ACC:
Dickens presents the cratchits as seemingly content and joyful through the semantic field of religion of ‘heresy’ and
‘God bless us’. The use of these phrases create an almost playful tone which enjoins their familiy’s deep connection
in contrast to scrooges (with others). However, a Marxist viewpoint maybe that religion is actually a construct in
Victorian society and that it is made to keep the working class from rebelling to the upper class society. Dickens is
showing that they are taught to have ‘hope in God’ as their patience may be rewarded, epitomising the reason of
their oppression and exploitation in society. Alternatively, Dickens is perhaps addressing that the upper class are the
ones not embellishing their role in society and are in fact committing ‘heresy’, not doing the role that God had
privileged them to do - supporting the poor. Dickens wants the upper class’ behaviours to transform in order to ease
the suffering of the poor, as it is wrongful and unequal - they did not choose to be born in a poor class: perhaps done
by doing charitable acts or by being better employer; to be able to give a good wage.
At the end of the novela, Dickens uses a cyclical structure to juxtapose between the weather in stave 1 and stave 5,
reflecting the tone and perhaps emotions of scrooge. At the beginning, ‘fog and darkness thickened’ which ‘had little
influence’ on scrooge, however, there is now ‘golden sunlight’ and ‘no fog, no mist’. This highlights the
transformation scrooge has overcome which has allowed him to appreciate the value of relationships, understanding
that it has more worth than the ‘golden idol’. This transformation is used in order to allow the readers to understand
that they need to alter their views and perhaps behaviours towards the poor: they are also people. If this does not
happen, they will suffer the consequences that Scrooge as avoided; he changed. His change allowed him to make
people around him happy, and also make himself happy. Dickens wants the Victorian society to come together and
value each other.
AIC:
Furthermore, Sheila is a construct who has an alteration, from the nouns ‘Mummy’ to ‘Mother’ by the end of the
play. These perhaps reflect the ‘playful’ immature attitudes that the younger generation / women has (in the upper
class), who appear to be blinded by privilege and wealth. They are given everything but the chance to explore the
world around them, to allow them to have their own personal thoughts – they are forced / socially conditioned to
think in a capitalistic, self-centred way. However, this movement to ‘Mother’ could reflect the maturity she has
gained being assertive and more aware, and perhaps correlates with the younger generation / women in the
audience who are given the ability to rebel against the stereotypes of society, such as being a commodity / not
knowing anything. Priestley believes that it is the younger generation who will lead the future, who will remove the
class divide and suffering of people, so they should be given a chance in order to convert society from capitalism into
a socialist mindset / Priestley believes that women should be given rights, perhaps contrasting the suffragette
movement where women are fighting for their rights, motivating the women in the audience to similarly fight for
their rights. Moreover, Sheila ‘moves towards’ the Inspector, away from Mr birling, further highlighting that she is
moving away from this capitalist mindset and moving towards Priestley’s ideas of socialism conveyed through the
socialist mouthpiece: character of Inspector. Priestley wants the Edwardian society to similarly do this so the
younger generation are understood and not ignored, as they are the ones who will realise the wrongs of the older
generation and create a better world / Priestley wants the Edwardian society to similarly move towards socialism like
Sheila, so women can have more rights to vote, and to be able to remove the capitalism that men have created due
to their selfishness (reference ‘men will be taught in fire and blood and anguish before or after paragraph’
purposely focussed on ‘men’)
Dickens presents the cratchits as seemingly content and joyful through the semantic field of religion of ‘heresy’ and
‘God bless us’. The use of these phrases create an almost playful tone which enjoins their familiy’s deep connection
in contrast to scrooges (with others). However, a Marxist viewpoint maybe that religion is actually a construct in
Victorian society and that it is made to keep the working class from rebelling to the upper class society. Dickens is
showing that they are taught to have ‘hope in God’ as their patience may be rewarded, epitomising the reason of
their oppression and exploitation in society. Alternatively, Dickens is perhaps addressing that the upper class are the
ones not embellishing their role in society and are in fact committing ‘heresy’, not doing the role that God had
privileged them to do - supporting the poor. Dickens wants the upper class’ behaviours to transform in order to ease
the suffering of the poor, as it is wrongful and unequal - they did not choose to be born in a poor class: perhaps done
by doing charitable acts or by being better employer; to be able to give a good wage.
At the end of the novela, Dickens uses a cyclical structure to juxtapose between the weather in stave 1 and stave 5,
reflecting the tone and perhaps emotions of scrooge. At the beginning, ‘fog and darkness thickened’ which ‘had little
influence’ on scrooge, however, there is now ‘golden sunlight’ and ‘no fog, no mist’. This highlights the
transformation scrooge has overcome which has allowed him to appreciate the value of relationships, understanding
that it has more worth than the ‘golden idol’. This transformation is used in order to allow the readers to understand
that they need to alter their views and perhaps behaviours towards the poor: they are also people. If this does not
happen, they will suffer the consequences that Scrooge as avoided; he changed. His change allowed him to make
people around him happy, and also make himself happy. Dickens wants the Victorian society to come together and
value each other.
AIC:
Furthermore, Sheila is a construct who has an alteration, from the nouns ‘Mummy’ to ‘Mother’ by the end of the
play. These perhaps reflect the ‘playful’ immature attitudes that the younger generation / women has (in the upper
class), who appear to be blinded by privilege and wealth. They are given everything but the chance to explore the
world around them, to allow them to have their own personal thoughts – they are forced / socially conditioned to
think in a capitalistic, self-centred way. However, this movement to ‘Mother’ could reflect the maturity she has
gained being assertive and more aware, and perhaps correlates with the younger generation / women in the
audience who are given the ability to rebel against the stereotypes of society, such as being a commodity / not
knowing anything. Priestley believes that it is the younger generation who will lead the future, who will remove the
class divide and suffering of people, so they should be given a chance in order to convert society from capitalism into
a socialist mindset / Priestley believes that women should be given rights, perhaps contrasting the suffragette
movement where women are fighting for their rights, motivating the women in the audience to similarly fight for
their rights. Moreover, Sheila ‘moves towards’ the Inspector, away from Mr birling, further highlighting that she is
moving away from this capitalist mindset and moving towards Priestley’s ideas of socialism conveyed through the
socialist mouthpiece: character of Inspector. Priestley wants the Edwardian society to similarly do this so the
younger generation are understood and not ignored, as they are the ones who will realise the wrongs of the older
generation and create a better world / Priestley wants the Edwardian society to similarly move towards socialism like
Sheila, so women can have more rights to vote, and to be able to remove the capitalism that men have created due
to their selfishness (reference ‘men will be taught in fire and blood and anguish before or after paragraph’
purposely focussed on ‘men’)
