'A Christmas Carol': a comparison of social class

Christmas for wealthy Victorians was a time of extravagant parties, feasts and gift giving. Poorer people often had to work at Christmas for little money so Christmas was a time of simple, modest celebrations. Dickens depicts wealthy Victorians as materialistic and oblivious to the struggles of others. Dickens suggests poor people are happier than the wealthy because they are able to appreciate simple pleasures. He arguably does this to urge wealthy readers to focus less on wealth and show compassion to those in need.