Mood And Atmosphere In A Christmas Carol

In the novel ‘A Christmas Carol’, Dickens uses multiple language devices to create mood and atmosphere in a way that conveys his attitudes towards the poor. As a child, Dickens’ family was in debt, so he know first-hand how it feels to be living in poverty. He was forced to work in a blacking factory (a factory that makes black dye for boots) in order to help his family pay off their debt.

Dickens uses pathetic fallacy in this extract to create a menacing atmosphere. This is shown when it says “Meanwhile the fog and darkness thickened so, that people ran about with flaring links, proffering their services”. Dickens is foreshadowing that the poor will struggle to make any money because he says the fog and darkness thickened. This suggests that as the fog thickens, the harder it will be for the poor to see almost a light at the end of the tunnel, as they’re frantically trying to make even a penny. The word ‘fog’ connotes mystery and the unknown, which makes the reader think that the poor will not know how their futures will pan out. This makes the reader feel sympathy towards the poor because whilst they’re out in the cold and dark, there are the wealthier people in doors with their families. The word ‘darkness’ makes you think of fear or evil. This makes the reader feel as if the poor are unsafe in the streets at night, and their struggle to find their way to safety the more the darkness thickens.
Dickens uses emotive language in the novel as a whole to create a sympathetic mood towards the poor. He does this using Bob Cratchit and his family. In stave three, there is a scene when the Cratchits are all helping out with preparing dinner as a family. This