Since the novel was written during the Industrial Revolution, I noticed that throughout the novel Charles Dickens often referred to the different technologies used during this period . A technology or way of traveling, the steamboat, became a symbol of technological progress and the progression of Victorian society. The period of the novel was a time of radical change. England was in a phase of global expansion and becoming a wealthy world power. At the time Dickens wrote his novel, the cultural reactions of his readers at that time probably involved an awareness of the problems of the poor, the imprisoned, and the efforts of a rising middle class to achieve wealth and a certain position. Additionally, I noticed the praise given to the aristocracy by characters such as the vain Pumblechook and the ridiculously hollow Mrs. Pocket. If you put this play in the context of our times, the novel would still have the same meaning and be perceived in the same way. Depending on what time period this novel is set in, you may still get the same meaning. There are many different messages you can take from the book, but the main message that would be perceived would be that the novel clearly shows that money cannot buy love, nor does it guarantee love.