COVE

A Christmas Carol (1843). Written by Charles Dickens and illustrated by John Leech. Engraved by Linton. In this three quarter paged, black and white wood engraving vignette illustration on page 119, Scrooge encounters two impoverished children. At the sight of their haggard appearance in the cold, Scrooge faces internal guilt and remorse over his greedy capitalist ways and his hungry pursuit of money and exploitation. The industrial buildings and factories of 19th century London loom in the background, symbolizing the way greed, consumerism, and industrialization entrap the citizens of Victorian society in different ways. While Scrooge is trapped by his own desire for money and financial security, the working children are trapped by the factories and industry that enslaves them.