Dr. Seuss could be interpreted as protesting against this exploitation of the public by the capitalists and corporations, by creating a work that states that “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”. Seuss, it seems, was of the opinion that the version of Christmas we know now, based on giving and receiving expensive purchases, was little more than an incredibly clever marketing gimmick by major corporations, which is essentially the upper class. In his work, Dr. Seuss outlined the difference between the upper class (the Whos) and the lower class (the Grinch). I think that Seuss’s characterization of the Grinch and the Whos is more in depth than we may think.
They feared once these principles were established they could be extended to ‘soak the rich’ and even out the unfair distribution of wealth in Edwardian Britain. The land taxes were especially controversial, as they would not actually produce a great deal of tax revenue. The Lords denounced this proposal as a ‘class war’. The Lords believed it was their duty to restrain governments from making sweeping changes the electorate had not voted on. A final less important reason was that the Lords believed that it was the fault of the poor that they were destitute in the first place.
In A Christmas Carol, Dickens deliberately and defiantly comments on the society which was 19thCentury England. As his own life gives context to his commentary, Dickens discusses what he sees as the moral and social imperatives of the time. As the two are inextricably bound both are addressed in an attempt to bring about the change he argues is necessary of an empathetic and just society. The inequity between the rich and the poor and societies ignorance in sight of this lack of social justice is central to this novella. The novella starts with Scrooge being a cold hearted, bitter old man, that has no care what so ever with the poor.
The issue of want, ignorance and redemption within a Victoria society are highlighted in Charles Dickens’s “ A Christmas Carol”. Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation from a tight fisted man to one of a tender nature is successful through the author’s use of four phantoms. Jacob Marley, the antagonist’s deceased business partner is the first of the spirits to haunt Scrooge. Marley warns Scrooge of the inevitable fate that awaits him. Shaken by the warning of Marley’s ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Past illustrates to Scrooge what his greed has cost him.
He failed to foresee the anger that both the Chinese labour issue and his refusal to reverse Taff Vale would cause amongst British working men. Balfour misunderstood working men’s reaction to the tariff reform campaign and he allowed Joseph Chamberlain to make the reform a key Unionist policy from 1903 onwards. In 1902 Balfour created the Education Act. This act roused the fury of the nonconformists in Britain and led to many of them reverting to the Liberal Party. Schools were to be funded from local rates, including religious schools.
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas Existentialism by definition is “A philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.” When reading The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, I analysed it through an existentialism lens. The Grinch is perceived by people as “mean”, “vile” and “foul”. We see this in the song “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” by Thurl Ravenscroft. This negative connotation is placed on the Grinch because he “stole Christmas”. In reality, he did not steal Christmas; “He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming!
In Source B, John Bright argued that “Pre-1870 education was insufficient and bad” this would suggest why Bright was furious due to the fact that the Anglican’s were satisfied towards the grant to help towards the Voluntary schools in other words less fortunate students and this led to the non-conformists being very spiteful towards this. In Source C, The Economist argued that “Beer was once a great liberal power, as surely to be reckoned on the Liberal side as ‘Land’ was on the Conservative side” this would suggest that the Economist was very shocked due to the Licensing Act’s treatment of the working class and brewers. It seemed to have been a difficult decision to consider a compulsory electoral interest which could possibly be the reason why the conservatives had a positive impact, although Gladstone seemed to have blamed himself for becoming second place in the Greenwich election in 1874 on the torrent of gin and beer. However, In Source D, Barry would argue that it can be seen in both ways. Barry argued that “Even more it provided a serious and fatal rivalry to the voluntary schools, as Board Schools were built and maintained at the expense of the whole community” this would suggest that the liberals were able to
Mrs. Birling to display the greed and ignorance of aristocracy before the war. He shows them as selfish and ignorant and unwilling to admit their mistakes. Mr Birling is stereotyped by Priestly as a pride filled, over confidant,”rather portentous man in his middle fifties but rather provincial in his speech." Some examples of ths are “I say you can ignore all this silly pessimistic talk” and “we're in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity.” Similarly Mrs. Birling is displayed as stuck up and someone who enjoys looking down on other people also Priestley gives us the impression that she thinks wealth and status only are important. Priestly portrays her as a woman obsessed with how she and her family are perceived with in 'high society'.
Revolutionary Americans resented the economic restrictions, finding them exploitative. They claimed the policy restricted colonial trade and industry and raised the cost of many consumer goods. In his 1774 pamphlet, "A Summary View of the Rights of British America, " Thomas Jefferson asserted the Navigation Acts had infringed upon the colonists' freedom in preventing the "exercise of free trade with all parts of the world, possessed by the American colonists, as of natural right." Yet, as O. M. Dickerson points out, it is difficult to find opposition to the mercantile system among the colonists when the measures were purely regulatory and did not levy a tax on them. The British mercantile system did after all allow for colonial monopoly over certain markets such as tobacco, and not only encouraged, but with its 1660 regulation was instrumental in, the development of colonial shipbuilding.
Dickens’ intentions with Marquis Evremonde was to emblem the symbol of evil, not to create a character that is more in tune with human nature. One begins to contemplate that when he runs over a peasant child and selfishly wonders “what injury [they] have done [his] horses”, that obviously cannot be a real human character (Dickens 129). It is to be perceived by the reader that Marquis Evremonde represents calamity in the novel, yet after further analyzing one could claim that he reflects the corruption in France during the time of revolution. Marquis Evremonde’s want to “exterminate [peasants] from the earth” sums up the argument that he represents evil, and was not meant to have the ability to relate to human nature (Dickens 131). Lucie Manette’s “pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair, [and] a pair of blue eyes” adds to the theme of her character representing good in A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens 25).