In 1843, Charles Dickens was a well-known author but faced serious financial problems. At 31, he had spent a lot of money during a trip to America, and back in England, his wife Kate was expecting their fifth child. Although he had written successful books like Oliver Twist and The Old Curiosity Shop, his latest novel, Martin Chuzzlewit, wasn’t selling well. His publishers reduced his pay, and he had to borrow money. Dickens needed to write something that would sell, and he found inspiration in an unexpected place.
In the spring of 1843, Dickens read a report about child labor. It included testimonies from young children working long hours in harsh conditions. This struck a chord with Dickens, who had worked in a factory as a child. The Industrial Revolution had transformed England, leading to wealth for some but hardship for many. Factories powered by steam engines produced goods in large quantities, but workers, including children, faced long hours and dangerous conditions for little pay.
As cities grew crowded, many families had no choice but to send their children to work. A poor law in 1834 allowed those unable to support themselves to live in workhouses, but these places often had terrible living conditions. Many turned to crime to survive, and those caught ended up in prisons, where they faced hard labor. Victorian prisons even had treadmills that prisoners walked on to power machines.
In October 1843, after attending a charity event in Manchester, Dickens took a long walk and came up with the idea for A Christmas Carol. He wrote the story quickly over six weeks. The book drew on the Gothic genre, popular in Victorian England, featuring eerie atmospheres, supernatural elements, and flawed characters. Ghost stories, a form of Gothic fiction, were especially popular, filled with mysterious happenings and spirits.
Dickens set his story during Christmas, a time with roots in the pagan festival Yule, known for feasting and supernatural events. His story linked Christmas with the spiritual world and helped shape the modern holiday.
By the 19th century, Christmas was celebrated on December 25th, associated with the birth of Christ, but many traditions had faded. For many in England, it was just a short break from work. However, Christmas began to change after Queen Victoria became queen in 1837. Her husband, Prince Albert, introduced the Christmas tree from Germany. In 1848, an engraving of the royal family with their tree made the tradition popular. Christmas cards and crackers soon followed.
The publication of A Christmas Carol on December 19, 1843, had a huge impact on how people viewed Christmas. The book was an instant hit, selling out its first print run of six thousand copies in less than a week. By the end of the year, over fifteen thousand copies had been sold.
The book touched readers and helped infuse Christmas with values like charity, family, generosity, and gratitude. Christmas carols became popular again after being featured in the book. Today, A Christmas Carol remains a beloved story, cherished for its spooky tale and its message of kindness and humanity.
Research and create a timeline that highlights key events in Charles Dickens’ life, including the publication of his major works. Pay special attention to the period around the writing of A Christmas Carol and how his personal experiences influenced his writing. Present your timeline using a digital tool or on a poster board.
Participate in a class debate about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on society. Divide into two groups: one arguing that the Industrial Revolution brought progress and prosperity, and the other arguing that it led to social inequality and hardship. Use evidence from the article and additional research to support your arguments.
Inspired by the Gothic elements in A Christmas Carol, write your own short ghost story set in modern times. Incorporate themes of social issues or personal transformation, similar to Dickens’ approach. Share your story with the class and discuss the themes you chose to explore.
Research and present on Victorian Christmas traditions that were popularized during Dickens’ time, such as the Christmas tree, cards, and crackers. Create a presentation or a display that explains how these traditions have evolved and are celebrated today.
In small groups, analyze the main themes of A Christmas Carol, such as redemption, social justice, and the spirit of Christmas. Create a visual or written presentation that explains how these themes are developed in the story and their relevance to contemporary society.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
[Music] In 1843, Charles Dickens was 31 years old and in serious financial trouble. He had spent a great deal of money during his recent tour of America, and now back in England, his wife Kate was pregnant with their fifth child. Though Dickens had already written successful books like *Oliver Twist* and *The Old Curiosity Shop*, the sales of his latest novel, *Martin Chuzzlewit*, were declining rapidly. His publishers had decreased his monthly pay, and he was forced to borrow money against his insurance policies. Dickens needed to write something that would sell, and he was to find his inspiration in an unlikely source.
In the spring of 1843, Dickens read a parliamentary report on child labor. The document featured thousands of pages of oral testimony from child workers, some as young as five, who worked grueling industrial jobs. Because Dickens had worked 10-hour days in a boot-blacking factory as a child, the plight of the exploited children resonated strongly with him. Child labor had been one of the many negative results of the Industrial Revolution, which had transformed England and much of Europe and the United States during the 19th century. The introduction of steam engines powered by coal allowed for factory machines to manufacture products in massive quantities. A class of industrialists, merchants, and ship owners accumulated most of the wealth while the working classes toiled long hours for little pay, working in small spaces with hot and dangerous machinery.
As more and more people moved to the cities for work, urban areas grew populated and overcrowded. Wages were low, and many families were forced to send their children to work in factories and mines. In 1834, a poor law was introduced, stipulating that those unable to care for themselves could stay in workhouses. However, these dwellings usually contained substandard living conditions, and many people turned to crime out of necessity. Those who were caught were sent to prisons and often put to work in grueling ways. Victorian prisons featured the very first treadmills, which prisoners walked on to generate energy for grain mills or water pumps.
At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge said the gentleman taking up a pen, “It is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute who suffer greatly at the present time. Are there no prisons?” “Plenty of prisons,” said the gentleman, laying down his pen again. “The treadmill and the poor law are in full vigor,” then said Scrooge.
In October 1843, Dickens took a long walk after attending a charity fundraising event in Manchester. It was there he conceived the idea of *A Christmas Carol*, which he proceeded to write hastily over the six weeks that followed. *A Christmas Carol* drew heavily on the Gothic genre, which was highly popular in Victorian England. Gothic texts featured eerie and mysterious atmospheres and often incorporated criminal, supernatural, or romantic elements. Other conventions of the genre included flawed protagonists, strange visions, omens, and nightmares. The settings of Gothic stories were also important and often took place in atmospheric and isolated locations like castles and graveyards. Ghost stories were a particularly popular form of Gothic fiction and were often filled with flickering candles, strange noises, shadowy houses, and malevolent spirits. These stories tapped into Victorian society’s widespread fascination with the supernatural. Mediums were in great demand, holding séances where spirits were summoned, and furniture was seen to move or float. Spirit photography was also in vogue in the latter half of the 19th century and relied on photographic tricks to depict ghostly apparitions.
Dickens also significantly chose to set his story during the Christmas season. The holiday had its roots in the pagan winter solstice festival known as Yule, an event filled with feasting, drinking, sacrifice, and increased supernatural activity. Dickens’s story not only enhanced the association between Christmas time and the spiritual world, but it would also help lay the foundation for the modern Christmas holiday.
[Music] From the Middle Ages, Christmas grew to be celebrated on the 25th of December and associated with the birth of Christ. Festivals and church services were held annually in its honor. Yet by the 19th century, many of the holiday’s traditions, like Christmas carols, had declined in popularity. For much of the population of England, Christmas was little more than a two-day reprieve from grueling industrial life. The Christmas holiday began to undergo a gradual transformation following Queen Victoria’s ascension to the throne in 1837. Her husband, Prince Albert, brought over the tradition of the Christmas tree from his native Germany. In 1840, when an engraving was published in 1848 featuring the Queen, the Prince, and their children decorating their tree, the Christmas tree became immediately fashionable. Three years later, Sir Henry Cole began selling the first Christmas cards in his art shop in London for one shilling each. Then, in 1847, a confectioner invented the first Christmas crackers. However, it was arguably the publication of *A Christmas Carol* on the 19th of December 1843 that had the greatest impact on the public’s perception of Christmas time. The book was an immediate success, and its first print run sold all six thousand copies in less than a week. More than fifteen thousand had been sold by the year’s end.
[Music] The book touched its readers and helped imbue Christmas with the values of charity, family, generosity, and gratitude. Christmas carols saw a resurgence in popularity following their appearance in the book. To this day, *A Christmas Carol* remains a beloved seasonal favorite, both for its eerie narrative and humanitarian message.
Dickens – A reference to Charles Dickens, a famous English writer known for his vivid characters and depictions of social issues in the 19th century. – Charles Dickens’ novels often explore themes of social injustice and poverty, making them timeless classics in English literature.
Christmas – A holiday celebrated on December 25th, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, often associated with themes of generosity and goodwill in literature. – In “A Christmas Carol,” Dickens uses the holiday as a backdrop to explore themes of redemption and compassion.
Labor – The work performed by individuals, often discussed in historical contexts regarding workers’ rights and industrialization. – The Industrial Revolution brought significant changes to labor conditions, which were vividly depicted in Dickens’ “Hard Times.”
Poverty – The state of being extremely poor, a common theme in literature that highlights social inequalities and human struggles. – In “Oliver Twist,” Dickens portrays the harsh realities of poverty in Victorian England.
Traditions – Customs or beliefs passed down through generations, often explored in literature to highlight cultural values and societal norms. – The novel “Pride and Prejudice” examines the traditions of courtship and marriage in early 19th-century England.
Gothic – A genre of literature characterized by dark, mysterious settings and supernatural elements, often exploring themes of horror and romance. – Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is a quintessential Gothic novel that delves into the dangers of unchecked ambition.
Charity – The voluntary giving of help, often in the form of money, to those in need, frequently depicted in literature as a moral virtue. – In “A Christmas Carol,” Scrooge’s transformation is marked by his newfound commitment to charity and helping others.
Family – A group of individuals related by blood or marriage, often a central theme in literature that explores relationships and personal identity. – In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the Finch family serves as a moral compass in a community rife with prejudice.
Gratitude – The quality of being thankful, often portrayed in literature as a transformative emotion that fosters personal growth and relationships. – In “Little Women,” Jo March learns the importance of gratitude as she navigates the challenges of growing up.
Revolution – A fundamental change in political power or organizational structures, often depicted in literature as a catalyst for social change. – “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo captures the spirit of revolution and the fight for justice in 19th-century France.
