Ignorance and Want: Key Quotations and Analysis

Welcome to the eighteenth video in my "'A Christmas Carol' GCSE English Literature Revision" series! In this video, I focus on the presentation of the figures of Ignorance and Want, and how they fit into the novella's thematic preoccupations and Dickens's intentions and beliefs.
Ignorance and Want may only appear in a tiny part of the story (three pages in my copy!), but that doesn't meant that they are unimportant. I prove why this is the case in this video! As well as analysing loads of key quotations, there's also a summary, links to context, and a couple of questions for you to reflect on as well.
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[@allavely9129]

I have an idea about the claw when ignorance and want are first described; the claw could almost represent the poor 'clawing' their way through society and struggling to survive the harsh ways in which they live. Ignorance and want emphasise the idea that being poor is unpleasant and unless change is made in society, there could be more conflict and fighting for things that people need suggesting the want Charles Dickens has for change.

[@DystopiaJunkie]

Fantastic interpretation of the claw - it's really creative and original! Good idea!!

[@biggiecheese8785]

I think the fact that ignorance and want are children, is symbolic of the social injustice that took place in Dickenses time, and how childhood innocence is tarnished by the cruel nature of poverty. we see this with dickenses use of the words "clawing" which signifies how the children are in a state of desperation, this juxtaposes the idea that children are meant to be innocent and presents the idea that the cruelty of society degrades even the children.

[@harveyyyyyyyyy]

common dystopian junkie w

[@crysiz4176]

thank you for this it was very helpful, unlike other channels, you let us dwell on what we think of the text, and then cementing other important ideas into our brains.

[@A7480394]

This video is so painful for me. I'm a 50 year old Canadian, and we didn't study this in school. I came here to figure out if "Want" was the needs of the poor or greed of the rich...only to find out I was wrong about "Ignorance", which I thought I really understood. I thought "Ignorance" was the rich not understanding the plight of the poor, since this story is the education of Scrooge. I'm disappointed I'm not correct. The true meaning is darker than my interpretation. This story is the closest thing I have to religion, it is my guiding principles. I've even thought about a tattoo. I really wish Ignorance had been a condemnation of the rich, rather than the damning of the poor to poverty due to lack of education. Thanks for this video.

[@shanthavinageswaran2772]

I think it could be both! I also thought it was the rich but it’s more interpretations

[@deffie1578]

thanks dude u saved me😭

[@knaveofhearts982]

Bro this is painful 😭😭

[@Douglas..1]

Could the fact that Scrooge is introduced to Ignorance and Want at the end of Stave 3 signify that this point in time is when Scrooge sees the first spirit and still possessed some ignorance as they explored Scrooge's past. Also that this is the Spirit's way of expressing his final message that Ignorance and Want are still alive inside Scrooge, even just to a small extent, and that he must respect and listen to the next spirit who visits him, no matter how much he is frightened or petrified by what he sees. Thanks for the help.

[@kar1afilmfan]

i feel that ignorance and want are not presented as sins of the lower class, but rather the upper/middle class, so scrooge himself is parent to them

[@akids490]

You are amaaazing!!

[@TheHumi]

Thank you so much ❤️ 💕 you are amazing 🤩.

[@westroyd3440]

Perhaps ignorance and want were depicted as children in order elicit sympathy from the upper class readers. The notion of 'yellow' and 'wretched' children would have contrasted to the idea that children were innocent so this would have shocked the upper class and perhaps forced them to change the status quo as a result of the children.Furthermore, Dickens could have constructed them to be children as it allows for change to happen, it allows for the 'writing to be erased'. The forboding phrase of abstract noun 'doom' written on the boys brow could perhaps be an indication if society does not change and grant education to the poor that the whole of humanity will be subjugated to 'doom'. The religious connotation of 'doom' could be seen as a christian allegory to Doomsday, the idea that humans will be judged based on their actions, here Dickens is presenting the notion that if the rich do not change that God will punish them with hell.

[@DystopiaJunkie]

Another great bit of analysis - great job!

[@joshskitchen2382]

this video was really helpful thank you! do you offer any tutoring to help more?

[@Dm7.gaming]

thanks bro this helped loads

[@DystopiaJunkie]

You're very welcome, my dude!

[@Hanzalah8]

thank you so much this helped alot

[@DystopiaJunkie]

You're very welcome! 👊

[@crysiz4176]

maybe the claw is used to show that the poor claw at possibilities of escaping their poverty but aren't able to find a way out. the animalistic language of 'claw' comparing them to animals living in the harsh conditions of the wild. They are compared to as 'wolfish' where dickens further zoomorphicizes 'ignorance' and 'want'. Hunting animals (wolves) live from prey to prey or kill to kill. this could be compared to the poor which get exploited by the rich because they live from that ever so needed pay check to pay check. However, people can easily loose their job and not be able to find one, their income can be unreliable. Bob cratchit puts up with scooge's misanthropic behaviour because he can't loose his job as he must provide for his family. The poor and the cratchits use their claw to cling on to any possibility of staying above water just to put food on the table. Tiny Tim is used by dickens as a fulcrum to create pity among the audience so that rather than looking down on the poor and criticise them they can try to open their generous hearts to the poor. Seeing as almost all of the readers of dickens' book were wealthy people (seeing as when "a Christmas Carol' was written it was priced at a third of bob's pay) Dickens is asking them to if not donate and help, then to merely have respect for everyone as dickens christian message is to love one another.

[@adambolgerbolger9798]

Does anyone know any videos where the key themes of ignorance and want through the whole novel are explained

[@DystopiaJunkie]

To be fair, I would say that as themes, the ideas of ignorance and want are just a part of poverty, and I've definitely got a video about wealth and poverty! 😊

[@riakhatke1367]

Very nice analysis...like that 'ghost of the present' voice :)

[@DystopiaJunkie]

Thanks for the kind words! 😊

[@kamsionugha6015]

Slayyyyy

[@darrelldarrell4312]

Shush

[@alishaaa_0a686]

This is my notes : 5:50 11:00 12:22 16:36 18:00

[@siddhanthkrishnan7748]

Thank you. I can now know some good points for my essay

[@DystopiaJunkie]

You're very welcome! 😊

[@siddhanthkrishnan7748]

@@DystopiaJunkie I finished the exam

[@siddhanthkrishnan7748]

I think I did well

[@DystopiaJunkie]

👏👏👏

[@DystopiaJunkie]

Well done! 😁

[@patrickgrant5869]

nice

[@DystopiaJunkie]

Cheers!

[@harveyyyyyyyyy]

more kahoot please

[@ArthurDavidson-ze2oo]

❤

[@harveyyyyyyyyy]

They look like Freddy Brewin

[@darrelldarrell4312]

Fr

[@janulajayawardane8982]

suiii

[@Kikilang60]

I not sure I agree. Ignorance and want are not something you pity. They presented as something not human, but monsterous. Then he tell Scrooge to hear them. It's clear, they are not evil, but they are dangerous. They are doom for Scrooge. Scrooge is never just the person himself, but society as a whole, and the Ghost of Christmas Present makes that clear, when he says, "You can deny them" Those Ghost of Christmas Present make it very clear, they are as dangerous as any monsters, for they are the doom of Scrooge's type. Scrooge's type is money, and profit. That was English society then, as is now.

[@DystopiaJunkie]

That's the beauty of English: we're able to disagree and have different opinions and engage in interesting discussion because of that! I think you've got some great analysis there (that final sentence is very powerful - nice one), for sure! A question for you, though: if I+W are just monsters, why do you think Dickens gave them the form of children, rather than adults, or beasts?

[@leonifellows505]

I’m cringing so hard, this video is helpful but he’s cringy af

[@andreasmichael7016]

shush

[@tact660]

Shush

[@andreasmichael7016]

@@tact660 shush

[@rayraro5168]

shush

[@wendydowning2874]

Shush