A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens · 1843 · Paper 1 Section B
Context
Published in 1843 during the height of industrialisation, the novella was Dickens' response to appalling poverty, exploitative child labour, and the punitive Poor Law of 1834. He chose fiction over polemic, believing stories could change hearts more effectively than pamphlets. The book helped shape the modern idea of Christmas as a time of generosity and social conscience.