'"What is money, father... and what can it do?" (Paul Dombey, Dombey and son) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayCharles Dickens in his writings strove to recreate the world around him and its problems, so it is fitting that money occupies a central place in his novels. He uses fiction to point out the many problems brought to light with industrial progress such as the pursuit of money, which results in social and economic inequality. He criticizes a society in which the accumulation of money is the only reason for living while ignoring the plight of the poor. This article attempts to show Dickens's view on money and its effect on his fiction by exploring his short story A Christmas Carol. Dickens has a dual attitude towards money, which is represented both as the source of social problems and as their apparent solution. Dickens uses his fictional ghost story to draw the reading public's attention to the consequences of the misuse of money through the moral development of his hero Scrooge. Dickens was contemptuous of moneylenders like Scrooge who he describes as a cruel, greedy and lonely person. from the first pages of the novella. For Scrooge, money itself is represented as a destination. He is dominated by making money, by acquisitions, as the ultimate goal of his life. That was a mean hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A greedy old sinner, squeezing, tugging, grabbing, scraping, squeezing! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever drawn generous fire; secret, autonomous and solitary as an oyster. Scrooge embodies the greed and selfishness of nineteenth-century society. The only thing that matters to him is making money. Love and sympathy have no place in a society ruled by money. Scrooge refuses his nephew's invitation to the Christmas dinar because he considers money and materialism more important than love and human relationships. 'Because you got married because you fell in love! As if this were the only thing in the world more ridiculous than a merry Christmas." For Scrooge, every pleasant bond between individuals is a 'sham'. His ambition changes his personality from a gentle child to a cold man. Because his lifestyle is hated by everyone around him except his nephew and his employee. No one ever stopped him in the street to say, "My dear Scrooge, how are you, when will you come to see me?" empty. Victorian ideas believed that money inculcated cruelty on people and values ​​that vanish in the human being who owns money. Money is seen as a disease, which contaminates those who possess it and those who desire it. However, Dickens believes that the evils that arise from the accumulation of money are due to the nature of people like Scrooge who seek it and the means by which they do so. Scrooge's failure is not that he is rich but does not spend his money. He amassed the fortune inherited from his business partner, Jacob Marley. He spent none of his wealth on his own well-being. He lives in the same house as Marley, lights only one room in the house, and his Christmas Eve dinner is a bowl of baby food. He hoards his money and apparently lives in circumstances of poverty, which suggests a relationship between wealth and poverty. Money can buy anything, but Scrooge spends nothing. Money is considered a measure of success and he fears losing his place as a respectable businessman in society. So, he is a slave to the money he worships. This attitude towards money makes everyone around him unhappy, especially Bob Cratchit. "Scrooge had a very small fire, but fireof the clerk was much smaller than it looked like a coal." It is not convenient and it is not right to give your clerk a day off on Christmas Day because this prevents Scrooge from earning half a crown. His only happiness comes from achieving a quick profit. The Cratchit family represents the plight of the poor in Victorian England. Scrooge underpays his employee Bob who struggles to support his large family despite working hard for his boss. However, Bob has no choice or means to improve the his situation and that of his family. “Let me hear another sound from you, and you will keep your Christmas losing your situation!”' Bob remains a loyal, devoted and humble employee despite being treated harshly by Scrooge. These characters are not in able to survive in the world of competitive capitalism. The story calls for a change in the perspective of the poor by treating them with dignity and respect. "I don't party at Christmas either, and I can't afford to entertain idle people." Dickens' intent is to raise awareness of the existence of a poor social class, which works and is deserving of help. Dickens attributes the growing inequality of wealth to laissez-faire capitalism, which is not controlled by law. Therefore, this group of workers continues to be exploited and mistreated. The middle class mentality was to turn a blind eye to unwelcome realities. Dickens uses Scrooge to represent that mentality of ignorance: “But you must know; It's none of my business; It is enough for a man to understand his own business and not interfere with the business of others. Scrooge refuses to donate money to private charity because he invests in public charity and believes that his paltry taxes are quite sufficient: "Are there no prisons? What about union workhouses?" Are they still in operation? So are the Treadmill and the Poor Law in full force? Oh, I feared, from what you said at the beginning, that something had happened to stop them in their useful course, «I help support the establishments I spoke of: they cost enough: and those who are ill must go there. «For Dickens it is morally wrong to think that one's luck gives the right to decide whether someone else has the right to live or die. The government's effort to address the enormous amount of suffering that existed in early Victorian England with the new Poor Law was seen as harsh and lacking in concern for individual dignity. “Many cannot go and many would rather die.” Scrooge places himself in a superior position to judge the worth of people. «If they prefer to die, they would do better to do so and reduce the excess population. And then I don't know that." Dickens detested businessmen who measure everything in terms of gain and profit, believing that all human beings, all living beings and inanimate objects have a real existence only if they earn money or they help to do this. This idea is represented through Scrooge's attitude towards the poor. "What right have you to be cheerful?" What reason have you to be cheerful? You are poor enough.”Dickens uses Tiny Tim, as pathos to make the rich people of London aware of the influence they have had on people's lives that Tiny Tim will die because of lack of medical care provided due to lack of money Similarly, the novel highlights the evil environmental effects of poverty through a boy and girl who were "yellow, thin, ragged, frowning, wolfish, but also prostrate in their humility. ". Dickens has a materialistic and deterministic view of the relationship between character and environment. Ignorance and Want are included in the story to demonstrate how they have been forgotten andneglected by the middle classes. Among the excesses of an industrial society those children will starve. Dickens establishes a link between generosity and degradation. For Dickens, poverty is something evil in itself. Those children are representative of the class of poor children who need to be helped to change their destiny. The absence of education does not give them the possibility of changing their social status and leaves them in poverty where they will die of diseases due to poor nutrition or lack of hygiene. Money dehumanizes and morally degrades people. The three spirits of Christmas and that of Marley inform him of the inconsistency of wealth. “You have the chance, still the chance and hope to escape my fate.” The inappropriate use of their wealth during their lifetime condemns the ghosts to remain tied to their goods even after death, when it is too late to change. After their death they lose their economic power. Scrooge lives in his bachelor apartment surrounded by chests, keys, locks, and so on, representing his financial practice. His apartment is a reflection of his inner self, a space where he earns money and spends nothing. For people like Scrooge every human being has only the value of a commodity. Scrooge is immune to his nephew's humanizing influence until the end of the story, when he sees his future death. The ghost of the past confronts him with the moment in his life when he chose wealth instead of love. Bell says she has been replaced by "a golden idol". The memory reminds Scrooge of a time when he still felt emotionally connected to other people before settling into an austere state of alienation. Scrooge needs to develop compassion for others in order to use his money in a different way. After Scrooge's redemption, he becomes more generous. Improve the lives of the entire Cratchit family. Raise Bob's salary and buy them a turkey. He makes a generous donation to the two gentlemen who were collecting money the day before and thanks them for accepting his donation. The story underlines the need to have correct feelings towards the poor. If people were more generous, society would be a better place to live. Through fiction Dickens wants to re-establish a sentimental bond between the middle class and the poor. However, it exposes the social problems that exist in capitalist society; does not advocate major changes in the social system. Scrooge should not give up his business, nor should the capitalist system be changed in any way. Neither Scrooge nor the reader can ever escape the foundations of capitalist exchange. Dickens's intention is to urge the masters of society to have compassion for others and not only worry about profitability. They must take responsibility for the general welfare to preserve the existence of society. Affection and kindness are essential for the preservation of humanity. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To summarize, Dickens emphasizes the importance of money as a social panacea. All social problems are organized under the general theme of money. Money can buy anything. It defines a place within society. However, Dickens criticizes the fact that money alone constitutes the cement of a society no longer held together by human bonds. The reformed Scrooge no longer sees wealth as a goal in itself but as a way to do good in the world. The tale emphasizes how Scrooge becomes a better capitalist by using his money for charitable purposes. It is only by feeling compassion for others that he puts his money into circulation and, paradoxically,, 1968).