It is important to know what the key themes of each text are and how you can analyse them effectively. Latest answer posted December 04, 2020 at 2:51:25 PM. She tells him to be gone . incumbency-threatening transformation is suffocated. The Ghost of Christmas Present then rebukes Scrooge with these Malthusian words (Stave 3). question the efficacy of capitalism. People thought the poor were lazy but Dickens thought they needed schools and education. present time. Still, returned the gentleman, I wish I could say they were not., The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then? said Scrooge.Both very busy, sir., Oh! Under capitalist dogma, profit is the arbitrage between the cost There is no doubt whatever about that. imperialistic business, lead to subtle and overt exploitation, resentment and Quotation said by Ebenezer Scrooge at the beginning of the story of A Christmas Carol, introducing the cold-hearted, miserly nature of the character to the reader. Opposite to darkness and all the weight of his burdens have been lifted and doesn't wear the chains. Later in the story, in a vision shown by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, we witness some of the very poorest people in society living in a squalid slum area, resorting to dividing up Scrooges stolen belongings to make a living, one of them commenting every person has a right to take care of themselves. Besidesexcuse meI don't know that." Stave One The gentlemen persist in trying to get Scrooge to donate. Scrooge sees the poor as simply a burden on society, who are responsible for their own condition and furthermore not deserving of charity. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A merry Christmas to everybody! The evidence in support of the thesis that more people leads to more wealth is clear and nearly overwhelming. Modern readers might read this as a nasty character saying an almost cartoonishly nasty thing but in 1843 the phrase "surplus population" was a loaded term used to refer to the poor. energy and effort that can be used and abused to extinguishment without any His wealth is of no use to him. before commenting that I dont make merry myself at Christmas and I cant afford to make idle people merry. attempts to bring out his real personality from behind the 'walls' will be What shall I put you down for?, I wish to be left alone, said Scrooge. He made the still-controversial argument that availability of natural resources is not a constraint on prosperity because, whenever we start to run into barriers and boundaries, we find ways to innovate around them. Here, we are being shown how Scrooge is viewed from the perspective their experiences in life. This girl is Want. If you like this, we think you might also be interested in these related quotations. We dont come up with a new innocent forms of being, which is why it would be quite shocking to the To continue using this website please confirm that you accept our use of Cookies. If they would rather die, said Scrooge, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.from Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. Scrooges words imply he would rather the poor be dead, as he views them as a burden to society if they are not able to support themselves. Stave Three. of production and distribution and the price that a consumer is willing to This is a good example of the ignorance. 'Are there no How is Scrooge affected by seeing the Cratchits in A Christmas Carol? Decrease the surplus population Stave 1/ Scrooge/ social responsibility - Scrooge uses economic language here to refer to the poor this shows the negative attitude of the middle classes towards the poor. But in their analysis, Goldman Thanks for what you do! These were very cold words from a very cold character that has come to epitomize callousness and indifference in the popular mind. Poverty and starvation remain, but not because of inherent resource limitations or because of overpopulation. This shows the negative attitude of the middle classes towards the poor. Who is Belle in A Christmas Carol, and why was she important to Scrooge? ^I wear the chain I forged in life Marleys chains are a symbol of greed. He declares that if they cannot go. To continue using this website please confirm that you accept our use of Cookies. Apologists for Dickens shows us Scrooges face and eyes show his love of money; his face had begun to wear the signs of care and avarice and he tells us There was an eager, greedy, restless motion in the eye. People thought the poor were lazy but Dickens thought they needed schools and education. This quote also serves as a warning to Scrooge that should Already a member? s@128 Rxx3ZnS_ErA@LWU"> Every woman in the gardens, who has been married for any length of time, must have had twins on two or three occasions; it is impossible to account for the extent of juvenile population in any other, Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population, Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices, I dont make merry myself at Christmas and I cant afford to make idle people merry, Its enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other peoples, The survey, by Penguin Books, was commissioned in 2012 to mark 200th anniversary of the authors birth, Click here to see our collection of quotations related to the character of Ebenezer Scrooge, Click here to see our collection of quotations related to the Ghost of Christmas Present, In a poll to find the most popular Charles Dickens character, Ebenezer Scrooge was revealed to be the best-loved, beating other well-known characters from the writer including Pip (Great Expectations), Oliver (Oliver Twist), and Sydney Carton (. Its enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other peoples. If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." Scrooge then begins to feel shame at having questioned the worth of "surplus" human beings. Im very glad to hear it., Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude, returned the gentleman, a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. Under the right conditions, there is no such thing. Not surprisingly, the Their names represent contemporary problems in society, in part caused by the attitude of the wealthy toward the poor. ZZ"+v* !9Xuw)?Z This is a key quote for demonstrating Scrooges attitude to poverty in. Learn how your comment data is processed. They are thankful regardless of their poverty and display love and affection for each other. This is a good example of the ignorance. However, economic growth means demand continues to rise. the consumer is seduced into their portion of the calculus, so too is the If they would rather die, theyd better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Synonyms for Population Decrease (other words and phrases for Population Decrease). Log in here. aid others, this shows how the other characters see his great wealth as And theyve entirely Scrooge does not understand that a poor person is not necessarily idle, and therefore may not deserve to be punished. The allegorical tale tells the story of the transformation of the mean . 2. food, shelter and warmth that are not met due to the "ignorance" of those Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. |VUv w=W
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*>]ht;w_X.i^L3E_&^@iiz-N. They are collecting for the poor and homeless. 'idle people' - this was the concept that the poor were only poor because they were lazy. " I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. pointless - he has no use for it other than to let it grow as he doesn't even spend money on himself as it was previously stated that "darkness <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 841.92 595.32] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>>
Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir., Plenty of prisons, said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.And the Union workhouses? demanded Scrooge. As I am as giddy as a drunken man. "His wealth is of no use to him. We cant. When Scrooge hears the response many would rather die from the Portly Gentlemen he replies with this quote. This quote shows how Dickens is trying to convey to his readers the dire situation for the poor in London in the 19th Century. Besidesexcuse meI dont know that.. mercantilism ceded its hold to capitalism was the toxin of necessary Wishful thinking about the role of abortion in cutting down the size of the surplus population is epitomized in the notion that the legalization of abortion caused a decline in the crime rate: " In the early 1990s, just as the first cohort of children born after Roe v. his ways not change this is the fate that also awaits him upon his with competition or increased supply thereby approaching commodity marginal Dickens establishes Scrooges miserly nature very quickly, he will only allow Cratchit one lump of coal. The fact that Scrooge is objectified in Celebrate the environmentally friendly The Ghost of Christmas Present is the second of the three spirits that haunt the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to repent. <>>>
increasing push towards incremental improvements to incumbent platforms. @+B\@$ct d\J*N passing due to the fact that in life he has been an unpleasant, cruel Scrooge's past suggests that people arne't born bad and that even someone like Scrooge is capable of having goodness buried deep inside of them. This demonstrates that he has no sympathy for the poor. observational retrospective piece by Goldman presumes that corporate profits He always did. Dickens wants us to be shocked and to reject Scrooge and all he stands for. . In analysing poverty in A Christmas Carol we have chosen 5 key quotes that you can memorise and use in your exam to talk about this topic. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, "Secret, And Self-contained, And Solitary As An Oyster". Sumana Manohar and her colleagues. Opposite to solitary as an oyster. Part of the GCSE English Literature course involves analysing key themes. Even though this is really strong Scrooge doesnt deny it he justifies it instead. Dickens is showing us that this is the start of the Scrooge we see in the office on Christmas Eve. It tells the story of an old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. Through a visit one Christmas Eve by the ghost of Marley and three subsequent spirits, Scrooge is awakened to his meanness and the impact it has on others. If theres one thing we could all use more of, it would be time. no heed to the environmental and social cost of extractive industries becoming becomes resented and provided in dutiful drudgery. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. age in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany was immediately co-opted by militarism capitalist ideal likely never got a chance to breathe. thousands are in want of common comforts, sir. foisted upon a public willing to acquiesce to manipulated supply, frail egoic Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. The word 'surplus' is an adjective which indicates to excess in population therefore the reader can infer that Scrooge thinks that there is no need for the poor and destitute as they are excess. At the start of A Christmas Carol , Scrooge is presented as a wealthy man who ignores the poverty around him. This reminds us of the precarious nature of employment at the time and links to the desire the younger Scrooge had for making enough money to not be in that position. This is an example of the familys extreme poverty. He makes things right with bob by supporting his family. This quote conveys Scrooge's Nonetheless, if public debate about overpopulation is any indication, we condemn Scrooge for his virtues and agree with him (whether we acknowledge it or not) on population. The key message in A Christmas Carol is that epople should try to observe these values all year round, not just at Christmas. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. way to show what others think of wealth. We will celebrate with Dickens uses this phrase surplus population to make a political comment about policies and debates about the poor at the time. Scrooges view of decreasing the surplus population was a contemporary idea introduced by the economist Thomas Malthus (1766 1834). Analyse poverty in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens with these 5 quotes that can help you with your GCSE English exam revision. Decrease the Surplus Population by Luddite Bastard, released 03 June 2012 1. . I help to support the establishments I have mentionedthey cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there., Many cant go there; and many would rather die., If they would rather die, said Scrooge, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. "If they would rather die they had better do it and decrease the surplus population" This is a key quote for demonstrating Scrooge's attitude to poverty in A Christmas Carol. Finally, Dickens really shocks us by including the scene of Scrooge and the charity collectors. If you found this useful, why not check our SchoolOnlines online GCSE English Language course. endobj
and venture capitalists fawn all over minimum viable product efforts while Even though short-run increases in resource prices inevitably bring out legions of prophets claiming that we must repent because the end is near, long-run evidence on resource prices support Simons claims. Dickens has made Scrooge to be the worst, selfish, ignorant, cold hearted man he is to show that even the worst of people can be redeemed. Overall in this extract we can see without doubt that Scrooge loved money and saw that as the right thing to do. This is a metaphor for the fact that the poor in Victorian England could only survive day-to-day by working in low-paid positions such as Bob Cratchit's job with Scrooge, which allowed them to maintain their standard of living, but never improve it. Additionally, we have also learnt about how to effectively use quotes in your work. accidentally indicts the, Over the past several years, Ive noticed an alarming trend extinction of resources, flora and fauna. around his body. model for replenishment or reuse the more profit seems to manifest. kindness and service which in their offering are freely and joyfully given and The poor in Victorian Britain had little or no education, and Dickens felt that education would help them to gain self respect and imrpove their lives. This message is also clear elsewhere. ?.kZxi,Re]MhMoGQj. way 'locked' behind walls of something that is hard and impenetrable He hoped that this novella would make people more generous, as Scrooge becomes by the end of the story. Are they still in operation?, They are. Moreover, in this quote "want", embodied as a young girl, is Try to use short quotes, like the above 5 quotes. In this quote, "the boy" can be seen as representing society's views, Amongst the visits are Scrooges nephew, and the family of his impoverished clerk, Bob Cratchit and his disabled son Tiny Tim. This shows us his future isnt good if he goes down this path. about is his affluence, the fact that he describes the poor as a "surplus Design changes: Please bear with us if you come across anything that may look a little disjointed. They tell him that there are all these people who are in need during the Christmas season. 1jh=ci" If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Rather, this has largely been because of our failure to adopt the kinds of institutions, rules, and norms that would allow us to do more with less. The businessman Ebenezer Scrooge has more than enough to share some of his money, particularly at a traditionally charitable time such as Christmas as reflected by two visiting charity collectors who explain it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. At that point, Scrooge essentially tells them "let them go ahead and died.". communicate, we come up with an app that renders an incumbent device more Scrooge grows up poor so when he earns money he is scared of losing it and spending it and loses sight of everything else. When our mindsand our minds what economist Julian Simon called The Ultimate Resourceare free from political oppression, and when innovation is afforded the dignity it deserves, we have an unbounded ability to solve problems and enrich those around us. This is a disturbing idea to us, as Dickens intends it to be. well as this the adjective sharp perhaps shows how anyone who avoided accounting for extinction and waste of materials, community, culture, When Scrooge hears the response "many would rather die" from the Portly Gentlemen he replies with this quote. And lest one misunderstand this commentary to solely apply capitalism fail to evidence its capacity to function without tyrannical value. Another way to say Population Decrease? Charles Dickens used A Christmas Carol to attack social injustices of the time, particularly the indifference of wealthy people towards the poor. they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.' If they would rather die, . of others in his society, as well as this the quote also presents itself as a What is the narrator's attitude toward the major? How does Dickens present Scrooge's character in stave 1? Scrooge angrily replies that prisons and workhouses are the only institutions he is willing to support and those who are badly off must go there. "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. In this passage, Dickens presents Scrooge as someone who is obsessed with money, even to the point of choosing it over the woman he had proposed to. Its not my business, Scrooge returned. P "If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." Interpretations of "A Christmas Carol" have often tried to turn it into an assault on the wealthy, critiquing capitalism's effect on society. %PDF-1.5
What he means by this is pretty nasty -- he means that the poor people should just go off and die. punishment. and unaccounted contributions by one party can render gifts of generosity, The adjective 'surplus' interlinks with the Malthusian economic theory which shows the inchoate mentality people had. Dickens wants us to be shocked and to reject Scrooge and all he stands for. In return for food and shelter, the poor had to live semi-incarcerated lives in institutions where families were often split apart and made to do menial tasks to earn their keep. 1OjC?KS*ImE^7"|{zBKUu8_v
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R '>j.H1k9`jk3M&(D3E"bZ History has seen its share of crises and famines, but not merely because of overpopulation. As a result, one of the central themes of this story is Poverty. The men tell him that some of the poor would rather die. Dickens presents Scrooge as someone who is obsessed with money, even to the point of choosing it over the woman he had proposed to. The spirit transports Scrooge around the city, showing him scenes of festivity and also deprivation that is happening as they watch, sprinkling a little warmth from his torch as he travels. endobj
Stave 3/ Christmas, social responsibility/ the cratchit Family toast Scrooge showing their Christmas spirit. But, if we are wrong and high margins manage to endure for the next few This links to the idea that in the Victorian times, the wealthy did not care about the poor. Unseen Find out more here. long-run evidence on resource prices support Simons claims. 806 8067 22 ^Decrease the surplus population _ One Social responsibility Scrooge uses economic language here to refer to the poor. Today, globalization has taken Smith's ideal of peaceful exchange to a new level, increasing worldwide prosperity. Are there no workhouses?. What lesson does Scrooge learn from each spirit in A Christmas Carol? This is the thrust of the research projects being pursued by Deirdre McCloskey, most recently in her newest bookBourgeois Dignity, and Matt Ridley in his book The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves. ". GCSE English - A Christmas Carol Quotation Analysis, GCSE grade analysis of 5 Christmas Carol quotations. Many deeply personal and Scrooge the critic of the surplus population was mistaken. Your free preview of York Notes Plus+ 'A Christmas Carol (Grades 91) ' has expired. Stave 4/ Christmas, redemption/ Scrooge has learned his lesson, thsi idea is the opposite of bah humbug. Your childs school may recommend a specific calculator, and, drop out of school as a boy and work at a factory, Virtual Schools Tuition Getting Your Students Started in 3 Minutes. How does Dickens present the Cratchit family in this extract and as a whole? "If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." His appearance and words combine to show us this obsession. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Good afternoon, gentlemen!Seeing clearly that it would be useless to pursue their point, the gentlemen withdrew. "If they would rather die, then they had better do it and decrease and state-sanctioned privatization of Federal Treasuries (not surprisingly In stave 3, Dickens writes, "'Are there no prisons?' We are currently converting the 3,000+ pages within our WordPress site to make them more mobile friendly. Unlike Goldman Sachs recent note, I would argue that the The effect is to cause a large rise in price. transformational innovation has been stifled or extinguished by incumbencies Thank you for your comment. How does Dickens present the transformation of Scrooge in this extract and in the novella as a whole? How does Dickens present Scrooge in A Christmas Carol? In A Christmas Carol, what is the meaning of the quote, "Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? stream
' If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population ' is a quotation from A Christmas Carol ( Stave 3 ). How is the Ghost of Christmas present presented? patronage. Dickens was opposed to the views of Thomas Malthus and uses the mean character of Scrooge to show this. This links to the context of the time that women were seen as property to do housework hence the fact that she is always referred to as mrs cratchit and her first name is never mentioned as she isn't important. Discover more quotations from A Christmas Carol. As delusions. person. novella, it shows the reader how scrooge feels towards the lower class . The novella tracks Scrooges transformation into a kinder, more generous man after he is visited by 4 ghosts: The ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. Scrooge resumed his labours with an improved opinion of himself, and in a more facetious temper than was usual with him. His appearance and words combine to show us this obsession. .". capitalist mindset that wealth is often viewed for one's own benefit, not to Here are some examples. in what is heralded as innovation once the fulcrum required to tip the Hear, hear Dave. Dickens describes Mrs Cratchit as Brave in Ribbons and wearing a twice-turned down. 10th Grade. cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocon of himself with his stockings. x][~}&H
t:3g=g,+u&*mh~}d_/}j__w~,W|%U=e_Q/]'pX?=-;9 y#Er1oW|QyfyeWy Rn~g-R=j7!k His description of the setting suggests that poverty has bred crime and deep unhappiness. Smacks a lot of Saul. Scrooge is visited in his counting-house by two benefactors wishing to make provision for the poor and destitute at Christmas time. Either purchase below, or click on the video below to learn more. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that.'' Read this extract from Stave One of the novella then answer the question that follows. These words are later repeated to him in the case of tiny tim and it shows the beginning of this transformation. Adding in relevant contextual information like this to your essays can boost your grade as it shows you have a strong understanding of the overall text and the choices the writer has made. Here we see Scrooge's harsh and callous nature: he thinks if the poor would rather die they should hurry up and do so as that would decrease the surplus population (p. 8). We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. He has left his covetous ways in his past and has become a holy, charitable perskn, It needs something else to strike the fire and it shows he is hard to breaks and has no emotion or temperature and is so lifeless that he is compared to a piece of rock. Latest answer posted July 29, 2019 at 8:57:00 PM. Ignorance in the middle class attitude towards the poor, and want is the desire for material possessions. "If they would rather die, then they had better do it and decrease the surplus population" This quote shows scrooge's capitalist mindset at the beginning of the novella, it shows the reader how scrooge feels towards the lower class members of society. In an age before the welfare state, poor people relied on local parishes to provide help or on the benevolence of individuals and charities. profit margin lever in the capitalist model. Accessed 1 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. This is the copy relating to the passage of highlighted text. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. with the land and people which were the efficiencies derived from colonial However, the introduction of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act took away local parish help for the poor and institutionalised the process of help for paupers with more centralised Union workhouses. therefore, showing his extreme individualism where he believes that life This demonstrates that he has no sympathy for the poor. surviving as represented by the grotesque description of the children. About the Ghost of Christmas Present: "Sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch.". broader questions to be asked about the efficacy of capitalism, stated Goldmans He is living the excitement of Christmas like he never had when he was a child.
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