Soon after this talk, he had the idea for A Christmas Carol - a book that showed the challenges faced by the poor, and how more generosity could lessen their burdens. In October, he traveled to Manchester to give a speech on the importance of education for every class. Later in 1843, Dickens visited schools for the poor in the slums (called "ragged schools" in reference to the worn clothes of many attendees), where he encountered children who lived as thieves and prostitutes to survive. The parliamentary report made him want to write a pamphlet titled "An Appeal to the People of England on behalf of the Poor Man’s Child." Yet a few days later he changed his mind, noting in a letter on March 10, 1843, that he'd put off the pamphlet because he had other means in mind with "twenty thousand times the force" of this initial approach.
Having worked in a factory himself as a boy due to his family's straitened circumstances, Dickens always felt a kinship with those who were struggling, particularly children. Early in 1843, Dickens had read a parliamentary report about children in the workforce, which contained testimony from young laborers about their long days, low wages, and dangerous working conditions.Īn illustration of Scrooge delivering a turkey in "A Christmas Carol" Photo: Culture Club/Getty Images While money was admittedly a factor in Dickens writing A Christmas Carol, but he also had a message to convey about Victorian society and how it treated its most desperate members. Dickens wanted to represent the less fortunate Yet though his goal wasn't to pen a timeless work of art, his dire financial situation prompted him to get the book done. Not only was he married with a fifth child on the way, his father was also in a financial drain.ĭickens figured a successful Christmas book could net him around £1,000. Dickens was in debt and had a family to support. His publishers wanted to decrease his pay from £200 to £150 per month, which would have been devastating. He'd had hits like The Old Curiosity Shop, but his current serialized novel, The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, wasn't selling well. However, the pressing schedule wasn't solely motivated by authorial inspiration - Dickens also had a desperate need for money.Īt the time, Dickens' writing career was in a slump. He was determined to get the book out in time for Christmas that year, giving him a very short window to work in. Dickens was struggling financiallyĭickens began to write what would become A Christmas Carol in October 1843. But he couldn't have foreseen how completely the tale would be embraced by the public, or that it would evolve into a beloved classic. When it was initially published in December 1843, Dickens had been certain the book would sell well - and had hoped those sales would resolve some of his money woes. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is among his most popular work.
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