A Christmas Carol

"Dickens presents us with different images of childhood for varying purposes." Discuss.

Childhood is seen as a time of joy with wonderful new experiences, yet in Charles Dickens' novella, 'A Christmas Carol', written in 1843, this is not what the reader is shown. Dickens' own hardships in childhood allowed him to give insight to the unfortunate circumstances of the poor. The protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, is shown his solitary childhood to be reminded of the innocence of children and the importance of early life experiences. Dickens' introduces Tiny Tim who provides a face to the poor and shows the life of many unfortunate, disabled children in Victorian England. Finally, the characters 'Ignorance' and 'Want' allow Dickens' to show the dangers to society of having so many people in poverty and the inability to live a dignified life that was experienced by so many people in the Victorian era.

Scrooge's reflection on childhood allows Dickens' to show the innocence of children and the effect that early life experiences can have on them. Scrooge is taken back to his time at boarding school by the Ghost of Christmas Past to remind him of the happiness and joy he once felt at Christmas time. Dickens' is showing readers that Christmas should be a joyous occasion for children regardless of wealth or status. Dickens' shows Scrooge enjoying Christmas festivities and being cheerful which contrasts immensely with the "covetous old sinner" the readers are introduced to. This allows Dickens to portray the importance of experiences during childhood. He emphasises that the way people are treated and the experiences they have can have a large impact on who they grow up to be. This is also shown when Dickens' reveals that "all the other boys had gone home for the holidays" yet Scrooge was "left [there] all alone" at the boarding school. This is Dickens' giving the reader some insight into why Scrooge is "as solitary as an oyster" and has such hatred for Christmas. Dickens'...