ignorance and want analysis essay

A Christmas Carol

By charles dickens, a christmas carol summary and analysis of stave three.

Scrooge awakes when the bell strikes one, and is immediately prepared for the second Ghost's arrival. After a while, he sees a light come from the adjacent room. A strange voice tells him to enter, and when he does, he sees his room has been decked out with Christmas decorations and a feast. A giant ghost introduces himself as the Ghost of Christmas Present and tells Scrooge to touch his robe. When he does, they are transported to the streets on Christmas morning where, despite the gloomy weather, people frolic joyously in the snow as shopkeepers pass out delicious food. The people carry their dinners off with them and occasionally bump each other accidentally and argue. When the Ghost sprinkles a few drops of water from his torch on them, however, peace is restored.

The Ghost transports Scrooge to the modest house of Bob Cratchit . His family, dressed in its best clothing, waits for Bob to return from church before they eat dinner. He comes in with his small, crippled son, Tiny Tim . They discuss Tiny Tim's good heart and his growing strength, then have a wonderful dinner. When Scrooge asks, the Ghost informs him that, unless the future is altered, Tiny Tim will die. At the dinner, Mrs. Cratchit curses Scrooge, but her husband reminds her that it is Christmas.

The Ghost brings Scrooge to a number of other happy Christmas dinners in the city, as well as to celebrations in a miner's house, a lighthouse, and on a ship. Scrooge is then taken to his nephew Fred 's house, where Fred tells his pretty wife and his sisters he feels sorry for Scrooge, since his miserly, hateful nature deprives him of pleasure in life. Scrooge's niece plays a tune on the harp, which softens Scrooge's heart. Scrooge even joins in for some of their games, though they are not aware of his ghostly presence.

The Ghost pulls Scrooge away from the games to a number of other Christmas scenes, all joyful despite the often meager environments. As they travel, the Ghost ages and says his life is short‹he will die at midnight. A boy and girl, looking ragged, unhealthy, and impoverished, crawl out from his robes. The Ghost tells Scrooge they are named Ignorance and Want. He tells him to beware of them, especially the boy, on whose brow is written doom. He encourages Scrooge to deny Ignorance in himself and others. When Scrooge asks if the children have no refuge, the Ghost answers with Scrooge's previous words‹"'Are there no prisons? ŠAre there no workhouses?'" The bell strikes twelve, the Ghost disappears, and Scrooge sees a new phantom, solemn and robed, approach.

We have seen little attention paid to the religious ceremony of Christmas. Instead, Dickens focuses on the celebratory nature of Christmas while the Christian ideals of love and sacrifice are underscored. Lavish descriptions of large dinners and raucous accounts of games dominate this stave, since eating and playing imply pleasure for both the individual and the community. Dickens wants to show that giving does not deplete the giver, but rather enriches him.

The set piece of the stave is the Cratchit family dinner. Love trumps poverty in Dickens's sentimental portrait of the Cratchits, but he adds a dark note at the end when he reveals Tiny Tim will die unless the future is changed. Another foreshadowed element is the "Doom" written across the Ignorant boy's brow. In both cases, the Ghost suggests that Scrooge has a stake in changing the future.

A Christmas Carol , then, celebrates the potentiality for redemption in everyone, promotes the idea that it is never too late to learn to love, and elevates the importance of free will. By doing so, Dickens provides hope for English Victorian society to close the chasm between the Haves and Have-Nots and overturn the unjust Poor Laws that keep the underclass enchained.

The Ghost's brief life span of one day also reminds Scrooge, and the reader, that we must act quickly if we are to change the present. Unlike before, when Scrooge was concerned with the present only insofar as it was related to the transaction of money, he is starting to see it in "seize the day" terms‹as an opportunity to change the lives of the less fortunate, right now.

A Christmas Carol Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Christmas Carol is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What is the author's likely purpose for the figurative language used in paragraph 6? Cite at least two pieces of evidence from the paragraph in your response.

I can't be sure if your paragraph 6 matches mine. There are literally hundreds of publications of this story. If you quote the first line of the paragraph, I can find it.

Why does Scrooge hate Christmas so much?

Scrooge is alone and his hate on for Christmas is, at least in part, a defence mechanism. Scrooge became isolated as he accumulated his wealth: his rejection of friends and family for the sake of wealth becomes a theme in the story. Scrooge sees...

What kind of character designation would Scrooge be?

Ebenezer Scrooge would be your classic dynamic character.

Study Guide for A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol study guide contains a biography of Charles Dickens, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Christmas Carol
• A Christmas Carol Summary
• A Christmas Carol Video
• Character List

Essays for A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Christmas Carol.

• Have a Capitalist Christmas: The Critique of Christmas Time in "A Christmas Carol"
• Movement Within the Episodes
• Ghost of an Idea
• A Secular Christmas: Examining Religion in Dickens' A Christmas Carol
• Perceiving the Need for Social Change in "A Christmas Carol"

Lesson Plan for A Christmas Carol

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to A Christmas Carol
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• A Christmas Carol Bibliography

E-Text of A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol E-Text contains the full text of A Christmas Carol

• Stave I: Marley's Ghost
• Stave II: The First Of The Three Spirits
• Stave III: The Second Of The Three Spirits
• Stave IV: The Last Of The Spirits

Wikipedia Entries for A Christmas Carol

• Introduction

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Introduction

Dickens: A Christmas Carol

In this course, Professor John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In the first module, we introduce the novel by looking at the first two paragraphs of the story, including its famous opening line (“Marley was dead; to begin with”) and the reader’s first impression of the character of Scrooge (“Scrooge's name was good on ‘Change”). In the second and third modules, we go through some of the literary, cultural and historical context for the novel, including Dickens’ life and career up to 1843, the impact of the Industrial Revolution on British society and culture, the ‘invention’ of the ‘traditional, family Christmas’ in this period, and Dickens’ preoccupation with capitalism, poverty and children. In the following twelve modules, we read through the novel stave by stave: the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh modules cover Stave One; the eighth and ninth cover Stave Two; the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth cover Stave Three; the thirteen and fourteenth cover Stave Four; and the fifteenth covers Stave Five.

In this module, we introduce the novel by looking at the first two paragraphs of the story, focusing in particular on: (i) the fun Dickens’ has with his characters’ names – Ebenezer Scrooge, Mrs Fezziwig, Tiny Tim, etc.; (ii) the famous opening line of the novel (“Marley was dead; to begin with”); (iii) the comic bureaucracy of Marley’s funeral (“The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner”); (iv) our first impression of Scrooge as man whose name was “good”; and (v) the narrative persona and the relationship established with the reader. (“Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge…”).

Cite this Lecture

McRae, J. (2020, March 24). Dickens: A Christmas Carol - Introduction [Video]. MASSOLIT. https://massolit.io/courses/dickens-a-christmas-carol-mcrae/stave-3-ignorance-and-want

McRae, J. "Dickens: A Christmas Carol – Introduction." MASSOLIT , uploaded by MASSOLIT, 24 Mar 2020, https://massolit.io/courses/dickens-a-christmas-carol-mcrae/stave-3-ignorance-and-want

Prof. John McRae

Nottingham University

Ignorance want plays a large role in A Christmas Carol

Ignorance & want plays a large role in A Christmas Carol & works aside religious imagery to convey the author’s message. Present throughout the novel, the theme of ignorance & want is crucial to completing Dicken’s aim : changing the mindsets of the wealthy & privileged in Victorian Britain.

The above-mentioned theme is particularly present in Stave 3 of the novel.

In Stave 3, Dickens uses lists of adjectives to present ignorance & want in a hyperbolic manner.

He describes the children (Ignorance & Want) as “wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable” and “yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish…”.

In this way, Dickens affirms the extreme ugliness & unappealing nature of ignorance & want, and shows that he intends for the reader to perceive these attributes in a negative light. This depicts the novel’s adherence to its purpose : to impact readers and wider society. As a social novel, A Christmas Carol’s inherent purpose is to evoke emotions within a reader, which cause self reflection.

Furthermore, Dickens utilizes anaphora to display ignorance & want in the extract.

“No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity” is a phrase in which such repetition is present. Anaphora is the repetition of a certain phrase at the beginning of a clause or sentence, and appeals to readers emotions by highlighting an aspect of a description ( in this case, ‘no…’ is the anaphora). It emphasises the hideous identity of ignorance and greed & makes the imagery more memorable , so that readers can revise the moral of the novel, which is to treat the poor better. In particular, the phrase ‘ perversion of humanity’ suggests an inhuman creature is being described.

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In reality, Dickens defines cruel personality traits that humans portray, ensuing self reflection in audiences.

In Stave 3, the author uses an allegory to illustrate ignorance and want. This idea is presented in the lines: “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want.”. Allegories are used to make narratives multidimensional and meaningful, and have ideas that merge with ideas in our literal world. Dickens’ plain statement of the identities of these children makes it clear that he has an clear message to convey. This is the purpose of a social novel, of which A Christmas Carol is one ; to introduce ideas that make readers hyper-aware of their behaviour, and thus have an impact on wider society. Ignorance and Want are personified traits whose characters are portrayed almost like poverty-stricken children who are malnourished. In this manner, Dickens holds (Victorian) readers responsible for society’s abandonment of the poor and the consequences of that abandonment. As a strong advocate for children’s rights, Dickens chooses to represent these traits as children, as readers tend to have more sympathy towards children than adults. Dickens shames the ignorant and lustful wealthy of Victorian Britain and encourage others to be generous to the downtrodden.

In the novel as a whole, ignorance and want is displayed as a recurring theme too.

In Stave Two (pg 73), dialogue is used to depict Scrooge’s ignorance. This is evident in the line:

“Are there no prisons?” … “Are there no workhouses?”. This is a reference to Scrooge’s former self, as the Ghost of Christmas Present echoes him to serve as a reminder of his ignorance ; this evokes regret within Scrooge and encourages him to repent and reform himself. As readers, it can be interpreted that, in this case, the spirit becomes a mouthpiece for Dickens’ ideas ; this is an indirect way for Dickens to encourage others to reform their own cruel or untenable traits.

Moreover, point of view functions as a technique to represent ill-will and selfishness. This is demonstrated in the lines:

“There are some on this earth of yours… who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.”. The Ghost serves as a medium for Dickens, who shames those who sin in the name of religion in Victorian society. His words encourage others to judge morality by the action , not by how the man doing the actions decides whether his actions are correct or not. The use of religious imagery both here and throughout the novel evokes constant guilt within readers, to convey Dickens’ message . The listing of traits such as “ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness” add emphasis to connotations of sin.

Dickens’ uses symbolism throughout the novel to exhibit ignorance and want in society. One of the most initial examples comes from the line : “The chain he drew was clasped about his middle … it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel.” The quote derives from Scrooge’s meeting with Marley’s ghost, and signifies the impact of cruelty to those who are poverty-stricken. Marley’s appearance offers double levels of meaning – he carries chains physically, as well as spiritually, as a result of his neglect of others and lack of generosity. This scene depicts consequence of ignorance & want and begins Scrooge’s journey of repentance. As is frequently understood, Dickens intends for others to be considerate towards others and in particular the poor.

The recurrence of the presentation of ignorance & want evokes sympathy & guilt within readers, and proved effective in a time where Dickens’ target audience were the middle-upperclassmen, who believed that the poor deserved destitute conditions and no help at all, as it was the will of God. These were people who invested in institutes like workhouses & prisons as punishments for the poor, for being poor. This allegory is present in A Christmas Carol. Despite the contrast between societal values then & now, the morals encouraged by the book are applicable as ever, and the journey of repentance from greed is one we can all endeavour to take on.

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A Christmas Carol

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Ignorance ain’t strength: what 1984 tells us about fake news – and how to resist it

Of all the prescient insights to be found in Orwell’s classic novel, perhaps one of the most chilling is the advent of the post-truth era. Can 1984 help us better navigate our own dystopia?

The story famously opens as the clocks strike 13 – conveying an immediate sense of discomfort, or of abnormality. As if time itself has been distorted.

But it isn’t just the clocks. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Winston Smith, and through the technology with which he interacts, 1984 shows us a world built on governmental control – not just over people’s actions, but over their thoughts.

The vividness of those technologies often dominates discussions about 1984, not least because of how prescient many of them seem. Every home in Airstrip One (the book’s renamed United Kingdom) contains a telescreen – a two-way TV which can broadcast as well as receive, and which is permanently switched on. This is perhaps the most spot-on of Orwell’s many feats of prophecy in the book – although, these days, we convince ourselves we keep our own cameras switched on by choice.

In his role “rectifying” history for the Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith dictates into a device (correct again, Orwell) and is able to revise or erase old news reports – all of which is not only possible in the internet era, but is all too often deployed in today’s world of misinformation, fake news and “alternative facts”.

The Ministry of Truth’s sprawling propaganda operation also includes machines known as “versificators” that automatically mass-produce books and songs. It is for the reader to decide whether to take a cynical or sanguine view of this read-across to today’s reality. Either way, the versificators look set to join 1984’s uncanny catalogue of technological prophecies as we now grapple with the content-creating capabilities of generative AI.

All of this technology, just like Orwell’s fascination with the nuances of language and its ability to expand or curtail free expression, is what makes the grim everyday reality of life in Airstrip One so evocative. But none of this is what makes 1984 still feel so urgent and relevant in 2024 – 40 years after the eponymous future year in which his dystopia is set. Instead, it is Orwell’s understanding of the purpose and nature of propaganda and misinformation.

Orwell has been accused of being heavy-handed in his construction of Airstrip One’s propaganda regime, but it is the extremes of it that lays it bare – helping us make use of the novel’s insights in our daily lives. After all, the terms and the devices of propaganda change – “fake news”, “misinformation” and “deepfakes” being just some of the latest – but its fundamental nature does not.

The Ministry of Truth – a clip from Audible's new dramatisation

Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/03/12/audible_4.mp3

The most important aspect of Orwell’s characterisation of propaganda and misinformation in 1984 is that it stems from those at the pinnacle of power, and it is deployed ruthlessly to serve their interests. It is easy to lose sight of this fact today when the onslaught of fake news seems to come at us via so many different actors and on so many different digital platforms.

Moreover, while we might recognise that the powerful exert control over what is broadcast on today’s telescreens or printed in the newspapers they publish, Orwell’s novel brilliantly conveys that it extends far beyond that. The world of Winston Smith is one in which even gossip is commodified to the purposes of the Party, not least when it is coupled with a secret police state that encourages people to report on their friends, neighbours or lovers – and even children to denounce their parents.

It is here that Orwell’s second great insight into the nature of propaganda comes into play. As the plot of 1984 rolls on, it is increasingly obvious that Winston and his lover Julia – played in Audible’s new dramatisation by Andrew Garfield and Cynthia Erivo – are not the only ones who don’t actually believe the blatant lies and propaganda churned out by their government – but everyone knows they must put on a show.

So cowed are the people by the need to perform as propaganda says they must, that even parents who have been rounded up by the secret police because their children reported they had been saying seditious things in their sleep, speak of their gratitude towards and pride in their child for doing so. “Pretty smart for a nipper of seven, eh?” exclaims Winston’s colleague Parsons as he recounts being denounced by his daughter. “I don’t bear her any grudge for it. In fact I’m proud of her. It shows I brought her up in the right spirit, anyway.”

In a chilling moment minutes later, Parsons – played by the actor and comedian Romesh Ranganathan – begs the secret police to spare him and kill his family instead: “I’ve got a wife and three children … You can take the whole lot of them and cut their throats in front of my eyes.”

The secret police know the child has fabricated the incident for reward, Parsons likely knows it too, and yet everyone plays along with the charade as it proves that the propaganda is working – everyone is willing to act according to the approved fiction.

We rarely think of misinformation in the real world in such a way, but we might benefit if we did. The purpose of propaganda is rarely to encourage everyone who views or reads it to believe in its literal truth – instead it provides a narrative, or lets those already on-side know what arguments are sanctioned and will be pushed. It is a vehicle for power of one sort or another to keep its supporters in line.

When viewed through this Orwellian lens, the very idea of fact-checking as a counter to propaganda or misinformation seems ridiculous – as futile as the idea that if Winston had only kept one altered headline instead of dropping it down the memory hole, he could have challenged the power of the Party.

In today’s post-truth dystopia, the performance of propaganda, along with human cognitive biases and defence mechanisms, means that people will often just cling even harder to their preferred falsehoods when faced with actual facts and statistical proof. And indeed, this is what Orwell was warning us about – not just a world deluged by fake news and propaganda pumped out by the powerful, but a world in which people just stop caring about truthfulness. Today, the fight against propaganda is also a fight against people’s growing indifference to it.

Understanding propaganda as a tool used by those in power, and then deployed as performance by those at whom it is aimed gives us a new framework in which to analyse it, and a new sense in which to resist it.

James Ball is the author of the books Post-Truth, and The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World.

Audible’s new dramatisation of George Orwell’s classic tale stars Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott and Tom Hardy, with an original score by Matthew Bellamy and Ilan Eshkeri. Listen now . Subscription required. See audible.co.uk for terms.

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