Scrooge is not only as modern as Gradgrind
but more modern than Gradgrind. He belongs not only to the hard times of
the middle of the nineteenth century, but to the harder times of the
beginning of the twentieth century; the
yet harder times in which we live. Many amiable sociologists will say,
as he said, "Let them die and decrease the surplus population." The
improved proposal is that they should die before they are born.
It is notable also that Dickens gives the right reply; and that with a
deadly directness worthy of a much older and more subtle
controversionalist. The answer to anyone who talks about the surplus
population is to ask him whether he is the surplus population; or if he
is not, how he knows he is not. That is the answer which the Spirit of
Christmas gives to Scrooge.
2 comments:
Awesome and this holds so true for today. It is amazing to me when I read Dickens as a child I believed that he was a set space of time. Now I relies how timeless his work is. And how any of us and all of the governing bodies can become the same as it was in his time.
'They are Man's,' said the Spirit, looking down upon
them. 'And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers.
This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both,
and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy,
for on his brow I see that written which is Doom"
Sorry if that quote is not exact.
Amen to that....
:-)
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