but also around the world. In a study in 2014, forty-seven million people living in the U.S. were considered to be in poverty; that is fifteen percent of its population . Poverty and deprivation is a serious topic that everyone should be aware of; if you are not aware of a problem,how are you going to fix it? You can find examples of this topic in almost every where; From books and movies to your everyday life. The most common known definition of poverty is economic poverty, but there is also social, emotional, and spiritual poverty and deprivation.
Poverty is one of the most horrific epidemics in our society today. Poverty is the state of being extremely poor. It is a very serious problem that many people suffer from today. Many issues such as illness, hunger, and bad sanitation are all causes of poverty. Statistics show that there are over 35 million Americans that live in poverty.
‘Poverty’- a simple word with unlimited connotations. Poverty is a universal issue that has been plaguing our Earth for centuries; thus it is essential that the immensity of the situation is acknowledged by everyone. If looked up, you’ll find the exact definition of poverty being: ’general scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. [1] Poverty is a multifaceted concept, which includes social, economic, and political elements. [2] Poverty may be defined as either absolute or relative.’
Poverty is defined as the state of being unable to fulfill basic needs of human beings. Poverty is the lack of resources leading to physical deprivation. Poor people are unable to fulfill basic survival needs such as food, clothing, shelter. These are the needs of lowest order and assume top priority. Poor people are unknown of their lack of voice, power, and rights, which leads them to exploitation.