'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ critique of Victorian institutions

There was no state support available for poor Victorians; they were forced to rely on charities and philanthropy. The Poor Laws made it legal for those in debt to be sent to prison or forced to live in squalid workhouses. Scrooge’s dialogue with the charity men critiques the Victorian belief that the poor were lazy or morally inferior. Dickens later shows Scrooge’s transformation towards redemption when he is introduced to Ignorance and Want. They symbolise a lack of awareness of poor's struggles and warn of the consequences of ongoing social inequality.