Education was a changing system in the Victorian age as children spent less time at work and adults felt that children should be prevented from working. Their were major changes in the development of schooling as the son of wealthier parents often attended boarding school. Some of the less wealthy children attended dame schools and Sunday schools were set up. However some children were considered too ragged to be allowed into any school and therefore stood no chance of learning anything. This led to the establishment of ‘ragged schools’. As I mentioned this was a period of change and in 1870 an Education was passed which changed many peoples wavered views on the subject and people began to look up to it with some pride. It would make an interesting task to compare schools of this age to schools of that age.
From the book ‘A Christmas Carol’ I have noticed how relevant the information above is to it. For some life was ‘ snug’,’ warm’, ‘dry’ and ‘bright’ as is witnessed by all the work people at the party for them. They had ‘dancing’, ‘more dancing’, ‘ a cake’ and ‘ a cold roast’. There were ‘ mincepies’and ‘plenty of beer’. This was a time when the lower or working classes became upper class people and could the true delights of life. Times were jolly for these people as she ‘wished him or her a Merry Christmas’
There are many comparisons between the life as an upper class man/ women to that of a lower class man/women but family life has to be a key issue. Using the book I can now compare what I have written above to what is written in the book. Scrooge’s Family is a prime example of a middle class family struggling to make ends meet.’ They were in another scene; a room, not very large or handsome but full of comfort’ which is a quote that pretty much sums up the character of the middle classes, not good conditions to say the least but there is so much love and commitment to each other that the family could stick together through thick and thin. Another example of this is,’ forty children conducting themselves like one, but every child was conducting itself like forty’ ;showing that the lower classes had big families and all acted the same way in a rabble; but ‘the mother and daughter laughed heartily’ as it was all a joke in the end and was no different to the behaviour they were used to. The ‘Father came home attended by a man laden with Christmas presents and toys’ which shows that they had some wealth and the actions of the children is almost comical at times as they rush towards the ‘ defenceless porter ‘ There is joy and gratitude and ecstasy ‘ showing the true spirit of things in this household at Christmas.
The Cratchit family is a prime example that is shown in the book of a lower class family. The mother ‘ dressed out poorly in a twice turned gown, but brave in ribbons ‘. There was lots of ‘ screaming ‘ as people ‘ danced about the table ‘. These are all examples of the poor conditions they were under but were still able to have fun in their own unique way. The family again shows love when Mrs Cratchit says ‘ kissing her a dozen times ‘ which is a theme throughout the Cratchit household. The family wear ‘ threadbare clothes darned up ‘ and the first time Tiny Tim is described he is said to bare ‘ a little crutch, and had limbs supported by a wooden frame ‘ which immediately lets the reader know his poor state and how he needs help.
Another example of the love that encircles the cratchit is when ‘ ‘ Bob hugged his daughter to his hearts content ’.
When the goose for Christmas dinner is brought out the cratchit’s naïve attitudes to real life are stated as it is described as ‘ such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds ‘ as they have never seen something like it before. Although they are a poor family they have good manors, characteristic of everybody at this time, ‘ grace was said ‘.
As the meal is being eaten ‘ surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish ‘ is a quote that sums up how they are desperate to eat everything up and not to waste a thing, as they can’t afford to do so.
After the meal they have ‘ chestnuts on the fire that spattered ‘ and due to these warming games a homely loving atmosphere is created, as there is a comment on the father’s feelings ‘dreaded that he might be taken from him’. This again shows the natural loving nature of the family.
Next the family is described with jobs such as a ‘ poor apprentice ‘ and that Martha the daughter with this job needs a good long rest, as it is a very tiring job, characteristic of those times. The family is ‘ not well dressed; their shoes were far from being waterproof ‘, ‘ and there clothes were scanty ‘ showing the state of living of the cratchit family. Apart for these nasty conditions they are described as being ‘ happy’ grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time. Which is a classic example of the attitude towards each other although under disheartening conditions.
At the family of Scrooge who are middle class citizens are also very happy, ‘ they laughed ‘ and ‘ encouraged them in their merriment, and passed the bottle, joyously ‘ and then listen to some music so obviously they have some money but live ‘ by lamplight ‘. Ailo they are well educated as ‘ Scrooge’s niece played well upon the harp ‘ and they played such games as blind man’ s- buff.
The conditions that Bob cratchit lives in under scrooge are shocking. He lives in a ‘ dismal little cell, a sort of tank and was copying letters ‘.’ The clerks fire was so very much smaller…and couldn’t replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal the coal- box in his own room ‘ which shows us the cruel harshness of Scrooge. To warm himself up Bob cratchit would try to warm himself up by ‘ putting on his white comforter ‘ but he was not a man of strong imagination so ‘ he failed ‘.
At the time of Christmas there were many Christmas traditions, like festivities in the street with people ‘ proffering their services to go before horse and carriages’ and ‘ some labourers were repairing the gas pipes, and had lighted a great fire in a brazier, round which a party of ragged men and boys were gathered, warming their hands and winking their eyes before the blaze in rapture’. Other traditions mentioned in the book are ‘ the brightness of the shops, where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp heat of the windows’ and the ‘ Lord Mayor gave orders to his fifty cooks and butlers to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayor’s household should. These are all examples of the jolly and old-fashioned Christmas’s that were a characteristic feature of Victorian life.
Although these great traditions streamed from the streets every night Scrooge still worked hard and says ‘ It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s’ which sums up his negative, cold hearted feelings towards Christmas. He shows ‘ ill- will’ towards Christmas and gives the clerk one day off in a crude manor ‘and its not fair. If I was to stop half a crown for it, you’d think yourself ill-used, I’ll be bound. Which means that he is grudgingly giving the clerk Christmas day off. This shows us that money is very important to him and gives us an insight into why the ghosts come to haunt him. Other traditions include Blind mans buff and snap dragon, ‘ both of which his model lower class father, Bob Cratchit, runs home to play on Christmas day.
By the end of the book these attitudes change and he is made to question his attitude by the experiences here is a quote that at the end of the book that says just that ‘ I don’t know how long I’ve been among the spirits. I don’t know anything. I’m quite a baby. Never mind. I don’t care. I’d rather be a baby.
The novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ concentrates very much on the experiences of the working class, but it wasn’t like this for everyone for example the middle classes or the upper classes. If you belonged to this social sector you saw the finer things in life at that time and enjoyed the best of life but for many illustrated in this book life was very much harder.
