London at the time of the publication of "A Christmas Carol" in 1843 was one of the most populous and filthy cities in Europe, experiencing unprecedented growth as the Industrial Revolution in England shifted into high gear. City life for the poor was grim; high mortality rates (especially amongst children) limited opportunities for advancement or education, cramped and unsanitary housing existed in proportions that were inconceivable a dozen years earlier. London simply wasn't ready for the influx of people that flocked to the city in search of factory jobs that paid better than farming.
A generation earlier, such jobs didn't exist; in fact, the people didn't exist either. Industrialization had raised the standard of living in England so that the population exploded; many more people could survive, but just barely; certainly they would have little chance to thrive. Dickens was describing the social impact during that difficult cultural transition in England from an agrarian to an industrial economy. For a few during this time, vast fortunes in industry were made. "A Christmas Carol" is therefore Dickens's plea for the city's wealthy, who would have been the ones reading his story when it was first published, to act in their own best interest by aiding the destitute of early Victorian London.
A generation later, such aid established schools, sanitation, housing, and other infrastructure, and the lives and prospects of the "working class" rose.
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