theme of regret in a christmas carol essay

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Exploration of Themes of Regret and Responsibility in A Christmas Carol

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Mary Shelley
Amelia Earhart

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theme of regret in a christmas carol essay

How Scrooge Changes

How is scrooge presented as being selfish, the point behind the paragraph ao1 - big picture (plot) ao2 - zooming in (language) ao3 - context, during the opening of the novel, scrooge is presented as a selfish, closed character who only thinks of himself. the first section of the novel takes the form of a long piece of description where dickens highlights just how selfish scrooge is. he’s described as being “squeezing,” “wrenching,” and “grasping.” all these active verbs suggest different ways that he takes things. squeezing suggests that he holds things close to himself and won’t let them go. “wrenching” means to take things; to snatch them. this might refer to how he runs his business, snatching back what’s his own, as though he’s a selfish spoilt child who won’t share. “grasping” means to reach desperately for something, which isn’t something we’d associate with someone as wealthy as scrooge. equally, he’s described as being “solitary as an oyster.” this wonderful simile perfectly illustrates just how closed off scrooge is: he has a hard shell to keep himself away from the rest of the world. throughout the rest of stave 1 we see more examples of his selfishness: he refuses to go to fred’s house, arguing that christmas is a “humbug;” he refuses to give to the portly gentleman’s charity, saying that the poor should go to workhouses, prisons or simply die if they can’t afford to live and he resents giving bob cratchit the day off for christmas, thinking himself “ill-used.” scrooge clearly thinks only of himself. he doesn’t “make merry” at christmas, and he “can’t afford” to make anyone else merry either. here, dickens uses scrooge to shine a light on the selfishness of the victorian upper classes, who would happily sit by their firesides eating rich food while their poorer brothers froze in the dirt outside. it is also worth remembering, however, that the issue of poverty is not one that is consigned to victorian england; it’s very much alive today, and we would all do well to look outside of our bubbles to see those who suffer in the world around us ., the text above would represent one paragraph from an essay about scrooge being presented as selfish. the second paragraph would look at how scrooge learnt to be less selfish, while the last would focus on how scrooge was presented by the end. each paragraph would have a point, some language analysis (ao2), some key moments of plot (ao1) and a reference to context (ao3)., the extract, during the opening of the novel, and in the extract, scrooge is presented as a “tight-fisted hand at the grindstone.” this is to say that he doesn’t like sharing – he is tight fisted – while the “grindstone” image represents him at work. this image suggests that he drives people hard at work but doesn’t pay them much for it. and this is certainly true of scrooge. dickens also uses a string of verbs to describe his miserly hero: “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching;” all of them imply that he is taking things and holding on to them. he’s described as “hard and sharp as flint” – which implies that he is difficult and even dangerous – “from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire” which implies that one thing flint does well is something scrooge is incapable of, because fire is warm and looks after others. most interestingly, however, scrooge is described as “edging his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance.” this is an interesting image as it implies a certain strange compassion from scrooge. in fact, he isn’t just rude or obnoxious, it’s as though he recognised that he is socially and emotionally dysfunctional and now “warns” other humans to keep away., by the end of the book, however, he has changed and he does this by realising a few very important things., firstly, he understands that people and emotions are more important than money. at the beginning of the book scrooge things money equates to happiness – he says that “i can’t afford to make idle people merry,” suggesting that happiness can only be provided through financial means. during his visits with the ghost of christmas past, however, he sees his old manager fezziwig throwing a party and comments that “the happiness he gives is quite as great as if it had cost a fortune.” here, he shows the beginnings of an understanding that happiness isn’t just financial. throughout stave 3, also, scrooge sees people enjoying christmas without any money. he is taken across the country from the poor tin-mines in cornwall to the most distant lighthouses and even across the sea to where he sees people singing and laughing and making merry despite being on meagre means. he also sees the cratchitts enjoying christmas with next to nothing – with their chipped glasses and broken custard cups holding the drinks as well as “golden goblets.” dickens repeatedly uses references to gold in the book, and at one point bob mentions that tiny tim is “as good as gold and better.” here, bob is clearly celebrating the key theme of the book: that people and human relationships are more important than money. by the end of the book, with the third spirit, scrooge seems changed. he says “lead on, time is precious to me.” here he recognises that time – which is irreplaceable – is actually the most valuable commodity on earth and he seems changed., also, scrooge is changed by the compassion he sees other’s treating him with. when belle speaks to him, she does so with “tenderness” – suggesting that even at this moment of deepest sadness, she feels sorry for him, and not resentful. also, bob toasts him over their dinner, raising a glass to celebrate him. through this scrooge is forced to reflect on the fact that he is supported and loved despite his behaviour. his nephew, fred, also insists on defending him – albeit that he playfully teases him in the group’s game – when he says that he insists inviting scrooge to dinner every year – “for i pity him.” again, the compassion and sympathy felt by others would have affected scrooge and softened him, melting his cold and bitter heart, rather than making him angry and isolated. finally, scrooge allows himself to become absorbed in society when he becomes tiny tim’s “second father.” this final statement shows clearly that scrooge is now a fully-fledged member of society, and even though he had no relationship with his own family, he has an adopted, extended family that he can be a part of., it’s also worth noting, that the first person scrooge feels compassion for is himself. in the school room, when he “wept” to see his “poor forgotten self” scrooge shows sympathy for his own plight. it could well be that his father – the father that fanny didn’t have to feel “afraid” of anymore – was the source of scrooge’s anger and resentment. in this respect, you could easily argue that scrooge was deserted by those who were closest to him and, in turn, deserted those around him; however, by the end, an extended family of society have proven that they care for scrooge and can forgive him, and in this way he learns to feel compassion again., a christmas carol and death, a churchyard. here, then; the wretched man whose name he had now to learn, lay underneath the ground. it was a worthy place. walled in by houses; overrun by grass and weeds, the growth of vegetation’s death, not life; choked up with too much burying; fat with repleted appetite. a worthy place, the spirit stood among the graves, and pointed down to one. he advanced towards it trembling. the phantom was exactly as it had been, but he dreaded that he saw new meaning in its solemn shape., “before i draw nearer to that stone to which you point,” said scrooge, “answer me one question. are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they shadows of things that may be, only”, still the ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood., “men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said scrooge. “but if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. say it is thus with what you show me”, the spirit was immovable as ever., scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and following the finger, read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name, ebenezer scrooge., the extract is from the end of stave 4 and explores scrooge’s final realisation of his fate as the ghost of christmas yet to come points to his grave. overall, death is a prevalent theme in the novella, one which haunts scrooge at every turn, enough to finally transform him for the better., at the beginning of the novel, scrooge’s encounter with the terrifying spectre of death, his old business partner jacob marley sows the early seeds of receptiveness to a new way of life. at first, scrooge refuses to believe that anything dead could return, joking ‘there’s more gravy than the grave about you’ however, the chilling horror of marley’s appearance ‘i wear the chains i forged in life’ –which are constructed of financial elements: purses, and sales ledgers, suggest an unhealthy obsession with money and the way one’s profession will manifest itself and weigh you down after death. also, the clear warning to scrooge ‘mankind was my business’ and the image he shows outside scrooge’s window of dead people desperately trying in vain to change their ways and reconcile themselves with their families, is a message that once one is dead, there is no opportunity for redemption and change. in this section, dickens draws on his knowledge of the gothic genre –churches, door knockers that turn into the face of marley, and marley’s stories from beyond the grave that to chill the victorian reader to the core. of course, they would also be only too aware of the potential of hell, something that dickens was sceptical of, but a huge proportion of his readership would have believed in., another aspect of death that strikes a chord with scrooge early in the novella is when the ghost of xmas past reveals the scene when his sister, fan came to take him home from the boarding school for christmas. this is clearly a treasured memory for scrooge and the reader learns of what a strong bond the two had. ‘fan, fan, dear fan’ and she reminds him ‘father has changed’. the ghost reminds scrooge of the fact she has died and has only one surviving relative, her son, fred. scrooge instantly feels guilty about how he treated fred at the beginning when he received his usual invite to xmas dinner. dickens conveys here how a memory of a death has a significant impact on scrooge’s gradual transformation into a more caring person., in the extract, the reader is presented with the final scene from the ghost of xmas future and scrooge’s terror reaches a dramatic peak. the setting is described as ‘a worthy place’ with this adjective from dickens’ narrator serving to identify the bleak spot as one which scrooge heartily deserves. pathetic fallacy is used to convey the place with lines like ‘overrun by grass and weeds –the growth of vegetation’s death’ indicating how the unwanted weeds, a clear metaphor for death, have destroyed any flowers, and made the location one that resembles the fate that potentially awaited scrooge: one where no-one would tend his grave. it is even ‘walled in by houses’ and at the start the reader learns ‘the furniture was not the same’ in his office. this suggests that in death, everything continues on as normal –someone will take scrooge’s place as a loan shark, and no-one will notice or visit his grave as it is hidden from view., the mood of this piece builds in dramatic tension as scrooge desperately implores the ghost to speak and to reassure him that ‘if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. say it is thus’ but the short sentence ‘the spirit was as immovable as ever’ conveys how dickens allies death with silence and that perhaps it is not god or anyone else who will change our life’s path, only by reaching within one’s self that a genuine transformation can occur., further evidence of scrooge’s doom laden panic as he faces up to the reality of his own death is found in the verb ‘trembling’ as he approaches his own grave, the question ‘am i the man who lay upon the bed’ and the repeated exclamations ‘no, spirit oh, no’ overall, it is an extract that encapsulates the horror of facing up to one’s death, and the added fear for scrooge that no-one will remember him. it is the final catalyst in making him change his ways., the cratchits, cratchits extract, intro / “happy, grateful pleased” vs scrooge at school “not afraid” // “shut out the darkness” vs fred welcoming scrooge // “in a glow” vs belle’s family // grave / as good as gold, charles dickens wrote a christmas carol during the victorian times, when the gap between rich and poor was very big. in the novel dickens shows that money is not as important as family when it comes to happiness. he was inspired partly because his father had been taken into debtors’ prison when he was younger, something that would have left dickens understanding just how much more important family was than money., the first paragraph of this extract deals with the cratchits, who are not wealthy – as shown by their “scanty” clothes – but are happy. dickens uses four key adjectives to describe them: “happy, grateful, pleased” and “contented.” these adjectives show that despite the fact that they didn’t have any of the things that victorian society would have valued, they are still capable of being happy in a range of different ways. this contrasts directly with scrooge’s younger years, where he was “forgotten” by his family and left in school. scrooge is rescued by his younger sister, fanny, who comes to tell him that he is welcomed back because their father doesn’t make her feel “afraid” anymore. this adjective gives us a suggestion that their father may have been abusive to them, and would go some way towards understanding why scrooge rejects family so firmly later in his life., despite fanny’s death – another desertion that would have affected scrooge – her spirit lives on through her son, scrooge’s nephew fred, who repeatedly invites scrooge to his house for christmas dinner. scrooge repeatedly refuses with his famous “bah humbug” line, but fred insists that he will keep inviting him for “i pity” him. the fact that fred pities scrooge for being rude, shows just how far family will go to remain loyal to each other. this idea is also shown in the extract, where the families prepare to close their curtains so they can “shut out the darkness.” in many ways, these curtains could be seen as metaphoric blinds that help keep families together; they keep out the outside and sometimes even blind each other to our failings in order that the family unit is kept happy., the second paragraph also describes some “handsome girls, all hooded and fur-booted” who enter a house “in a glow.” here, dickens makes the point that family is not just for poor people, but is something that unites us all (like the “trip to the grave” that fred mentions in a speech earlier in the book.) the fact that they are “in a glow” suggests that they aren’t just happy, but are actually glowing – a symbol of light that is used repeatedly through christmas carol. also, the preposition “in” suggests that they are within this glow, protected by it, in the same way that families protect us all. in one of the most heart-breaking scenes in the book, scrooge is taken to see his former girlfriend with her new family, a family that could have been his own, had scrooge not chosen worship his “golden idol” above her., in the end though, it is the lack of respect given to his death that really changes scrooge for the better. once he’s seen his own “neglected” grave, he understands the true cost of being alone and understands the reasons why tiny tim’s father calls him, proudly, “as good as gold – and better”.

In this extract, we see how the Cratchit family are happy despite their poverty. The novella was published in 1893 which was in the middle of the Industrial Revolution, so many people were moving into cities, leading them to become overcrowded and therefore poverty-stricken. This poverty is evident here in the quote ‘ the family display of glass’ which we then learn consists of ‘two tumblers’ and a ‘custard cup without a handle’. The word ‘display’ shows just how little they own, as they seem proud to showcase these small dilapidated objects off, as this is all they have. However, they seem content as such trivial matters don’t change how they feel towards each other. Dickens compares the cups to ‘golden goblets’ which to me suggests that the Cratchits feel enriched simply by each other’s company, which is worth more to them than anything materialistic.

Earlier in the same scene, we learn first how vibrant the scene is among this family when Dickens personifies even the potatoes, saying they were ‘knocking’ to get out of their pan, as if the joyous atmosphere was so desirable to be amongst that even inanimate objects wanted to be part of the festivities. In the extract, we are told that the chestnuts cracked ‘noisily’ which conveys the same ideas, building a feeling of community despite the poverty in the scene.

The Ghost of Christmas present first takes Scrooge to see the Cratchits Chirstmas, which makes him realise the importance of family at this time, then continues this theme of company by showing him other scenes brought to life by Christmas spirit. For example, when the ghost takes him to a lighthouse, the poor workers there are described as having ‘horny hands’. This suggests that they have struggled through great hardships and have suffered more in their life than Scrooge ever would, and yet their show of unison when they all sing together at Christmas let them disregard their struggles for a time. By comparing the Cratchits and these workers, Dickens shows how the poor could overcome their lack of materialistic value and settle for things of emotional value.

One member of the Cratchit family who strongly highlights the struggles of the poor is Tiny Tim. In this extract his hand is described as a ‘withered little hand’ suggesting it has prematurely withered like a flower with no light. As the word ‘withered’ has connotations of a flower, to me, this could perhaps be seen as a metaphor for how something beautiful has been hindered and killed by the tight fistedness of the rich in society which is something that Dickens was strongly trying to convey in this novella. Light is often a symbol of hope so this flower could be shrivelled due to a lack of light, which is the lack of generosity from the upper classes. Dickens may have untended ‘withered little’ as a juxtaposition, as we would normally associate ‘withered’ with age and ‘little’ with childhood. This contrast highlights how wrong it is that an innocent child should be so shunned by society due to his wealth and status, and this demonstrates Dickens’ frustration over the inequality.

Dickens uses a similar adjective to describe the hands of the children Ignorance and Want. The word ‘shrivelled’ is used here, which compares these children, who are also victims of the struggles of poverty [sic] to Tiny Tim. It creates a similar image of premature decay to highlight the neglect of lower classes in society. The boy in this scene represents Ignorance and the ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge to ‘most of all beware the boy’. This strongly conveys Dickens’ message about poverty and the poor, as he is trying to tell society that ignoring the struggles and problems of the poor will be their downfall .

This is demonstrated in Stave 4 when Tiny Tim dies, and the Cratchits say that when Bob had Tiny Tim on his shoulders he walked ‘very fast indeed’. When we have a weight on our shoulders, the phrases normally implies a burden and a worry. However here I think that Tiny Tim represents the burden that the rich think the poor put upon society. Here, Dickens could be saying that if we only realised the potential of the poor they may actually prove helpful and contribute to society, however they are seen only dead weight on the shoulders of society due to the ignorance of the rich.

A Christmas Carol and Family

Question: How does Dickens present family as important to society in A Christmas Carol?

Dicken’s presents family as incredibly important in his allegorical novella ‘A Christmas Carol’ as Dicken’s own father was put in prison when he was young, having a profound effect on him. Scrooge juxtaposes other characters as he rejects the possibility of his own family, we see joy in the Cratchitt’s (despite their poverty) and finally Fred’s kindness is also shown towards his family.

In Stave 2 Scrooge rejects his fiancée by not protesting that he will love her and care for her. Belle uses the metaphor “a golden idol has replaced me” when she “releases” Scrooge from his engagement to her. This suggests that money and wealth are infinitely more important to him than his own family. The Ghost of the Past is instrumental in showing Scrooge what could have been when Belle is described as a “comely Matro” by the omniscient narrator to suggest that she has aged well, is happy and content due to her family. Furthermore, she is “surrounded by children” which shows her large family and how this could have been Scrooge’s fate if he had not loved wealth as much. Family was comforting in the Victorian society as the Welfare State was not in existence meaning families has to look after their elderly relations or they would end up in workhouses (which was the worst fate for the poor). In Stave one Fred is also introduced to us as Scrooge’s nephew and also rejected by him with the repetition of “Good Afternoon” showing how dismissive Scrooge can be when there is no financial gain. Fred shows kindness and caring towards him, but he rejects his offer of “Christmas Dinner” and to “dine with us” suggesting Scrooge likes his isolation and lonely, money-filled life.

Throughout the extract the family is seen as paramount to the happiness of the Cratchitt family. Bob is crushed with disappointment when he thinks Martha is not coming for Christmas dinner suggesting love, tenderness and a family bond towards his child. The adjective in “sudden declension in his high spirits” shows how disappointed he is. Tiny Trim and his siblings are extremely caring towards each other when the younger one “spirit him off” so he can “hear the pudding sing” which seems a simple pleasure, but shows that the little things in life matter and that siblings kindness is important, especially as Tiny Tim is the “cripple” and represents Christian goodwill and charity. Perhaps, Dickens was showing the effects of poverty through the presentation of the symbolic Tiny Tim who encourages the people in church to see him as Christmas is about Jesus and he “made beggars walk and blind men see” showing that although Tiny Tim is crippled he is the heart of the family and represents the way people should be towards each other. Christianity is a recurring theme in the novella and Dicken’s may have been highlighting the juxtaposition in the teachings of the bible and the actions of the wealthy in Victorian London and how Christian values were often bent to suit the opinions and thoughts of the wealthy. Dicken’s appears to be criticising through the charitable and kind and loving Cratchitt’ s the way family is rejected by Scrooge, due to his avarice, while those with the least are celebrated and celebrating Christianity and Christian values. It is ironic that Scrooge covets money and wealth more than he covets family and humanity. Further focus on the love and happiness reflected in the Cratchitt household is the way they all join together and share in the chores “in high procession” is used by Dickens to reflect the joyful atmosphere that is created in the small household when the “goose” is brought in for carving. The enthusiasm with which the goose is met is contagious and all the Cratchitt household join in the celebration of the goose “one murmur of delight” describes vividly the whole family gasping in joy at the sight of the food they have for Christmas dinner, despite the clear evidence of poverty that abounds in the household. Mrs Cratchitt is “brave in ribbons” which metaphorically describes the way she has made do and mended her dress to make it appear more festive as a piece of ribbon would have been a relatively cheap way of dressing up, while a new dress would have been an unquestionable expense and out of reach for the family. Although, poor she shows pride in her appearance and wants to look her best for the festivities and not disappoint Bob, her loving husband. Family here is shown as important as they all collectively share in the hardship and even though they are poor they don’t complain or grumble, they just focus on making the best of their situation. Symbolically, the Cratchitt family are the antithesis of Scrooge and his cruel hearted rejection of his own family.

Earlier in the novella, when the Ghost of the Past took him to the boarding school, we see a glimpse of humanity and caring towards family when “Little Fan” arrives to “take him home”. He exclaims that she is “quite a woman” showing his admiration, love and affection for her and his sadness at the reminder that she “died a young woman” which implies that perhaps, like many women at the time, childbirth was too much for her and she died. Dickens doesn’t explicitly state that childbirth was the cause of her death but there is the implication that Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, is a painful reminder of his loving sister to Scrooge and this could be why Scrooge continues to harden his heart against Fred. Alternatively, his hardened nature and his inability to love could be a mechanism that he has used over the years as he became more and more isolated and less interested in sharing experiences with other people. Scrooge’s behaviour, therefore could indicate fear and an unwillingness to open himself up to loss again, as in Stave 2 it is incredibly evident that Scrooge does have a heart and is capable of love and Fan, his sister, has experienced this love and attention from Scrooge. Scrooge’s nephew Fred is also an excellent example of how family should stick together through all the pain and heartache life can throw at people. Fred arrives at the “counting-house” on a bleak, dark and foggy Christmas Eve in stave one with the pathetic fallacy reflecting the inner sadness and miserly nature of Scrooge. Fred is cheerful and welcoming towards his grumpy uncle, who rejects the offer of Christmas dinner and in Stave 3 we see Scrooge become the butt of the joke during a game of “Guess Who”. Scrooge watches amused and seems to ironically miss the fact that he is being compared to an animal of some sort “Uncle Sccccrooooogggeee” is used in the game, too much hilarity as an example that no-one can guess initially. Scrooge watches on with the Ghost of the Present wistfully and plays along with the games, even though he can’t be seen or heard by Fred and the other guests. Although, they are being slightly unkind and poking fun at Scrooge there is some clear evidence of affection for him, due to the fact that he is family. In this scene family is again seen to be normal, caring and loving and everyone is together, looking out for each other and enjoying each other’s company. Dickens presents Fred’s Christmas as a larger and more opulent affair than the Cratchitt’ s but the day seems to represent a wider sort of family gathering with friends and nieces invited to the festivities as well, suggesting that we are all part of the same human race and that there are more similarities between us than differences.

Towards the end of the novella Dickens introduces us to the idea that Scrooge has changed and has reflected on how family is important and why he should join in and become a part of the family, both the Cratchitt family and his own nephew Scrooge. At the end of the novella Tiny Tim utters the phrase that is synonymous with his good nature “God bless us everyone!” which summarises the change that overcame Scrooge. Tim lived because Scrooge changed and became a better man. Scrooge vowed after seeing the Ghost of the Future, the death of Tiny Tim and the death of himself that he would “live in the past, the present and the future” showing that he understood the importance of being a better person. His first act of kindness after this proclamation is to send a “Turkey to the Cratchitt family” which was a huge gesture and showed that he valued their family and really did not want to see Tiny Tim die, he asks the Ghost of the Future “Will Tiny Tim live?” and this rhetorical question reveals that he already knows the answer to this. Without Scrooge’s epiphany and change Tim will die, so Scrooge shows that he recognises how pivotal to happiness Tiny Tim is by sending the food to them. Due to the way family is presented throughout the novella it is obvious that Scrooge begins to understand that family keeps people together and makes them more humane. In the end Scrooge goes to Fred’s house and is invited in. He also becomes “like a second father” to Tiny Tim and shows that he understands the importance of being a better person and the role that having a family plays in this.

Evidently, Dickens felt that family was centrally important to the novella as he places the Cratchitt family in the heart of it. They are show to us in Stave 3 during the Ghost of the Present’s revelations to Scrooge and arguably the scene with the Cratchitt family helps to change Scrooge from being a unkind, miserly and covetous man to a more charitable, kind and loving man. The presentation of family was extremely important in showing Scrooge that he could be a much better man.

ANOTHER ONE

They were a boy and a girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible and dread.

Scrooge started back, appalled. Having them shown to him in this way, he tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude. "Spirit, are they yours?" Scrooge could say no more.

"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, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!" cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye. Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And abide the end." "Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge. "Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?"

In A Christmas Carol, Dickens continually returns the readers’ focus on the children in Victorian society. The recurring character and the famous child in the novella is “Tiny” Tim Cratchit who becomes a metonym for thousands of faceless proletariat children neglected by a ruthless self-serving capitalist society. However, the shocking introduction of the minor characters of Ignorance and Want allows Dickens to create a political diatribe against the greed, selfishness and neglect of working-class children. These children contrasted against the earlier childhood version of Scrooge, serve to expose the dichotomy between the poor and rich in a deeply unequal and uneven society.

In this passage, Ignorance and Want become a metaphorical paradigm of society’s abandonment of the poor and the consequence of their inability to take social responsibility for poverty. The children have a primarily allegorical purpose evidenced in the focus of their physical features. The boy and girl are old before their time as Dickens says their faces are absent of “graceful youth” and the neglect of their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing is emphasised in the image of their “pinched” and “twisted” features. These adjectives heighten the idea of their youth being robbed and their childhood destroyed by physical hardships particularly given “twisted” is synonymous with something that is misshapen and grotesque. Their faces are described as being the antithesis of childhood innocence as Dickens uses hyperbolic language and describes how “devils lurked” in their faces and “glared out menacingly”. The use of hellish imagery accentuates the impression that their existence has been made unbearable by poverty and in turn has tainted and corrupted their view of the world as well as wrecked their own goodness and innocence. The children’s hostility, distrust and hatred of the Christian society meant to protect them is manifested in the verb “glared”, which is emblematic of their disillusionment and discontent. Dickens uses animal imagery to describe the children as “wolfish” which bolsters the impression of working-class children’s metamorphosis from innocent creatures to starving and exploited children hardened by their suffering. The colour “yellow” is symptomatic of sickness and ill health and furthers the idea of their physical and mental decay within a laissez faire society (where no welfare state or support to lift working class children out of absolute poverty exists). The philosopher John Locke theorised man is born a blank slate and our nature is changed by nurture; this idea is evidenced in the way in which societal neglect changes the nature of the children. It is clear that Dickens subverts the image of childhood innocence and sharply juxtaposes Ignorance and Want’s damaged childhood to the wealthy Scrooge’s happier memories of his powerful education (in which his imagination came alive by his schooling), in order to create pathos for working class children and force his contemporary Victorian readers to examine their conscience, particularly their lack of support for the “ragged” poor and homeless children in society.

Dickens believed how a society treated its children, revealed their social mores. He makes it evident that society is to blame for the suffering and dehumanisation of working-class children especially as the spirits uses the short declarative “They are man’s” to indicate societal responsibility and its moral failing. The hypocrisy of a Christian society is exemplified in the way in which the ghost mocks Scrooge and repeats his infamous questions back to him: “Are there no prisons?” and “Are there no workhouses?” The callousness of society and its evasion of social responsibility to take care of the most vulnerable is emphasised in the repetition of the nouns “prison” and “workhouses” which reminds contemporary readers that they marginalised and disenfranchisedinnocent working-class children by socially excluding them and denying them a good quality of life.

Dickens more importantly uses the recurring character construct of Tiny Tim to dispel the damaging societal stereotype that the working class are deserving of their poverty. In Stave 3, Tiny Tim is romanticised by Dickens to symbolise the beauty and goodness of working-class children who deserve society’s love and charity. He is poor but shows immense courage and huge generosity of spirit. When Tiny Tim uses the biblical story of how Jesus helped the blind and poor, and hopes the bourgeoise remember the poor during Christmas, he becomes a symbol of Jesus and once again exposes the hypocrisy of a Christian society that claims to help the poor but instead neglects them. Though Tiny Tim is dying, he shows courage and endless love and devotion to his family, best demonstrated when he says “God bless us everyone” as he sits next to his dad. Tiny Tim does not ask for anything for himself, but he is the antithesis to Scrooge because he is altruistic and puts others before him. In an increasingly amoral Victorian society, Tiny Tim provides comforting moral guidance on how to live a good life. However, Tiny Tim becomes a symbol of the abandonment of working-class children as he is powerless to improve his situation and is shown to die, leaving his family “still” and destroyed by their grief. His death symbolises how the bourgeoise have the power to change his fate and that of thousands of other vulnerable children but fail to do so, leaving innocent families broken by the death of their babies. The focus on the grief of the family after Tiny Tim dies creates intense pathos and is deliberate as Dickens reminds his readers of their shocking contextual reality - that one in five children in Victorian society did not live to see their fifth birthday.

The fairy-tale reversal in Tiny Tim’s death in Stave 5 is a piercing reminder that a progressive and utopic society is possible, but only if the bourgeoisie (represented by Scrooge) learn to love its children and take social responsibility by improving their poverty-stricken situations and therefore preventing their needless deaths. In this stave, Scrooge becomes a “second father” to Tiny Tim. This lexical phrase is highly symbolic because while it literally shows Scrooge has become more responsible and compassionate, it is an important metaphorical reminder that working-class parents desperately need the support of society to help raise their children and provide a good quality of life for them. The lexical choice “Second” is synonymous here with something that is additional and surplus and so consequently is a strong reminder of the importance of a more responsible and engaged society that is not ignorant or myopic of working-class suffering and exploitation. To reinforce this idea, In Stave 3, Dickens briefly uses the childhood character of Martha Cratchit to remind his readers of the exploitation and premature growing up of Victorian children. In this stave the children are working in the kitchen and Martha arrives home late as she has been working. She is responsible for bringing the goose. She is embraced by her mother. The image of Mrs Cratchit embracing her working child reminds readers how adult breadwinners simply could not support their family and relied upon them sacrificing their childhood. There is no doubt that these moments have great verisimilitude for modern readers, particularly given how two thirds of children living in poverty in the UK have working parents, painfully reminding new readers how the exploitation of the poor is as real as ever.

Finally, the gaiety of Fred's family dinner, contrasted against the hardship of the merry but compromised Cratchit family, is a strong reminder of the terrible and tragic disparity between the lives of the working class and wealthy in society, a context greatly affecting the Cratchit children. To conclude Dickens uses the recurring characters of children to explore society’s lack of responsibility towards its children but also its power to change the fate of these children simply by showing greater compassion and ensuring social justice happens.

https://money.com/ebenezer-scrooge-defense-charles-dickens-christmas-carol/

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Stave 2 - A Christmas Carol

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Stave 2 - Fezziwig

Stave 2 - Regret and Redemption

Stave 2 - The Ghost of Christmas Past

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-Reading of Stave 2 with activities

Exploration of the themes of regret and redemption.
Analysis and comparison of Fezziwig and Scrooge.

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A Christmas Carol

Charles dickens, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Past, Present and Future – The Threat of Time Theme Icon

Scrooge is a caricature of a miser, greedy and mean in every way. He spends all day in his counting house looking after his money but is so cheap that he keeps his house in darkness, his fire small and allows no extravagance even on Christmas day. But we soon learn that he is the most impoverished character – he is lacking love, warmth and the spirit of Christmas, all of which make lives like Bob Cratchit ’s so worth living despite their hardships.

The story’s structure and Scrooge’s character development are engineered so that as Scrooge becomes aware of his own poverty and learns to forgive and listen to his buried conscience, he is able to see virtue and goodness in the other characters and rediscovers his own generosity – he even becomes a symbol of Christmas in the final stave.

Scrooge is remedied in the novella by the Christmas-conscious characters that surround him, including his own nephew and Bob Cratchit and his family, who show Scrooge in the Ghost of Christmas Present ’s tour the true meaning of goodness. All of the generous characters in the story are financially downtrodden but succeed in being good and happy despite their lot, whereas Scrooge needs to go through a traumatic awakening in order to find happiness. But the virtue that really ensures Scrooge’s transformation is forgiveness – it is this key of Christian morality that saves him when the characters that he has always put down—Fred, Bob Cratchit—welcome him into their homes when he undergoes his transformation, giving Dickens’ tale the shape of a true religious redemption.

Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness ThemeTracker

Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness Quotes in A Christmas Carol

Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.

Social Dissatisfaction and the Poor Laws Theme Icon

'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach. 'Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!'

'Business!' cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. 'Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!'

'Our contract is an old one. It was made when we were both poor and content to be so, until, in good season, we could improve our worldly fortune by our patient industry. You are changed. When it was made, you were another man.'

The sight of these poor revellers appeared to interest the Spirit very much, for he stood with Scrooge beside him in a baker's doorway, and taking off the covers as their bearers passed, sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch.

Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by Mrs Cratchit since their marriage. […]Everybody had something to say about it, but nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family. It would have been flat heresy to do so.

'God bless us every one!'

'Ghost of the Future!' he exclaimed, 'I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?'

'If he wanted to keep them after he was dead, a wicked old screw,' pursued the woman, 'why wasn't he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he'd have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself.'

He recoiled in terror, for the scene had changed, and now he almost touched a bed: a bare, uncurtained bed: on which, beneath a ragged sheet, there lay a something covered up, which, though it was dumb, announced itself in awful language.

Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and following the finger, read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name, Ebenezer Scrooge.

'I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!' Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!'

He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk – that anything – could give him so much happiness.

'Now, I'll tell you what, my friend,' said Scrooge, 'I am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer. And therefore,' he continued, leaping from his stool, and giving Bob such a dig in the waistcoat that he staggered back into the Tank again; 'and therefore I am about to raise your salary!'

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — A Christmas Carol — Theme of Redemption in “A Christmas Carol”

Theme of Redemption in "A Christmas Carol"

Categories: A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens

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Published: Sep 7, 2023

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A Christmas Carol Prediction AQA 2024

In 2024 I think the question will be about the effects of poverty (possibly including the Cratchits)

This essay is from my guide to essay writing on A Christmas Carol.

You can read it for free here: click .

The extract focuses on the suffering of the poor. Scrooge meets the wretched and miserable children with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who introduces them: “This boy is Ignorance”, “this girl is Want”. Scrooge’s reaction is revealing, he “tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude” . Scrooge believes that the children represent greed, which is why he “choked”. He cannot support them, so “Scrooge could say no more”. Dickens, through the Ghost, wants to show Scrooge that the children are totally self-interested and obsessed with money, and so are just like him.

This reminds him of how he angrily refused to allow Bob Cratchit even one more lump of coal in Stave 1. We also remember his refusal to donate to the charity men, asking “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” This reveals injustice and greed in society . Instead, Scrooge had counted his wealth, coin by coin. This revealed the consequences of his refusal, where he stubbornly holds on to his wealth so that the poor continue to suffer.

In this extract Scrooge asks if the poor can be helped, “have they no refuge or resource?”. Consequently , the spirit mocks him by using Scrooge’s own words to ask “are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Scrooge therefore regrets his sinful thoughts and actions.

Dickens also uses the “wolfish” children to represent Scrooge’s actions. Calling them “Ignorance” and “Want” shows Scrooge how his actions appear to others, as full of greed and misery. This causes Scrooge to regret his damaging behaviour.

The suffering of the poor is also presented elsewhere in the novel. In Stave 1, Scrooge walks his neighbourhood full of the poor and vulnerable who are happily celebrating Christmas. However , he rushes by angrily, ignoring their attempts at friendly conversation. Next, he denies his poor, loyal employee, Bob Cratchit, a day off for Christmas. Moreover, although he is wealthy, he pays Bob very little. This reveals his coldness and causes Bob’s life to be less full of happiness.

In addition, his nephew Fred interrupts Scrooge counting his money. He joyfully wishes Scrooge “Merry Christmas”, and invites his uncle to join him for a family Christmas. Despite Scrooge’s arrogant refusal, Fred keeps trying, asking “are you sure?” Scrooge reply is a harsh “Bah! Humbug!”, shouted as loudly as a storm. Then he repeats this. Although Fred responds fearfully with “I’m sure you don’t mean that”, Scrooge forces him to leave. Scrooge now realises that his anger and negativity have been damaging.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a mysterious figure , a “silent shape” who has a black hand “painted on its head”. It makes Scrooge obey and follow it into a future filled with death. He discovers Tiny Tim will die from illness and sees the Cratchits crying mourning tears for him. In CONTRAST, no one grieves at Scrooge’s graveside. His lack of pity for the poor mean they return his lack of empathy and steal his clothes from his abandoned corpse.

The dominant THEMES of the novel are family and desire for power.

Original 612 words

Thesis Statement No Explanations 20 Quotes 15 1-3 word quotes 6 NAMED METHODS 2 Society/era/patriarchal/Victorian/contemporary/ Malthusian/ Poor Laws etc 1 Dickens 2 Exploratory Could*, Might*, May*, Perhaps*, Probably* 0 Conclusion No Paragraphs 8 Words per paragraph 77

My Comments

This student is earning marks through sheer effort.

The interpretation of ‘choked’ is hilarious. It is based on the student thinking that ‘want’ means greed, rather than poverty. So, the interpretation is completely and utterly wrong.

The examiner is generous about this – they don’t just ignore it, they pretend that it is actually a plausible interpretation because of the later interpretation of Ignorance and Want in paragraph 4. The idea that they are symbols of Scrooge’s own ignorance and desires is plausible – even though I think it is totally wrong – we still have to give it credit.

This shows you the advantage of linking symbolism to Dickens’ purpose.

Another skill the student has is to immediately jump from the extract to several other parts of the novel. They link these together well, which definitely shows a clear understanding.

You should also look at how the word ‘society’ forces the student to write about Dickens’ purpose, and this forces the examiner to give it good marks.

However, we get the sense that this student has no idea that this is what is earning the marks – the rest of the essay is just quote analysis and retelling the plot. There is no sense that Scrooge or any of the other characters are constructs, there to illustrate Dickens’ ideas.

So, this student has got the grade through sheer effort – writing loads, referring to different parts of the novel, one analysis of symbol, and one of society and Dickens’ social message.

Everyone can do that. Everyone should therefore be able to get at least grade 6.

Examiner Comments

The first 4 paragraphs show a clear grasp of Dickens’ ideas.

The student uses a range of references from the extract.

They relate all of these to Dickens’ purpose and ideas.

The answer focuses on a clear understanding of Dickens’ purpose in creating the children Ignorance and Want.

The answer deals with several moments from the novel, so it is a clear and purposeful response to the full task.

To improve, the student should avoid simply retelling the story or plot.

Instead, they should link everything to Dickens’ ideas and purpose.

Mr Salles Teaches English is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts which help you get top grades, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

You can read all my guides free for 30 days here.

This is what Tilf.io said:

The extract focuses on the suffering of the poor. Scrooge meets the wretched and miserable children with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who introduces them: “This boy is Ignorance”, “this girl is Want”. Scrooge’s reaction is revealing, he “tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude”. Scrooge believes that the children represent greed, which is why he “choked”. He cannot support them, so “Scrooge could say no more”. Dickens, through the Ghost, wants to show Scrooge that the children are totally self-interested and obsessed with money, and so are just like him.

(This paragraph shows some understanding of the text, but there is a misinterpretation. The children 'Ignorance' and 'Want' are not meant to represent greed or self-interest; they symbolize the consequences of society's neglect of the poor. It's important to accurately reflect the symbolism Dickens uses to convey his attitudes towards the poor.)

This reminds him of how he angrily refused to allow Bob Cratchit even one more lump of coal in Stave 1. We also remember his refusal to donate to the charity men, asking “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” This reveals injustice and greed in society. Instead, Scrooge had counted his wealth, coin by coin. This revealed the consequences of his refusal, where he stubbornly holds on to his wealth so that the poor continue to suffer.

(You've made a good connection between Scrooge's actions and the broader societal attitudes towards the poor.

However, try to delve deeper into how Dickens uses these instances to critique the lack of compassion in society and the harsh realities of poverty.)

In this extract Scrooge asks if the poor can be helped, “have they no refuge or resource?”. Consequently, the spirit mocks him by using Scrooge’s own words to ask “are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Scrooge therefore regrets his sinful thoughts and actions.

(You've correctly identified the irony in the Ghost's response to Scrooge's question.

To strengthen your analysis, consider discussing how Dickens uses this moment to highlight the inadequacy of societal institutions like prisons and workhouses in addressing the needs of the poor.)

(Again, there is a misunderstanding here. The 'wolfish' children are not a representation of Scrooge's actions but rather the dire consequences of societal neglect and the potential future if ignorance and want are not addressed. It's crucial to interpret these characters in the context of Dickens's social commentary.)

The suffering of the poor is also presented elsewhere in the novel. In Stave 1, Scrooge walks his neighbourhood full of the poor and vulnerable who are happily celebrating Christmas. However, he rushes by angrily, ignoring their attempts at friendly conversation. Next, he denies his poor, loyal employee, Bob Cratchit, a day off for Christmas. Moreover, although he is wealthy, he pays Bob very little. This reveals his coldness and causes Bob’s life to be less full of happiness.

(This paragraph effectively highlights Scrooge's indifference to the poor and his employee's plight.

To enhance your response, consider how Dickens uses these examples to criticize the lack of empathy and the social divide between the wealthy and the poor.)

(You've captured the contrast between Fred's warmth and Scrooge's coldness well.

To link this back to the question, discuss how Dickens uses the character of Fred to represent a more compassionate and inclusive attitude towards others, which is the antithesis of Scrooge's initial views.)

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a mysterious figure, a “silent shape” who has a black hand “painted on its head”. It makes Scrooge obey and follow it into a future filled with death. He discovers Tiny Tim will die from illness and sees the Cratchits crying mourning tears for him. In CONTRAST, no one grieves at Scrooge’s graveside. His lack of pity for the poor mean they return his lack of empathy and steal his clothes from his abandoned corpse.

(This paragraph effectively contrasts the different reactions to death in the novel.

To further address the question, consider how Dickens uses these contrasting reactions to critique the social isolation that comes from a lack of compassion and charity towards the less fortunate.)

The dominant THEMES of the novel are family and desire for power.

(While family and the desire for power are indeed themes in the novel, for the purpose of this question, it's important to focus on how Dickens conveys attitudes to the poor.

Discuss how these themes relate to the treatment of the poor and the social responsibility of the wealthy.)

Overall feedback: Your response shows some understanding of the novel and its portrayal of the poor. However, there are several misinterpretations of key symbols and characters that need to be addressed. Ensure that your analysis aligns with Dickens's intentions and the social commentary he is making about the poor. Focus on how he uses characters and events to convey his attitudes towards poverty and societal responsibility.

What went well: You have identified key moments in the novel that relate to the suffering of the poor and have made some connections between Scrooge's actions and broader societal attitudes.

Even better if: To improve, ensure that your interpretations of the text are accurate and reflect the author's intended symbolism. Expand on how Dickens uses these instances to critique societal attitudes and the treatment of the poor. Additionally, make sure to consistently link your analysis back to the question, focusing on how Dickens conveys attitudes to the poor through the narrative and character interactions.

If you found Tilf.io helpful, why not try it for free. Get your exam practice essays marked.

This is from my Ultimate Guide to A Christmas Carol

How Does Dickens Want Us to Think About the Poor?

Although Dickens writes the novel as an entertainment, he wants the story of Scrooge’s moral awakening to “haunt” the reader, and so lead to a change in how his readers think about the poor.

Dickens shows his opposition to The Poor Laws, which created “workhouses” , by making Scrooge support them : “Are they still in operation?” . Scrooge also supports the criminalisation of the poor, “Are there no prisons?” and believes these are necessary to “decrease the surplus population” . Then Dickens creates Tiny Tim to show us what “the surplus population” looks like, and he uses Tiny Tim’s impending death to transform Scrooge’s view.

Scrooge’s words refer to Thomas Malthus’s economic theory and the cruelty of social policy. Because only male property holders could vote, Dickens targets his book at them, pricing it at an expensive five shillings, a third of the “fifteen shillings” a worker like Bob Cratchit earns. Dickens invites these readers, who would employ domestic servants, into the warmth of the Cratchits’ family Christmas, so that they too can understand the social effects of low wages.

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Miss Huttlestone's GCSE English

Because a whole class of wonderful minds are better than just one!

Category: A Christmas Carol

A model top band essay on ‘acc’ and family.

Throughout Dickens’ allegorical novella, the importance of family is carefully highlighted in each stave as Scrooge starts to realise that profit and gain is not the true way of maintaining happiness.

Primarily in Stave 1, Scrooge’s last-living family member, Fred, invites him round for Christmas dinner, (every year, after continuously getting declined) expressing just how ‘merry’ and morally-inclined Fred is over his Uncle, who is supposedly the influence upon Fred, making it ironic that the younger, less-economically inclined protagonist exhibits a higher moral compass than his own Uncle, this suggests past events that have molded Scrooge into the parsimonious old man he is now. Dickens uses Fred as a mouthpiece to the contemporary audience (as he embodies the Christmas Spirit and the upper-middle class) to communicate money doesn’t buy morals and family and love, so be grateful for what and who you have around you, and help those who need it the most. Scrooge’s lack of love and simple acts of kindness is shown through the way he treats and speaks to his own family, asking them, “what right have you to be merry? You’re poor enough” The dehumanizing interrogative belittles Fred, stripping him of his human “right” to be “merry” which portrays just how stagnant and immoral he is at the beginning of the novella, clearly family means nothing to Scrooge. Here the modern audience finds it comical, how ignorant and narcissistic Scrooge is towards his own family member.

Primarily, within the selected extract, Dickens starts off by using an excessive amount of derogatory language and an abundance of negations to communicate the true, ‘dirty’ ramifications that the lower working class were forced to live in. This is the moment where Scrooge is “appalled” and “starts aback” at the unhealthy living conditions his employee, Bob, lives under and starts to notice just how horrific the living conditions really were, all because he refused to pay Bob anything ‘more nor less than the minimum wage’. This is also where the audience is told that Peter, Bob’s eldest son, also works in order to gain some more income for the family’s welfare. Peter’s loss of youth clearly reminds Scrooge of his lonely childhood as we (as readers) can see a glimmer of hope within Scrooge’s future transformation. Here, Scrooge can see that no matter how poor this family is, nothing will ever change the love they possess for one another as they are described as “happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time…” This communicates and foreshadows Scrooge’s possible want for change in the lower working class’ treatment and wages etc, as in Victorian England, anyone born into the lower working class was instantly assumed to be lazy as according to the upper and middle class, it was their fault for being in that situation and it was “punishment” for not working hard enough – although they probably worked just as much as the other working classes, if not more. Dickens went into such detail with The Cratchits living conditions as he wanted to raise awareness to the contemporary audience that societal norms needed to change in order to progress as a country.

Moreover, the importance of family is also shown through Belle’s happiness with her new family and husband. This is where we see slight guilt in Scrooge’s past actions as he “yells, ‘get me out of this place’”. The use of verb “yells” explains how there could be a glimmer of jealousy within Belle’s find for a new love for others and the loss of love she once maintained with Scrooge. In the Victorian Era, it was almost a necessity and classed as a life’s purpose to have a family to carry on future working development and to pass on the family name and so Scrooge has failed at learning to love and care about other people since he “replaced” everyone with a “golden” material. Dickens clearly wanted to make the society of the Victorian Era understand the sheer importance of having a family and not remaining lonely like Scrooge as happiness is spawned within family and laughter. The reader would realise just how much their family should mean to them as the average age of the Victorian Era was 29 years old which- to this day- is very young and they should appreciate who they have around them.

Finally, within the selected extract, The Cratchits are presented as economically disinclined but “happy, grateful, pleased…” and that is all they need to survive. Scrooge decides to have “his eye upon… Tiny Tim until the last” and this could be he doesn’t want to accept the fact that he declined Bob with a higher wage to help his ‘youngest son’ (Tiny Tim) gain the medication he needs in order to cure his illness. The use of lexical choice ‘upon’ shows how Scrooge is aware that this family needs and wants help economically but refuses to realise that its HIS fault for keeping him paid on the lowest wage. This could mirror a possible future where Tiny Tim was the ‘last’ one born, but the first to die, as in the Victorian Era, contraception didn’t exist and so families (usually of the lower class) had up to 7 kids, also because 1/6 of the born children would die before the age of 1 and 1/5 would die before the age of 5 due to the lack of health care and unsanitary living conditions. Scrooge clearly realised that he would have to live with the fact that he was the reason why Tiny Tim dies (when The Ghost of Yet to Come) takes him to the scene of his death. Here the reader can see that The Cratchits truly love and appreciate each other, and they possess something Scrooge becomes envious of- which is love and Dickens did this in the hope of more appreciation and acceptance of everyone, no matter what social class etc and that if things didn’t change in their societal norms, then regression would certainly take place.

Ultimately, through the ideals of family, Dickens seeks to illuminate its great value, encouraging greater benevolence and sense of community for readers of all contexts.

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Model Grade 9 ‘ACC’ essay: Christmas as a Joyful Time

Starting with this extract, explore how far Dickens presents Christmas as a joyful time. (30 marks)

Throughout Dickens’ allegorical novella, his aim is to passionately highlight how such a joyful season can create positive role models for Scrooge. The constant succession of images relating to joy around Christmas may well have been utilised to demonstrate how readers too can learn and improve from the inspirational characters during the novella.

Primarily, within stave 1 of the novella, Dickens utilises the characterisation of Fred as the embodiment of the Christmas spirit with all the positive virtues associated with Christmas. This is evidenced when Fred is described as coming in ‘all in a glow’ with ‘his face ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled.’ Here the use of the noun ‘glow’ connotes light and warmth which is strongly linked to hope and purity. This highlights the contrast between Fred and his uncle Scrooge, who was described as ‘hard and sharp as flint.’ Structurally, introducing Fred immediately after Scrooge focuses the reader’s attention on the clear variation between the two and all of the positive qualities that Scrooge lacks. Furthermore, Fred highlights the belief that Christmas is a time for unity within the social hierarchy although it ‘never puts a scrap of gold or silver’ in his pocket and he frowns upon his uncle, completely consumed in the greed for money. Dickens may have done this to foreshadow Scrooge’s transformation into a better man as a result of the inspirational role models around him during the novella. Alternatively, Dickens may have used Fred and Scrooge together to challenge the situation in Victorian Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Scrooge highlights all of the negative traits of upper class men during this time and Fred is a caring and benevolent character, who cares for people lower down on the social hierarchy.

Secondly, within the extract, Dickens utilises the characterisation of Fezziwig to suggest a clear contrast in the two employers. This is evidenced when Fezziwig ‘laughed all over himself, from his shoes to his organ of benevolence.’ The use of the abstract noun ‘benevolence’ suggests the joy and love Fezziwig has for Christmas time. Fezziwig’s kind, caring personality is another role model and catalyst for Scrooge’s transformation. Furthermore, Dickens presents Christmas as a joyful time through Fezziwig’s Christmas party. ‘Fuel was heaped upon the fire’ and the warehouse was transformed into a ‘snug, and warm’ ballroom filled with light. The use of the adjective ‘warm’ connotes kindness and comfort. The detail here in Fezziwig’s scene overwhelms the senses; his generosity is physical, emotional and palpable. As an employer he is the foil of Scrooge and presents all of the positive virtues that Scrooge lacks. Dickens may have done this to highlight a different side to capitalism. Alternatively, presenting Fezziwig as the embodiment of Christmas suggests the importance of Christmas and all of its positive qualities on everyone in society.

Thirdly, within the novella, Dickens utilises the Ghost of Christmas Present to personify Christmas itself. When the ghost appears it has set up an impressive feast of lights and food. This is evidenced when Scrooge’s room is filled with ‘the crisp leaves of holly, mistletoe and ivy reflected back the light, as if so many little mirrors had been scattered there, and such a mighty blaze went roaring up the chimney.’ The scene is hyperbolic and creates a clear contrast with the frugal state of Scrooge’s past Christmases. The use of the light imagery here provides a clear and undeniable tableau of the joyful Christmases Scrooge can afford but chooses to shun. Dickens may have done this to portray Christmas as a bright and familiar celebration which everyone should celebrate in harmony. A modern reader may feel hope that Scrooge will use his wealth to celebrate Christmas with all of the festivities that Christmas should include and celebrate it with the people that care for him, like his nephew Fred.

Finally, in ‘A Christmas Carol’ Dickens reinforces the theme of Christmas spirit through the Cratchit family. Dickens utilises Bob Cratchit to symbolise the true spirit of Christmas and the importance of family. This is evidenced at the Cratchit’s dinner where nobody remarked that it was ‘a small pudding for a large family’. The adjective ‘small’ emphasises the Cratchit’s lack of luxury and yet their enthusiasm in the scene is palpable. This highlights that this ‘small’ pudding was seen as an indulgence to them which is something Scrooge takes for granted. Furthermore, the Cratchit’s ‘four roomed house’ is filled with an overwhelming sense of energy and excitement, which exists as an antithesis of Scrooge’s ‘old…dreary’ abode. This is evidenced as the youngest Cratchit children ‘danced about the table’ this suggests the sense of energy despite their lowly status in society on this festive day. Dickens may have done this to suggest the importance of Christmas to all members of society. Although the Cratchit family are less fortunate than Scrooge or Fred their Christmas is filled with the love they have for each other. A reader may feel delighted to see this family enjoying Christmas day, contented with what they own and hope that Scrooge will see this family as a role model for his transformation.

‘Big Ideas’ in your Literature texts

Having pre-planned ‘big ideas’ that can function as top band essay introductions is a productive use of your time ahead of the Literature exams over the next two weeks. I sat down and had a go for ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’. One of my year 11 students also came up with three superbly perceptive ‘big ideas’ for ‘Macbeth’, also displayed below. No matter the focus, knowing your concept, your way in before you enter the exam hall is excellent preparation and a HUGE time saver.

Many of Shakespeare’s critics, Bloom among them, have argued that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth may be Shakespeare’s most authentic couple out of all of his plays, this is due to the deep devotion and passion they demonstrate to each other. However, if we observe their marriage at a microscopic level throughout the play, we can see how it fluctuates and slowly decays at the hands of their unchecked ambition and hubris.

In Shakespeare’s eponymous play, ‘Macbeth’, our tragic hero and his wife are both riddled with unchecked ambition and often take radical measures to accomplish their ultimate goal: kingship. While this ruthless thirst for power is seemingly prosperous at first, it hastily crumbles to nothing as guilt plagues their minds full of “scorpions”. Macbeth transforms from a “brave” and noble warrior to a guilt-ridden and despised “butcher”, while Lady Macbeth’s stoic and transgressive persona deteriorates into a pitiful and anxious version of her former self.

‘A Christmas Carol’ Grade 9 Response on Fred’s Characterisation

Hi all – another AMAZING essay penned by my year 11 student Ashley. Use as a model for how to structure a top band response:

Within his festive, allegorical novella, Dickens crafts Scrooge’s only nephew Fred to function as a model for embracing Christmas. Most importantly, he demonstrates the virtues associated with this time of year, namely goodwill, benevolence, family and community.

Primarily, the first time the reader meets Fred he is depicted as an embodiment of the Christmas spirit. Fred is ‘all in a glow’ when he comes to meet his uncle. The lexical choice ‘glow’ connotes light which is often linked with purity and hope, emphasising that Fred acts as a role model for Scrooge to learn from. Fred spreads his Christmas cheer and is happy despite not being wealthy. Additionally, Fred is said to have walked through the ‘fog and frost’; the fog could symbolise the lingering presence of the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s and all the negativity it brought such as apathy and ignorance. The ‘fog’ blinkered many capitalists from the fact that the people of London were suffering greatly due to the functions of power failing to protect them and for choosing capitalism over socialism. Fred being ‘all in a glow’, stands out from this metaphorical atmosphere of capitalism and material gain; whilst doing so, he clears a path for goodness and cheerfulness to seep into Scrooge’s melancholy life. He therefore paints himself as selfless and caring – qualities that were quite rare in the 1800s.

Secondly, Dickens cleverly utilises structure to illustrate the weak relationship between Fred and Scrooge. Throughout the extract the terms ‘nephew’ and ‘uncle’ are repeated several times. Dickens intention for this technique may have been to remind the reader that Scrooge and Fred are blood relatives; therefore they should have a familial connection. This is extremely ironic considering the way Scrooge communicates with his ‘nephew’ by calling him ‘poor enough’. This remark can be perceived as very rude, dismissive, ignorant and derogatory to a reader; one may even say their conversation resembles two strangers conversing. Dickens does this to highlight the distance between the two, one whose ‘eyes sparkled’ and one who is ‘hard and sharp as flint’. However, despite this obstacle, Fred continually tried to bridge the gap between them by inviting Scrooge to his annual Christmas dinner every year. From this we can infer that Fred is persistent in ensuring that his uncle stops marginalising himself and is included in familial engagements. This is because Fred understands the importance of community and how one can benefit spiritually from it, something Dickens strongly believed people needed to have.

In stave 3, the ghost of Christmas present takes Scrooge to a ‘bright, dry and gleaming room’, which we soon learn to be part of Fred’s home. The description of this setting is essential in understanding the character is Fred. The adjective ‘gleaming’ implies that Christmas spirit is almost leaking out of Fred’s house as it is so full of joy and benevolence. This proves that Fred’s house stands out, drastically, from the cold darkness that many people, like Scrooge, fall into on special occasions like Christmas. Here Dickens shows the vast division between those who are wealthy in the Christmas spirit and those who are wealthy but lack the spiritual benefits of Christmas through imagery. Therefore urging readers to understand that importance of family and relationships in order to avoid isolation.

In essence, Dickens utilises Fred to jolt Scrooge and his targeted capitalist readers out of this apathetic ways via his thoughtfulness, cheerfulness and ‘extraordinary kindness’.

The significance of the supernatural in A Christmas Carol

The supernatural isn’t merely utilised by Dickens because he was intrigued in the power he felt it wielded in reality or because society was fixated on witches like in Shakespeare’s era. Instead the supernatural is used as a catalyst for Scrooge’s change. It’s present as a plot device to move the action along and to encourage Scrooge’s redemption. In their own unique way each spirit has a lasting impact of our protagonist.

I’ve found a really great student response you might look at before tomorrow:

It takes you through the significance of each of the spirits and the lessons they encourage in Scrooge.

Watch and take note!

“If a question on Fred in ‘A Christmas Carol’ cropped up what would I talk about?!”

Despite the fear that potentially surrounds this character appearing in Literature Paper 1, there is a logical means of approaching this. Think of his key moments and what Scrooge and the reader learn from them:

Fred’s key moments:

1) Visits Scrooge in his office to wish him a merry Christmas – contrast in characterisation established (Fred as a foil to Scrooge: ‘There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited’)

2) Fred holds a jolly family orientated Christmas party where he refuses to be derogatory about his uncle although he does laugh at his miserly ways (“He said that Christmas was a humbug, as I live!” cried Scrooge’s nephew. “He believed it too.”). Fred abandons himself to childish pleasures and games, displaying his absolute acceptance of the Christmas spirit. This intimate moment displays Fred’s deep and unwavering concern for family and the spiritual wealth it brings.

3) Fred is authentically benevolent towards Bob, expressing his genuine sorrow for the death of Tiny Tim (as portrayed by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come). Bob recounts the ‘extraordinary kindness’ he displays. It appears Fred is unaffected by social prejudice and sees all humans as ‘fellow passengers’ throughout live. His is non-discriminating, a pure model of good will.

4) Finally, he welcomes Scrooge into the family Christmas without question, never berating him for his past erro r s (“It’s I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?” / Let him in! It is a mercy he didn’t shake his arm off.’). He stands for forward progression and celebrates Scrooge’s redemption.

So why is he so important?

Allegorically, Dickens utilises Fred as a model for embracing Christmas and its associated virtues e.g. goodwill, family, love, community
Fred’s concern is revealed by his persistence and pity – his manner is what Dickens sought to inspire in others.
Both Bob Cratchit and Fred are important characters in bringing about the transformation of Scrooge’s character.
Fred is a foil to Scrooge in the opening of the novella, so helps to heighten Scrooge’s absolute misery nature and need for change.

The Theme of Regret in ‘A Christmas Carol’

Hi all, a pupil asked me to go over what the key moments for the theme of regret might be if you were faced with such a focus in the exam next week. I sent the following advice which may be of use to you also:

1) Marley’s unsettling and potentially prophetic display of regret . The ‘chain’ he ‘forged in life’ is composed of the consequences of his fixation on the accumulation of capital at the expensive of spiritual wealth. Now in a state of purgatory he is doomed to walk the earth baring witness passively, unable to help, those most in need. Marley’s regret foregrounds Scrooge’s later acknowledgement of all the ills his own fixation has wrought him.

2) Scrooge himself has many regrets while he visits the past. His biggest regret is likely his relationship with Belle (he allowed ‘another idol’ to displace his love, a ‘golden one) as he drove way a young woman who would have been his lifelong companion and enriched his life with love: a far greater wealth than money.

3) We also see him lament brushing of the little caroler without giving him money (he later displays clear regret for this dismissive action when he redeems himself by speaking enthusiastically the the boy from his window: ‘An intelligent boy!” said Scrooge. “A remarkable boy! The series of exclamatives and short complimentary sentences displaying his regret for not engaging in community.

4) His treatment of Cratchit, his loyal employee is regretted in stave two fairly early on upon baring witness to his foil Fezziwig (‘I should like to say a word or two…that’s all’). Scrooge seeks to remedy this regret in stave five when he gifts them a large turkey. Scrooge was better than his word. ‘He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. Through the Cratchits he embraces family again, tackling the regret for marginalising family from young adulthood.

4) There’s the son of his beloved sister. He hasn’t been good to Fred over the years, but this is the one relationship from the past he can do something about. When he ventures to Fred’s Christmas morning he requests: ‘It’s I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?”. This is a huge marker of his indication. Wishing to be ‘let..in’ can be taken to symbolise his regret of existing far too long in his ‘solitary’ state. His regret is for not forging a family, for not honouring his sister’s memory through her son, a true extension of her.

5) The ghost of Christmas present reveals ignorance and want and scrooge exclaims: ‘Have they no refuge or resource.’ cried Scrooge – vocalising an interpretative in absolute juxtaposition to his previous dismissive and intolerant nature in stave one. The ghost reminds him how he should regret such ignorance of the poor’s plight by echoing his previous words:’Are there no prisons.’ said the Spirit, turning on him.

6) In stave 5 it is palpable that scrooge regrets his ill treatment of the charity workers in stave one. Upon meeting them a second time he seems to remedy his brusque nature by offering a hearty donation: ‘a great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you.’ His regret is that he failed to acknowledge the great power of charity as a remedy to want and to actively target the persistent cycle of poverty dickens abhorred.

Key Structural Features in ‘A Christmas Carol’ – boost your author’s methods!

The novella has a simple structure:, a christmas carol is divided into five chapters, and dickens called each chapter a ‘stave’. staves are the five lines on which musical notes are written, which may explain why there are five chapters. the word ‘stave’ is also another word for a verse of a song..

The use of staves and the title, ‘A Christmas Carol’, suggest that this novella, like a carol, was meant to be listened to and enjoyed by groups of people. Reading aloud to friends and family was more common in Victorian times than it is today. Could it be that the novella, like a carol shared among singers, was meant to be shared in a community, passed on and recalled?
The middle three chapters each relate to Scrooge’s past, present and future, and they contain various lessons for Scrooge to learn from the three ghosts. The appearance of each ghost is signaled by the ominous tolling of a bell.
The final chapter reintroduces things from the first chapter, such as the charity collectors. This gives the story a circular structure that clearly shows how Scrooge has changed — Scrooge shows that he’s learnt from his experience, saying that he promise s to “live in the Past, the Present and the Future”.
Scrooge’s transformation is foreshadowed by the change in Scrooge’s father. The fact that Scrooge was more kind-hearted in his youth also acts as a hint that he will be able to change back.
In the first few pages of the novella, Dickens uses the phrase “Once upon a time”, which links the story to a fairy tale and suggests that it will have a happy ending.

The story has an unusual time scheme:

The story doesn’t follow a chronological structure. It’s mainly set in Scrooge’s present, but it includes three separate episodes that have visions set in different time periods — Scrooge’s past, present and future.
Each individual episode with the ghosts doesn’t follow a regular time scheme — each one contains several jumps in time.
The linking sections between each ghostly visit are set in Scrooge’s present, but they also don’t follow the normal rules of time. Scrooge falls asleep after 2 am, but he’s visited by the first ghost at 1 am that same night. The tolling of the bell shows that hours are passing, but the three visits only take one night.

Supernatural visits drive the action:

The reader is repeatedly made aware that the ghosts have a short amount of time convey their messages to Scrooge. This drives the plot forward with a sense of urgency and dramatic tension that builds with each ghostly visit.
The Ghost of Christmas Past instructs Scrooge to “Rise! and walk with me!”, and its manner gets more urgent from then on. It tells Scrooge “Let us go on”, “Let us see another Christmas!” and, “My time grows short… Quick!”
The Ghost of Christmas Present’s visit is a blur of activity. Scrooge and the spirit speed through several Christmas visions, but there’s a sense that there’s barely enough time for Scrooge to learn all that he needs to learn before the spirit leaves — the spirit warns Scrooge “My life upon this globe, is very brief”.
The Ghost of Christrnas Yet to come is in such a hurry it appears in the chapter of the previous ghost. It rushes Scrooge towards what seems to be his final lesson — the vision of Scrooge’s own corpse. Scrooge slows down the pace by refusing to look at the corpse, which increases the tension as the reader worries that Scrooge may run out of time to fully learn his lesson. However, later on, the pace builds as the spirit relentlessly points Scrooge towards his final lesson in the graveyard.

The omniscient narrator influences the reader’s view of Scrooge:

The narrator puts the reader at ease immediately with his casual tone and humorous ramblings about the phrase “dead as a doornail”. The narrator comes across as a talkative, witty storyteller — Dickens presents the narrator in this way so that the reader likes and trusts him.
Once the narrator has the reader’s trust, he gives lots of negative opinions about Scrooge, e.g. describing him as a “covetous old sinner” with “ferret eyes”. By doing this, Dickens uses the narrator to encourage the reader to despise Scrooge at first.
As the novella goes on and Scrooge begins to change, the narrator reveals the feelings and emotions Scrooge is experiencing, causing the reader to sympathise with Scrooge. This allows the narrator to drastically change. the reader’s opinion of Scrooge over the course of the text, making his eventual transformation even more powerful

Key Adjectives For Characters in ‘A Christmas Carol’

Use the following vocabulary when discussing any of the following characters:.

Image result for transformation of scrooge christmas carol

• Prejudiced • Ignorant • Cold-hearted • Miserly • Cruel • Isolated

By Stave 5: • Altruistic • Penitent • Redeemed • Charitable •Emblematic

Show the contrast through key quotes:

“If they would rather die, . . . they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population” “Squeezing” “Wrenching” “Gasping” “Clutching” “Odious” “Stingy” “Secret, self contained” “Solitary as an oyster” By Stave 5: “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel” “I will honour Christmas in my heart” “I’ll raise your salary” “Overcome with penitence and grief” “Delighted smile” “Wonderful party”

The Cratchits:

• Vulnerable • Hardworking • Moral/ Christian • Cheerful • Grateful

Key quotes:

“Brave in ribbons” “I’ll give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!“ “Bob was very cheerful” Food is “eked out” The children “work” and “help” out

• Benevolent • Family orientated • Altruistic • Charming

Key Quotes:

Christmas is “as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time” “Don’t be angry Uncle. Merry Christmas!” “If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blessed in a laugh than Scrooge’s nephew, all I can say is I should like to know him too.” “Scrooge’s offences carry their own punishment. Who suffers? Himself!”

Jacob Marley:

• Direct • Prophetic • Reformed • Emblematic • Terrifying

“I wear the chains I forged in life” “Mankind was my business” “I am here tonight to warn you” “Death cold eyes”

Ghost of Christmas Past:

• Young and old • Commanding • Light

“Bright clear jet of light” “relentless ghost”

“Would you (Scrooge) so soon put out..the light I give?”

“A small matter to make these folks so full of gratitude”

Ghost of Christmas Present:

• Jolly • Welcoming • Prophetic • Honest

“Jolly Giant, glorious to see” Has “sympathy with all poor men” “Sorrowful” for Ignorance and Want “Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be in the sight of heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child”

Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come:

• Silent • Dark • Ominous

“Scrooge feared the silent shape” “It seemed to scatter gloom and misery” “it’s kind hand trembled” “It was shrouded in a deep black garment which concealed its head, its face, its form and left nothing visible except one outstretched hand” “Ghost of the Future. I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, I am prepared to bear you company with a thankful heart.”

Each Key Event in ‘A Christmas Carol’ listed and ordered

The narrator tells us marley is dead. scrooge is in his counting house – it’s christmas eve and he and his clerk bob cratchit are still working, fred, scrooge’s nephew arrives to wish him merry christmas and to invite him to spend christmas with him but scrooge refuses rudely. two charity men also visit and scrooge refuses to give them any money “are there no prisons, scrooge arrives home and sees the face of jacob marley in the door knocker., later that evening the ghost of jacob marley appears – he is wrapped in heavy chains and is doomed to wandering the earth. marley says scrooge will end up the same as him if he doesn’t change and that scrooge will be visited by three spirits who are the only chance scrooge has of saving himself. stave two:, the ghost of christmas past appears to scrooge. he is both young and old looking and has a beam of light coming out of his head., the ghost shows scrooge his childhood – spending christmas alone at school with only books for company., in his next memories the ghost shows scrooge some happier times. a christmas spent with his sister fan collecting him from school and fezziwig’s party., next scrooge is shown belle breaking off her engagement to scrooge because scrooge is obsessed with money. he then sees belle grown up with a family of her own., scrooge struggles with the ghost to make the visions stop and puts the hat on its head extinguishing the light., stave three:, the ghost of christmas present arrives – he is jolly and friendly., scrooge and the ghost visit bob cratchit’s family on christmas day – they are enjoying christmas and are very grateful for their tiny feast. scrooge learns tiny tim will die if nothing changes for the cratchits., scrooge and the ghost travel the world visiting other people who no matter their circumstance or environment, are all enjoying christmas., they then visit fred’s house where everyone is having fun but are making fun of scrooge., the ghost reveals ignorance and want hidden in its robes – the ghost tells scrooge to beware of them., stave four:, the ghost of christmas yet to come arrives., the ghost silently shows scrooge the reaction of some people to the death of an unknown man. nobody seems to care that the man is dead., an undertaker, a cleaner and a laundress try to sell the dead man’s belongings which they’ve stolen. they’ve even taken the shirt from his body and laugh that none will notice or care., scrooge and the ghost visit bob cratchit and his family and learn that tiny tim has died, everyone is very upset., the ghost shows scrooge a grave with scrooge’s name on it scrooge promises the ghost he will change., stave five:, scrooge finds himself back in his own bed and discovers that it is christmas day., scrooge has completely changed – he laughs and wishes everyone a merry christmas. he buys the cratchit family a huge turkey and joins fred and the family for christmas dinner. the next day he gives bob cratchit a pay rise., we’re told tiny tim will survive and scrooge celebrates christmas for the rest of his life., it is imperative that you know the rest of the novella – this means as a starting point you must learn the sequence of events and where key events occur (as above). create a timeline of the above events and add helpful images/sketches/quotes to aid your revision. .

Image result for a christmas carol timeline of events

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COMMENTS

PDF Regret
Regret. Regret is instrumental in 'A Christmas Carol' as it plays a crucial role in Scrooge's transformation. The three Ghosts all show Scrooge various past actions which enable him to gain hindsight. Through seeing his actions from the perspective of the Ghosts he is shown his cruel and unforgiving actions in a different light, this ...
The Theme of Regret in 'A Christmas Carol'
Wishing to be 'let..in' can be taken to symbolise his regret of existing far too long in his 'solitary' state. His regret is for not forging a family, for not honouring his sister's memory through her son, a true extension of her. 5) The ghost of Christmas present reveals ignorance and want and scrooge exclaims: 'Have they no refuge ...
Exploration of Themes of Regret and Responsibility in A Christmas Carol
Firstly, Dickens uses the retribution, imposed on Marley in the form of the hardened chains that burden him, to force us to consider the weight of accountability, and how whether it takes years, decades, or even a lifetime, for avarice and guilt to catch up to us and backfire, everyone receives their comeuppance in the end.
Grade 9 A Christmas Carol Essay
Grade 9 model answer. Although A Christmas Carol explores themes of poverty, memory and family, Dickens' main focus is on Scrooge's transformation from an uncaring, miserly character to a generous, "good" man (AO1). At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge's character represents the willful ignorance of many people towards the poverty ...
A Christmas Carol
4.9 (7 reviews) "I wear the chain I forged in life". - A powerful symbol of how many can be weighed down by greed and lack of compassion. - The 'chain' he 'forged in life' is composed of the consequences of his fixation on the accumulation of capital at the expensive of spiritual wealth. - Now in a state of purgatory he is doomed to walk the ...
A Christmas Carol Critical Essays
Analysis. In A Christmas Carol, an allegory of spiritual values versus material ones, Charles Dickens shows Scrooge having to learn the lesson of the spirit of Christmas, facing the reality of his ...
The Theme of Regret in 'A Christmas Carol'
Hi view, a pupil asked me to move over what the main nuts for this theme of regret might becoming if she were faced because such a focus in one examinations next week. MYSELF sent the below advice which may be are used to you and: 1) Marley's distressing and any prophets displaying are repentance.The 'chain' he 'forged in life' is composed regarding the consequences of his fixation ...
A Christmas Carol: Themes (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Family and Relationships. Dickens explores many ideas relating to family and relationships within A Christmas Carol. Dickens presents this concept in very positive terms through many characters, for example, the Cratchits and Fred, and emphasises the fundamental importance of family to people's lives. Knowledge and evidence: Marley and ...
PDF AQA English Literature GCSE A Christmas Carol: Themes
Attitudes to Christmas: When Scrooge discusses Christmas with Fred in the opening stave he tells him that "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart" . This violently hyperbolic assertion conveys
How to Write a Perfect A Christmas Carol Essay
Exam Tip. Your OCR GCSE exam is "closed text", which means you won't have your copy of A Christmas Carol with you. Therefore, it is important you know the novella really well, so make sure you are confident about the plot, characters and themes, and that you have revised a range of quotes and references to use in your essay.
AQA English Revision
In A Christmas Carol, Dickens continually returns the readers' focus on the children in Victorian society. The recurring character and the famous child in the novella is "Tiny" Tim Cratchit who becomes a metonym for thousands of faceless proletariat children neglected by a ruthless self-serving capitalist society.
How does Dickens present the theme of regret in A Christmas Carol
Stave 5. the theme of regret is less heavily presented in this scene, because instead of dwelling on his regrets, Scrooge decides to focus on becoming a better person, showing a Victorian reader that although there is no time for regret in life, you must make time to reflect on yourself as a person in order to better yourself. In this extract...
Model Grade 9 'ACC' essay: Christmas as a Joyful Time
Furthermore, Dickens presents Christmas as a joyful time through Fezziwig's Christmas party. 'Fuel was heaped upon the fire' and the warehouse was transformed into a 'snug, and warm' ballroom filled with light. The use of the adjective 'warm' connotes kindness and comfort. The detail here in Fezziwig's scene overwhelms the ...
A Christmas Carol Essays
2 pages / 859 words. Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is a timeless tale that revolves around the profound transformation of the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge. As the story unfolds, we witness a radical change in Scrooge's personality, values, and outlook on life. This essay delves into the intricate journey...
Stave 2
Lessons include: -Reading of Stave 2 with activities Exploration of the themes of regret and redemption. Analysis and comparison of Fezziwig and Scrooge. All lessons
Model Answers
Below you will find a full-mark, Level 6 model answer for a 19th-century novel essay. Commentary below each section of the essay illustrates how and why it would be awarded Level 6. Despite the fact it is an answer to A Christmas Carol question, the commentary below is relevant to any 19th-century novel question.
Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness Theme in A Christmas Carol
Below you will find the important quotes in A Christmas Carol related to the theme of Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness. Stave 1 Quotes. Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out ...
Theme of Redemption in "A Christmas Carol"
Published: Sep 7, 2023. Redemption is a central theme in Charles Dickens' beloved novella, "A Christmas Carol." The story follows the transformative journey of the protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, from a miserly and heartless individual to a compassionate and benevolent man. This essay delves into the significance of redemption in the narrative ...
A Christmas Carol Prediction AQA 2024
In 2024 I think the question will be about the effects of poverty (possibly including the Cratchits) This essay is from my guide to essay writing on A Christmas Carol. You can read it for free here: click. 19 marks The extract focuses on the suffering of the poor. Scrooge meets the wretched and miserable children with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who introduces them:
A Christmas Carol
A Model Top Band Essay on 'ACC' and Family. Throughout Dickens' allegorical novella, the importance of family is carefully highlighted in each stave as Scrooge starts to realise that profit and gain is not the true way of maintaining happiness. Primarily in Stave 1, Scrooge's last-living family member, Fred, invites him round for ...
PDF How does Dickens present the theme of transformation in A Christmas Carol?
At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge is presented as a cold-hearted miser. This is evident when it says, "Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!". The narrative ,"oh", suggests that even the narrator is overwhelmed by how unpleasant ...

Exploration of Themes of Regret and Responsibility in A Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol Prediction AQA 2024

In 2024 I think the question will be about the effects of poverty (possibly including the Cratchits)

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How Does Dickens Want Us to Think About the Poor?

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Category: A Christmas Carol

Model Grade 9 ‘ACC’ essay: Christmas as a Joyful Time

‘Big Ideas’ in your Literature texts

‘A Christmas Carol’ Grade 9 Response on Fred’s Characterisation

The significance of the supernatural in A Christmas Carol

“If a question on Fred in ‘A Christmas Carol’ cropped up what would I talk about?!”

The Theme of Regret in ‘A Christmas Carol’

Key Structural Features in ‘A Christmas Carol’ – boost your author’s methods!

The story has an unusual time scheme:

Supernatural visits drive the action:

The omniscient narrator influences the reader’s view of Scrooge:

Key Adjectives For Characters in ‘A Christmas Carol’

Show the contrast through key quotes:

The Cratchits:

Key Quotes:

Jacob Marley:

Ghost of Christmas Past:

“Would you (Scrooge) so soon put out..the light I give?”

Ghost of Christmas Present:

Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come:

Each Key Event in ‘A Christmas Carol’ listed and ordered

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