‘A Christmas Carol’

By Charles Dickens

Revision
Booklet
Useful Online Resources and Activities
 https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/pdf/passage/2824/a-
christmas-carol-002-stave-i.pdf
 https://www.bbc.com/education/topics/zcs8qty
 Revision RAP Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=upPNlQ7ry8
Full Novella
 www.fullbooks.com/A-Christmas-Carol.html

Assessment Objectives
AQA English Literature

In the exam you will be assessed according to the

following objectives:

AO1
 Read, understand and respond to texts. Students
should be able to:
 Maintain a critical style and develop an informed
personal response
 Use textual references, including quotations, to
support and illustrate interpretations.
AO2
 Analyse the language, form and structure used by a
writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant
subject terminology where appropriate.
AO3
 Show understanding of the relationships between
texts and the contexts in which they were written.
Charles Dickens - Biography
 Dickens was born in England on February 7,
1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens.
 He was the second of eight children.
 His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office.
 As a child, Dickens' health was frail and his education was random.
 Despite being a kind and loving man, John Dickens was financially
irresponsible and with a large family to provide for, found it very
easy to rack up large debts.
 His father was finally arrested and sent to a debtor’s prison. Shortly
afterwards, and probably as a result of being unable to provide for
herself and her eight children, Elizabeth Dickens moved the rest of
the family into prison with her husband, John.
 Charles, however, did not join the rest of the family and was sent to
live with a family friend, where, at 12 years old, he was sent out to
work.
 He joined other child labourers at a blacking factory (where shoe
polish was made), sticking labels onto bottles for 10 hours a day.
 This job made a lasting impression on Dickens; the conditions and
pay were poor and the employers cruel.
 Charles did not immediately leave the factory, at his mother’s
request, and this only served to heighten his disregard for the poor
working and living conditions that the working classes had to
endure.
 But when he rejoined his family in London, dark days awaited him.
His father was in debt, and so the Dickens family resided with him in
Marshalsea Prison.
 When John Dickens’ grandmother died and left him a sum of money,
John was able to pay off his debts and was released from prison.
 When eventually Charles returned to school, he attended The
Wellington House Academy, which he described as being haphazard,
full of poor discipline, brutality, desultory teaching and a run-down
atmosphere.
 Despite this, Charles did well at school, becoming a law clerk and
then a court reporter, which taught him a great deal about the
bureaucracy and shortcomings of the English legal system.
 Dickens wrote actively while acting in private theatricals as well as
touring and performing readings of his works
  Dickens’ first novel, The Pickwick Papers, was published in monthly
instalments in 1836, when Dickens was still only 25 years old.
 Oliver Twist, Nickolas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby
Rudge were all published in monthly instalments between 1837 and
1841.
 Dickens had a large family with his wife, Catherine Hogarth, and he
became a wealthy man through his writing It is widely believed that
Dickens had a long standing affair with an actress named Ellen
Ternan, who was with him for the last 13 years of his life.
 A Christmas Carol, one of Dickens’ most famous and well loved
works, was published in 1843, reportedly under rushed
circumstances in order to meet the financial demands of his wife’s
fifth pregnancy.
 Dickens travelled a great deal, visiting America twice, Switzerland
and Italy and wrote a great many novels on top of those mentioned
above: David Copperfield, Bleak House, Hard Times, A Tale of Two
Cities and Great Expectations being the most well known.
 Ebenezer Scrooge and other Dickens figures have become well
known in literature.
 In 1858, Dickens left his wife Catherine, although they did not
divorce: it was still unheard of for someone as famous as he was.
 In 1865, Dickens had a slight stroke that left his legs useless, but
even this break in his health did not deter him from his active
lifestyle of travel and work.
 Eventually he was stricken with apoplexy and died.
 On his death, Dickens settled an annuity (an annual sum of money)
on Ternan, meaning she was financially secure for the rest of her
life.
 Dickens was buried in Westminster Abbey.

TASK: Complete the following Gap-

Fill Exercise:

Dickens was born in England on February 7, ______ to his

parents who were called _______ and ____________ Dickens. His
parents had _________ children and his father was a ________ in
the Navy Pay Office. His father ended up becoming financially
___________ and he was eventually sent to a _________ prison.
Charles was sent to live with a _______ friend and at the age of
_________ he was sent out to work. He joined a _____________
factory and he never forgot the ___________ working and living
conditions. When his father’s __________ died, he was
fortunately left with some _______ and as a result, he was able
to pay off his __________ and was released from prison. Charles
returned to _______ and attended ____________________________.

1812 John Elizabeth eight Clerk Debt Financially irresponsible Debtor’s prison

Family friend 12 years old blacking factory Poor grandmother money Debts School The Wellington House
Academy Law clerk Court Reporter The Pickwick Papers Instalments 1836 Oliver Twist Nicholas Nickleby The
Old Curiosity Shop Catherine Hogarth large family A Christmas Carol 1843 1858 1865

Westminster Abbey
Law clerk Elizabeth Oliver Twist Large 1858 Westminster Abbey
instalments 1836 The Wellington House Academy 25 years old
irresponsible 12 years old Family friend 1812 blacking factory 1865
Debtor’s prison grandmother Court Reporter money school poor 1843
Victorian England - Historical
John Catherine Hogarth eight Clerk ‘A Christmas Carol’ Actress
‘Nicholas Nickleby’ ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ debts ‘The Pickwick Papers’
Context

The Victorian era of British history was the period

of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her
death, on 22 January 1901.

• It was a long period of peace, prosperity

and national self-confidence for Britain
• Queen Victoria inherited the throne at the age of 18 and
ruled over Great Britain for 63 years and 7 months
• Her reign remains the longest running of ANY female
monarch in history
• During the Victorian era, Britain changed enormously
• Victorian England was a time of dramatic population
increase
• The population of England almost doubled from 16.8 million
in 1851 to 30.5 million in 1901
 • the British Empire was the largest in history and covered
almost a quarter of the Earth's total land area

The Industrial Revolution

• Victorian England was a time of great
technological development
• During the Victorian era, Great Britain was building a huge
Empire and was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution
• British trade was more efficient and competitive and other
countries could simply not compete
• Britain became the workshop of the world
• The steam train was invented and machinery became used
much more in factory production and commerce
• This left many people jobless, as machinery had replaced
them. To look for work, people were forced to flock to the
major cities, such as London and Birmingham. Demand for
jobs was high, so pay was low
• London became the most advanced city in the world. It had
the highest business output, the most rapidly growing
population and ever expanding city walls
• However, despite the fact that London in itself was a world
power, the actual city was in ruins
• The enormous amount of factory production meant that
there was a constant black smog of smoke that hung over
the city, poisoning the air. Buildings were grimy and streets
were crowded and over populated
• There was no sanitary sewage system to cater for the
massive influx of people thus, disease was rife
• There was great wealth and great poverty in England
• Businessmen took advantage of new technology (e.g. steam
power) and cheap labour to make their fortune
• There was an improvement in communication. The new
railways all allowed goods, raw materials and people to be
moved about which rapidly facilitated trade and industry
• Other communication methods such as electric power,
telegraph, and telephones, had a great impact on society
• Photography was also discovered in 1839 by Louis Daguerre
in France and William Fox Talbot
• By 1889, hand-held cameras were available

Education
• Prior to 1870 there was no compulsory
education in Britain and the standard of education was
influenced largely by the wealth of a person’s background
• Education was normally only available to the wealthy
• During that period, the rich would get a much better
education than ordinary citizens
• Roughly two-thirds of Britain’s working class children
attended Sunday school which provided a basic foundation
in reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as instructing
children on religious morals
• Wealthy children were lucky enough to be sent to private
boarding schools, where they received a good education,
but many other children, who were wealthy, but not rich,
were sent to school where the prime goal was for the
owners to make money, whilst at the same time providing
as little education for them as possible
• Rich children were often raised by nannies, rather than their
parents
• Rich parents were of the attitude that children should be
seen and not heard and most parents only had children to
continue a family name, business or legacy
• Orphans had a miserable lot. If they were ‘lucky’ they were
born and raised in workhouses, where they would have to
work for their keep, but at least they had a roof over their
heads
 • However, the children were worked half to death, practically
starved and shared living quarters with a great many other
unfortunate children in the same position
• The authorities paid for such workhouses and it was seen
that they should get their money’s worth out of them

The Working Class and the Wealthy

• The large numbers of skilled and
unskilled people looking for work kept
wages down to a level which allowed for
mere basic living
• Available housing was scarce and
expensive, resulting in overcrowding
• Workplaces were dangerous and life-threatening
environments
• Welfare support was harsh (e.g. The Workhouse )
• There was no healthcare and this included high infant
mortality
• Families were forced to live in squalor, often sharing houses
with several other families in order to make ends meet
• Most of the money that was ploughed into helping the poor
came from charity, which relied on the rich and upper
classes giving their money to charitable causes. Many
people commented that poor people were poor because of
bad decisions they had made: gambling, drinking, unwise
spending, large families etc, and were thus reluctant to give
their own money to help the poor
• Simple: you either had it or you didn’t
• If you did, you were very lucky; if you didn’t you were very
unlucky and there was very little you could do to change
your situation
 • Opportunities were only available to people who had the
money to pay for it
• During the Victorian era, the middle-class was growing and
those who were better off could increasingly have at least
one servant
• This developing group included everyone from industrialists
and bankers earning over £1,000 a year, to shop-keepers
and clerks who would earn less than £50 a year

Beliefs
• Most of Britain would have been
churchgoers and would have believed in
God (including Heaven and Hell)
• During the Victorian period, the people
of England were very religious. There
were many who regularly visited the church or went to
chapel on Sunday
• The emergence of new scientific ideologies played a crucial
role in challenging the old religious beliefs and superstitions
which had a deep impact on the lives of the people for
many years
• During this period that the Church lost its authority and
power over the people because of the new industrial and
scientific developments. Scientific growth in England during
the Victorian period was a major reason why questions were
raised against the religious ideologies

Child Labour

• The Victorian era became notorious for

the employment of young children in
factories and mines and as chimney
sweeps
• Child labour, often brought about by economic hardship,
played an important role in the Industrial Revolution from its
outset
 • In 1840 only about 20 percent of the children in London had
any schooling
• By 1860 about half of the children
between 5 and 15 were in school
• Most children would be sent to work from
the age of about 5
• Charles Dickens, for example, worked at
the age of 12 in a blacking factory, with
his family in a debtors' prison
• Conditions were poor and the children were treated
abominably
• Poor children were not afforded the luxury of an education:
they had to earn money for their family and were sent to
work from an early age
• Boys usually went down coal mines or up chimneys,
crawling through tunnels too narrow and low for adults both
of which were hugely dangerous and often resulted in fatal
accidents and illness due to poor sanitation conditions

Crime
• As was to be expected, there was crime
everywhere in London. The poor had no
option but to become petty criminals,
stealing food and picking pockets
• Orphaned children had more cause to do so
– for them it was a matter of life and death
• Women, who had fallen on hard times, turned to
prostitution
• Men lived beyond their means, and punishment for this was
harsh: debtors’ prison, where sometimes, they were joined
by their whole families
• Prisons were overrun with criminals and it was difficult to
keep track of the vast numbers of criminals that the
institutions had to house
 • Escapees were frequent and people in London lived in
constant fear of encountering them
• Jack the Ripper was a notorious serial killer, loose on the
streets of London. He knifed and ruthlessly murdered many
prostitutes, often sending body parts to the Police force to
show off his crimes. People, especially women, lived in
constant fear. He was never caught
• The police were seen as ineffectual
• Theft and muggings happened on a daily basis, so it was
almost impossible for the police to do their job

Dickens’ Concerns
• Dickens had experienced poverty and had
been forced to work in a factory to pay off his
father’s debts
• Dickens was keenly touched by the huge number of poor
children who were taken advantage of in the middle
decades of the 19th century
• He believed that society should do more to improve the
lives of the poor and many of his novels highlight issues
which he felt needed reform
• As a successful writer he knew he needed his stories to
entertain first rather than simply show how awful life was
for working class people

Publication of the Novella

• ‘A Christmas Carol’ was first published in London by
Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843 during the Victorian
era
• The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim
• Dickens was a popular and very successful writer of novels,
short stories and poems
• Often his stories were told in serial form (like soap operas of
their day) and published in journals, newspapers or
magazines before being collected into novels or novellas
• ‘A Christmas Carol’ remains popular—having never been out
of print—and has been adapted many times to film, stage,
opera, and other media

QUICK QUIZ
1)Why was disease a problem at the time?
2)What did businessmen take advantage of?
3)What kind of communication methods
created an impact on society?
4)Who discovered photography in 1839?
5)What was the standard of education
influenced by?
6)Who benefited the most from a good
education?
7)Who were rich children often raised by?
8)Where were orphans often raised?
9)What were the negative effects of these
workhouses?
10) What was housing like for the working
class?
11) What did a clerk earn at the time?
12) What did most of Britain believe in at
the time?
13) What challenged religious beliefs at the
time?
14) Where were young children often
employed?
15) How old were most children when they
Plot Summary
The tale begins on Christmas Eve in the 1840's, exactly seven years after the death of
Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge is presented in the first
chapter as a greedy, cold-hearted and stingy businessman, who has no time for
kindness, compassion, charity or benevolence.

After being warned by Marley's ghost to change his ways (so that he may avoid a
miserable afterlife like him), Scrooge is visited by three additional ghosts; each in its
turn, who accompany him to various scenes in the past, present and future with the
hope of achieving his change and transformation into someone who is compassionate,
loving and truly repentant for his selfish ways.

The first of the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, escorts Scrooge on a journey into
the past to previous Christmases. Invisible to those he watches, Scrooge revisits
scenes of his boyhood, youth and childhood school days, which stir the old miser's
gentle and compassionate side by reminding him of a time when he was more
vulnerable and innocent, both as a child and as a young man. He is reminded of his
apprenticeship with a jolly merchant named Fezziwig, and his engagement to Belle, a
woman who leaves Scrooge because his lust for money overtakes his ability to love
another. Scrooge, deeply moved, sheds tears of regret and sadness before the
phantom returns him to his bed.

The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, a majestic giant clad in a green fur
robe, takes Scrooge to several, differing scenes in London which include a joy-filled
market of people buying the makings of Christmas dinner, and the family feast of
Scrooge's underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit. Scrooge watches the large, bustling Cratchit
family prepare a miniature feast in their meagre, impoverished home. He discovers
Bob Cratchit’s crippled son, Tiny Tim, a courageous boy whose kindness and humility
warms Scrooge’s heart and enlightens the miser of his past and encourages a sense
of responsibility and compassion for those less fortunate than himself. The Spirit then
takes Scrooge to his nephew’s home to witness the Christmas party. Scrooge finds the
jovial gathering delightful and pleads with the spirit to stay until the very end of the
festivities. As the day passes, the spirit ages and becomes noticeably frail and older.
Toward the end of the day, he shows Scrooge two starved children, Ignorance and
Want, living under his coat. The ghost vanishes instantly as Scrooge notices a dark,
hooded figure coming toward him.

The third spirit, the ‘Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come’, leads Scrooge through a
sequence of mysterious scenes relating to an unnamed man’s recent death. Scrooge
sees businessmen discussing the dead man’s riches, some beggars trading his
personal effects for cash, and a poor couple expressing relief at the death of their
unforgiving creditor. The Spirit then takes Scrooge to Bob Cratchit’s house, where he
learns that Tiny Tim has died. Scrooge, anxious to learn the lesson of his latest visitor,
begs to know the name of the dead man. After pleading with the ghost, Scrooge finds
himself in a churchyard, the spirit pointing to a grave. Scrooge looks at the headstone
and is shocked to read his own name. He desperately pleads with the spirit to change
his fate, promising to renounce his insensitive, greedy ways and to honour Christmas
with all his heart. He suddenly finds himself safely tucked in his bed.

In the fifth and final stave, Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning with joy and love
in his heart. He then spends the day with his nephew's family after anonymously
sending a prize turkey to the Cratchit home for Christmas dinner. He also attends
Fred’s party, to the stifled surprise of the other guests. .Scrooge has become a
different man overnight, and now treats his fellow men with kindness, generosity and
compassion, gaining a reputation as a man who embodies the true spirit of Christmas.
The story closes with the narrator confirming that through facing up to his past and
present life, Scrooge finds true understanding, self-awareness and completeness.
Overnight, he has transformed from a man who was bitter, cold-hearted and mean to
someone who is loving, generous and willing to help those less fortunate than himself.

Stave 1 (The Ghost of Marley)

TASK: Find relevant quotes which focus on the key
events in Stave 1

KEY EVENT IN STAVE 1 KEY QUOTES

Scrooge walks the streets
of London and everyone
avoids him.
Fred, Scrooge’s nephew
visits his uncle to invite
him to Christmas dinner.
Scrooge refuses him.
Two portly gentlemen visit
to ask Scrooge to give
money to charity, but he
refuses and says they
should be in prisons or
workhouses, or dead.
Scrooge’s clerk requests
Christmas day off, and
Scrooge grudgingly allows
it, telling him to come in
earlier on Boxing Day.
Scrooge returns home,
witnessing a series of
supernatural events,
starting with Marley’s face
appearing in the door
knocker.
Marley’s ghost appears
and tells Scrooge he will
be doomed to walk the
earth in chains after death
unless he begins to be
kind to people,
 Marley’s ghost tells
Scrooge he will be
haunted by three spirits.

STAVE 1 QUESTIONS

1)How is Scrooge presented at the start of the stave?

2)What do we learn about the relationship between Scrooge

and his clerk?

3)How do we know that their social position/class is different

to one another?

4)What is the significance of the fire?

5)In what ways are Bob’s beliefs in Christmas spirit similar to

Fred’s?

6)How do we know that Scrooge is cynical about Christmas?

What does he say?

7)In what way is Fred different to his uncle regarding his views
on Christmas?

8)How does Scrooge react when he sees his old partner?

9)What is Marley’s ghost’s overall message?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

`It is required of every man,'' the Ghost returned, ``that the
spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men,
and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life,
it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander
through the world -- oh, woe is me to witness what it cannot
share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to
happiness!''

Stave 2 (The Ghost of Christmas Past)

TASK: Find relevant quotes which focus on the key
events in Stave 2
 KEY EVENT IN STAVE 2 KEY QUOTES
Scrooge is awoken by the Ghost
of Christmas past, who is a
shape-changing creature with a
beam of light shining from his
head and a fire extinguisher cap.
Scrooge sees his childhood
hometown, and then himself
sitting alone at Christmas in
school. He sobs at this sight.
Scrooge sees his sister, Fan,
bringing him home from another
lonely Christmas. The spirit
reminds Scrooge she died, but
had a child (Scrooge’s nephew)
and Scrooge is uneasy.
Scrooge sees his old boss
Fezziwig throwing a Christmas
party for his staff and family.
Scrooge enjoys the party, and
wishes he could speak to his own
clerk.

At the party, Scrooge meets and

falls in love with Belle.
Scrooge then sees his ex-fiance,
Belle, breaking off their
engagement because Scrooge is
too obsessed with money and she
has none. Scrooge describes this
as torture.
Finally, Scrooge sees Belle seven
years ago with her charming
family. Her husband says he has
seen Scrooge, who is all alone.
Scrooge is overcome and puts the
cap on the spirit’s head in a rage.
Cloze Summary: Complete the missing words
in the summary of Stave 2 below:
Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Past. It symbolises
_________ as Scrooge must relive his past to reconnect
with his former, _________ self. First, Scrooge watches
himself as a lonely child in school. He cries for himself
and the reader feels ___________ and begins to
understand how he came to be so evil.
Scrooge takes the first step on the road to ___________ by
regretting not giving money to a child who sung him a
Christmas carol. He then watches his sister, __________,
and we learn she dies – Scrooge feels guilty about his
nephew, ___________.
Scrooge watches __________ throw a party for his workers.
Scrooge begins to enjoy himself and learns that living a
_______________ is harmful and that being disconnected
from people doesn’t make life better.
Finally, Scrooge watches the break-up of his ___________
with Belle: he becomes distressed as he is forced to see
how a “____________” has become his obsession (i.e.
money). Scrooge sits alone and realises he hasn’t had a
friend since __________ and the ghost disappears; Scrooge
falls into a deep sleep.

sympathy solitary life Marley innocent

salvation Fred engagement Little Fan
Fezziwig memory “Golden Idol”

STAVE 2 QUESTIONS
1) What astonished Scrooge at the start of the stave?
 2) Why was it a ‘great relief’ when he looked out of the window?
3) In your own words, describe the ghost of Christmas past.
4) Why do you think Dickens puts Scrooges words in reported speech
rather than direct speech for most of page 3?
5) Scrooge says that he has a ‘pimple’ on his cheek; what, in fact, does
he have on his cheek and why is this unusual?
6) In your own words, describe the schoolhouse.
7) Who is Little Fan?
8) What was the atmosphere at Fezziwig’s?
9) How do Mr and Mrs Fezziwig treat their workers at the end of the
party?
10) Where do the apprentices sleep? Why does Dickens add this
detail?
11) How does Scrooge’s behaviour change throughout the party?
12) What is the ghost’s lesson for Scrooge to learn?
13) Where do the themes of the Christmas spirit and poverty
appear in the party scene?
14) What do you think Scrooge would like to say to the clerks?
15) What is Scrooge’s reaction to the spirit’s statement about
Fezziwig, ‘Is that so much that he deserves this praise?’. Why does
Scrooge react in this way?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The poor, despite their circumstances, are full of
the Christmas spirit. Wealth and happiness are
not connected. To what extent do you agree with
Stave 3 (The Ghost of Christmas Present)
TASK: Find relevant quotes which focus on the key
events in Stave 2
KEY EVENT IN STAVE 3 KEY QUOTES
The Ghost of Christmas
Present appears in Scrooge’s
home. He is a jolly giant who
carries a horn, and the room
is decorated in Christmas
splendour.
Scrooge sees the Cratchit
family and their paltry
Christmas. He is moved by
 Tiny Tim, but the spirit tells
him he will die if things don’t
change.
Scrooge shows concern for
Tiny Tim’s future.
The spirit shows Scrooge
Christmas around the
country, from the streets, to
the miners, to the lighthouse
keepers and sailors. All are
festive and happy.
Scrooge sees his nephew’s
Christmas party, where Fred
says he pities Scrooge, while
the others make fun of him.
Scrooge joins in with the
party games.
The spirit shows Scrooge two
starved children, Ignorance
and Want. He vanishes as
Scrooge notices a dark,
hooded figure coming.

Cloze Summary: Complete the missing words

in the summary of Stave 3 below:
Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present. He
symbolises______ ____ _______. He sits on a throne of food
and wears a __________ with no sword (which symbolises
peace). The ghost shows Scrooge the Christmas of other
people: he waves his torch to spread the Christmas
Spirit, focusing on poor people as they “______________”.
They visit the Cratchit family, who offer the reader an
idealised version of the Christmas for the poor. They
wear “____________” to celebrate the day and work as a
team to create their meagre Christmas dinner. They
_____________ Scrooge, despite the fact that he underpays
Bob and treats him poorly. Scrooge becomes upset for
Tiny Tim when the ghost reveals he will die. He realises
how ___________ he has been and feels _________
for his past ways.

At Fred’s Christmas party, everyone enjoys themselves.

The Cratchit family represents the poor and Fred’s party
represents the _________ ___________. The family make fun
of Scrooge and his behaviour and don’t have respect for
him. Fred says his wealth is of no use as he believes he
“_____________________________”.
The ghost shows Scrooge ________ ____ _________: they
are personified problems of society. Scrooge is horrified
and asked if they can be helped, but the ghost uses his
own words to shame him:
“___________________________________ ” The ghost of
Christmas Present dies and leaves Scrooge feeling
confused yet he is beginning to realise his past
____________ .

ribbons Ignorance and Want Guilty “Doesn’t do any good with it”
selfish “Are there no prisons?” “Are there no workhouses?”
toast middle classes generosity and goodwill
scabbard mistakes need most

STAVE 3 QUESTIONS

1.How did Scrooge react when the second spirit didn’t

arrive ‘when the bell struck one’?
2.Scrooge got up, what did he enter? Describe how it
appeared.
3.Describe the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas
Present.
4.Why might Dickens include a scene in which the
Cratchit family cook their Christmas meal?
5.Why does Mrs Cratchit invite her daughter to sit
down “before the fire”?
6.Why might Dickens include the image of Bob carrying
his son?
7.How are the references to church important?
8.Why do you think Bob say that his son is “good as
gold”?
9.How do the Cratchit family feel about their meal?
10. How does Scrooge react to watching this scene?
11. Why might Dickens include Bob toasting Scrooge
as the “founder of the feast”?
12. Overall, what is the atmosphere in this scene?
13. Where did the spirit take him after they were at
the Cratchit’s house?
14. How do Scrooge’s niece and nephew feel about
him?
15. What did the family do after dinner?
16. Why did Scrooge beg to stay at the party?
17. What did Scrooge notice about the change in the
spirit’s appearance?
18. How long will the spirit be ‘upon the globe’?
19. What was under the spirit’s robe?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Are there no prisons?” said the Spirit,

turning on him for the last time with
his own words. “Are there no
workhouses?”
 Ignorance and Want
‘Forgive me if I am not justified in what I
ask," said Scrooge, looking intently at the
Spirit's robe, "but I see something
strange, and not belonging to yourself,
protruding from your skirts. Is it a foot or
a claw?"
"It might be a claw, for the flesh there is
upon it," was the Spirit's sorrowful reply.
"Look here."
From the foldings of its robe, it brought

The two children are

ALLEGORIES (representations
or symbols) of TWO social
problems: Ignorance and
Want. They represent these

Why would Dickens choose children to symbolise the problems

in society?
•
• Ignorance: People like Scrooge, who ignore the
problems of the poor, create enormous social
problems. They create children like this.
• Want: because the population has ‘boomed’ in
Victorian times, many people ‘want for’ (go without)
the basic necessities such as food and shelter.
 Combined with the ignorance of the rich, this creates
massive social problems. It creates children like this.

These children will grow

into adults who live a life
of crime, causing BIGGER
Stave 4 (The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come)

TASK: Find relevant quotes which focus on the key

events in Stave 3

KEY EVENT IN STAVE 4 KEY QUOTES

The Ghost of Christmas
Yet to Come shows
Scrooge some
businessmen carelessly
discussing the death of
an unnamed man.
Moving to the
backstreets of London, a
group of thieves meet.
Mrs Dilber, Scrooge’s
laundress, laughs about
the sheets and bed
clothes that she has
stolen from the dead
man.
The spirit shows Scrooge
a lonely, dead body
under a sheet. Scrooge
is greatly disturbed, and
begs to see someone
who feels emotion at the
man’s death.
Scrooge sees a couple
who are happy about
the man’s death
because their debt is
erased. Scrooge begs to
 see some tenderness
towards the man.
Scrooge sees the
Cratchit family, who are
mourning the death of
Tiny Tim. It could be
that Scrooge’s death
hurt the family as Bob
became unemployed
and was unable to
support Tiny Tim.
Scrooge finds himself in
a churchyard with the
spirit pointing to a
grave. Scrooge looks at
the headstone and is
shocked to read his own
name.
He begs to be told he
can change, and wakes
up in his own bed.

Cloze Summary: Complete the missing words

in the summary of Stave 4 below:

Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come:

he looks like the _____ ____________ (symbolising
death). The ghost doesn’t speak; Scrooge does all
the talking. This shows Scrooge’s _______________ as
he has learnt lessons from the other ghosts.
The ghost shows us Scrooge’s business
acquaintances (representing Ignorance in society).
They are uninterested in what has happened to
 Scrooge and are only interested in a ______________.
Like Marley, Scrooge’s funeral is “____________”.
The ghost then takes Scrooge to a ________ _________
where people have ransacked his house and dead
body and are selling his possessions (representing
Want in society). _______ _________, Scrooge’s
employee, says that the theft is a “______________” on
him.
Next we meet some debtors of Scrooge who are
relieved he has died. Scrooge also learns that _______
________ has died. He is forced to witness the pain
and suffering of ________, who tries to remain strong
for his family’s sake. Scrooge clearly feels __________
by this tragic event.
Finally, the ghost shows Scrooge his grave. Scrooge
becomes emotional and reveals that he is now
__________ for his past, selfish ways and admitting
that he is a changed man. He declares “I’m not the
man I was” and “______________________”.
Scrooge awakes, clinging to the sheets of his _____
_______ in a state of pure _______ .

Mrs Dilber Tiny Tim repentant Bob

“cheap” transformation alarmed “judgement”
bed post free meal pawn shop Grim Reaper
“I will honour Christmas in my heart” Fear

STAVE 4 QUESTIONS
1.What is the name of the third Spirit?
2.What does the third Spirit say to Scrooge when he
sees him?
3.What feelings does Scrooge experience when he
meets the third Spirit?
4.Where do Scrooge and the third Spirit overhear the
first conversation about death?
5.What types of men are discussing the death?
6.What name do the men give to the man who has
died?
7.In what type of establishment does Scrooge see the
laundress?
8.What has the laundress stolen from the dead body,
which Scrooge finds more shocking?
9.Why is the family that Scrooge visits so happy to
hear of the death of the dead man?
10. Who says the line ‘Let me see some tenderness
connected with a death’?
11. Who does Scrooge decide that he would like to
catch a glimpse of now that he has recognised that
he is seeing the future?
12. Where does Scrooge believe that he should be at
that time of day, in the future?
13. Where is Scrooge when he realises that in the
future he will be dead?
14. Who asks the Spirit if these events are the things
that ‘Will be, or are they shadows of things that May
be, only?’
15. What is the Spirit’s response to the question of
whether these are the things that will surely come to
pass?
16. What does the Spirit use to point?
17. What is the name on the tombstone that Scrooge
is confronted with?
18. What does Scrooge do after he sees the name on
the tombstone?
 19. When Scrooge returns to his bedroom, what does
he wake up clutching?
20. What does Scrooge promise to honour, from the
bottom of his heart?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Stave
Why do you5 (think
The End
theofGhost
It) of
Christmas Yet to Come has no
face and does not speak?

Stave 5 (The End of it)

TASK: Find relevant quotes which focus on the key events in
Stave 3

KEY EVENT IN STAVE 5 KEY QUOTES

Scrooge awakens with

excitement and happiness.
He sends a turkey to the
Cratchit house.

He walks among the streets

and has happy interactions
with people.
He sees the charity man who
visited him at the start of the
novella and he shows his
generosity.
He goes to Fred's party and
humbly asks to be invited.

Fred invites his uncle to join

his family on Christmas day
Bob is late to work on boxing
day and terrified he will lose
his job. Scrooge pretends he
will sack him but raises his
salary instead.
As the years go by, he
continues to celebrate
Christmas with all his heart.
He treats Tiny Tim as if he
was his own child, gives gifts
for the poor and is kind,
generous and warm.

STAVE 5 QUESTIONS

1.How does Scrooge respond when he wakes up in his

own bed on Christmas morning?
2.Who tells Scrooge what day it actually is?
3.What does Scrooge send to Bob Cratchit?
4.What does Scrooge do when he meets the man who
had asked him for a donation the day before?
5.At whose home does Scrooge have Christmas dinner?
6.How does the change of weather reflect Scrooge’s
transformation? What language technique is this?
7.What language device has Dickens used in ‘as light
as a feather…as happy as an angel…as merry as a
schoolboy…..as giddy as a drunken man’? What is
their effect on the reader?
8.How does Scrooge feel about knocking on Fred’s
door? Why has Dickens decided to show us this?
9.Identify the repetition Scrooge uses to describe
Fred’s party? What is the purpose of this repetition?
10. Everything that Scrooge does wrong in Stave One
is put right in Stave Five. Find three examples to
support this statement.
 11. In Stave Two young Scrooge is left on his own
and in Stave Three the Cratchits are described as the
model happy family. How is the theme of family
presented in Stave Five?
12. What is the meaning of Scrooge’s statement, ‘I
will live in the Past, the Present and the Future!’?
13. Why do you think Dickens ends with the
narrator’s voice rather than a scene with Scrooge?
How effective is this ending?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 Although the novella is called ‘A

Christmas Carol’, the story isn’t finally
about Christmas; it’s about our
responsibility to others all year round.
How far do you agree?
 Some people have described ‘A
Christmas Carol’ as a fairy-tale. For
others it is a realistic portrayal of the
sufferings of the Victorian poor. What
is your own opinion and why?

Dickens's The novella is

The novella novella The title of the
divided into 5
reveals a clear novella
features Staves. In
beginning, perhaps
four ghosts music, a stave
suggests to the
middle and end in total: is a set of 5
reader that this
through which Jacob parallel lines
will ultimately
in which
Marley and
Carols are musical notes
the three
songs that are Ghosts of
popular at
 The novella
uses a
similar
structure to
a song to
STRUCTUR present a
moral tale of
E OF THE transformati
on. The
NOVELLA structure
links to the

The Staves The final (fifth)

follow the stave returns to
action of the many of the
story with the ideas/themes in
first stave Stave 1 so
setting the
scene, the
middle stave Scrooge's
showing the The tale is redemption in
turning point written as the final stave
The structure of three a novella.
leaves the
ghosts reveals the This is a
short piece reader with a
past, present and
future. The number of fiction - sense of both
three is significant in longer than completion and
fairy stories, religious a short possibility.
tales and traditional Furthermore, the
myths and legends. last stave is both
Characters are often short and upbeat
faced with three
choices, granted three
Language Techniques in ‘A
wishes, or given three

Christmas Carol’
NARRATIVE VOICE (Third Person
Omniscient)
The novella is written in third person which reflects the voice of
the author, Charles Dickens. This can inform the reader of
actions, plot and feelings of other characters. It also helps us to
understand and appreciate Dickens thoughts about class, wealth
and poverty during the Victorian era.

DIALOGUE
Dickens uses a lot of dialogue to reflect the realism of the
novella and the characters interaction with one another. This is a
typical technique used by Dickens in all of his novels and allows
readers to become familiar with characters’ feelings and
thoughts.

SIMILES:
Comparing two things using LIKE or AS (INDIRECT comparison).
These reveal vivid images in the reader’s mind by comparing
something to something else. Dickens uses many similes to add
more interest and to help us to imagine what is taking place.

METAPHORS:
Comparing two things that aren't identical but have something
in common (a DIRECT comparison). They highlight powerful
images in the reader’s mind by relating or comparing something
to something else. They allow us to clearly imagine the moment
being described.

PERSONIFICATION:
Gives human qualities (emotions, gestures) to something non-
human (a thing, an idea or an animal). This creates a more
meaningful image or interpretation of a main subject being
explored.

REPETITION:
Words or phrases which are repeated often in a text. These are
used to emphasise a particular point or idea so that it sticks in
the reader’s mind. Dickens uses this technique to stress the
importance of certain events in the plot.
PATHETIC FALLACY:
When a human emotion is related to nature or the weather. Can
be metaphorical and heightens emotions, thoughts, feelings and
atmosphere through the presentation of nature or the weather.
Dickens uses this language technique to portray settings,
character, actions and atmosphere in the novella.

PRESENT PARTICIPLES:
Verbs which are in the PRESENT CONTINUOUS tense and end in
‘...ing’. This technique is used to emphasise IMMEDIACY and
REALISM and it makes the readers feel as though they are part
of the narrative and the EVENTS which are unfolding. Dickens
uses present participles to help the reader to feel a part of the
action and the events taking place in the novella.

DARKNESS AND LIGHT IMAGERY:

Dickens uses this imagery as a form of CONTRAST to add to the
setting, atmosphere and characterisation in the novella.
Darkness signifies:
 The darkness and smog of winter (literal)
 Scrooge’s blindness and inability to see the error of his
ways at the start of the novella (figurative)
 The evil of the values and beliefs of those who are part of
the wealthy society and are ignorant of the suffering of the
poverty which surrounds them
Light signifies:
 The natural light of candles, lamps and fires in fire places
(Literal)
 Scrooge’s growing awareness and self-realisation of the
mistakes of his past life (Figurative)
  The Ghost of Christmas Past who is also portrayed as a
glowing candle
 Scrooge’s final enlightenment and transformation by the
end of the novella

COLD IMAGERY:
Dickens also uses cold imagery throughout the novella which
not only reflects the cold winter weather but clearly symbolises
Scrooge’s coldness as a character. Dickens uses various
language techniques to describe this such as Similes,
Metaphors, Personification and Pathetic Fallacy (see above). It
also serves to symbolise the coldness and selfishness of those
who are wealthy and care little for those who are less fortunate
than themselves.

TASK: Match up the following Language

Techniques with the QUOTES below:
Language Quotes
Technique
Repetition “The dealings of my trade were
but a drop of water in the
comprehensive ocean of my
business.”
Pathetic ‘To edge his way along the
Fallacy crowded paths of life warning all
human sympathy to keep its
distance.’
Simile ‘A squeezing, wrenching,
grasping, scraping, clutching,
covetous, old sinner!’
‘The sky was gloomy, and the
 Metaphor shortest streets were choked up
with a dingy mist, half thawed,
half frozen, whose heavier
particles descended in shower of
sooty atoms.’

Personification ‘Solitary as an oyster’

‘It was cold, bleak, biting

Light and Dark weather: foggy withal: and he
Imagery could hear the people in the
court outside go wheezing up and
down, beating their hands upon
their breasts, and stamping their
feet upon the pavement stones
to warm them.’
‘The chuckle with which he said
Present this, and the chuckle with which
Participles he paid for the turkey, and the
chuckle with which he paid for
the cab...’
Cold Imagery ‘The city clocks had only just
gone three, but it was quite dark
already - it had not been light all
day: and candles were flaring in
the windows of the neighbouring
offices...’

SYMBOLISM
Marley’s Chains
 "I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I
girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?"
 “...would you know . . .the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? . . .You have
labored on it since.”

Marley’s chains are the most significant symbol in the novella.

They represent greed, selfishness and obsession with worldly
goods and money. Marley can never rest as a result of this and
he is chained to the confines of purgatory (a place which exists
between heaven and hell). He warns Scrooge that if he
continues with his present ways, he will also suffer the same
consequences.

Scrooge’s bed
‘Yes! And the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own, the room was his own.’

In Stave 2, Scrooge is in his bed awaiting the first

ghost - the Ghost of Christmas Past. He is clearly
reluctant to leave the comfort and safety of his bed
which could symbolise his reluctance to change his ways. At the
start of Stave 5, Scrooge returns to his bed a changed man. He
is relieved to be back and when he awakes, he is clinging to the
sheets of his bedpost. His ‘clinging’ may reflect his desperate
need to change his ways and show the world his ability and
need to change and become generous, loving and willing to help
those who are less fortunate than himself.

Fire
‘Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it
looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his
own room.’

During the Victorian era, there was no central heating to warm

homes – only fires in fire places and the burning of coal and
wood to make this happen. Fire symbolises warmth,
togetherness and comfort. At the start of the novella, Scrooge
has no desire to give extra warmth in the counting house to his
employee, Bob Cratchit, and therefore, keeps the coal in his own
office.

The Turkey

“Do you know whether they’ve sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up
there -- Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?"

The roast turkey had its beginnings in

Victorian England. Previously, other forms of roasted meat such
as beef and goose were the centrepiece of the Christmas dinner.
The turkey was added to this tradition by the more wealthy
sections of society in the 19th century. In the novella, Dickens
reveals how the Cratchit family could not afford such a delicacy
so they made do with a small goose which they were still
grateful to have. As a result, In Stave 5, Scrooge buys a turkey
for Bob’s family which symbolises his new-found generous spirit
and his determination to change.

The Party Game – ‘Blind Man’s

Buff’
‘There was first a game of blind-man's buff. Of course there was. And I no
more believe Topper was really blind than I believe he had eyes in his boots. ... Knocking down the fire-
irons, tumbling over the chairs, bumping against the piano, smothering himself among the curtains,
wherever she went, there went he.’

The traditional name of the game is called "Blind Man's Buff",

where the word buff is used in its older sense of a ‘small push’.
The game later also became known as "Blind Man's Bluff”. This
is played in a spacious area, such as outdoors or in a large room,
in which one player, designated as ‘IT’, is blindfolded and gropes
around attempting to touch the other players without being able
to see them, while the other players scatter and try to avoid the
person who is "it", hiding and sometimes teasing them to
influence them to change direction.
Significance: The game could also symbolise Scrooge’s
blindness to society and his own selfishness and unwillingness to
view the ‘real’ world at the time. In a way, he is ‘IT’ during the
course of the novella, as he is forced to grope around blindly
and in a vulnerable, confused state during the course of the
story. He is presented as having no true vision and only until he
has moments of realisation i.e. re-visits and ‘makes contact’
with a familiar place or a familiar character from his past, is he
able to begin to recognise his past mistakes and weaknesses
and take off his ‘blindfold’ of ignorance and lack of awareness.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Which SYMBOL do you

think is the most
POWERFUL in the novella?

The Characters
Charact Profile
er
The miserly owner of a London ‘counting-house’,
Scrooge a nineteenth century term for an accountant’s
office. The three spirits of Christmas visit him in
the hope of reversing Scrooge’s greedy, cold-
hearted approach to life. At the start of the
novella he is presented as a cold, miserable and
bitter old man but as the novel progresses we
see him change into a better man. By the end of
the novella, he becomes a generous, warm-
hearted, approachable person who wants to
change his past by spending time with his family
and sharing his wealth with others who are less
fortunate than himself.
Jacob In the living world, Jacob Marley was Ebenezer
Marley / Scrooge's equally greedy partner. He died seven
Marley’s years before the narrative opens but appears to
Ghost Scrooge as a ghost condemned to wander the
world bound in heavy chains. Marley hopes to
save his old partner from suffering a similar fate.
Scrooge’s clerk. He is a kind, mild, and very poor
man with a large family and a son who is
Bob physically disabled and will possibly die as a
Cratchit result of poverty and lack of finances. Though
treated harshly by his boss, Cratchit remains a
humble and dedicated employee to Scrooge and
he bears no grudge despite his poor
circumstances.
Bob’s wife, a kind and loving woman. She clearly
Mrs despises Scrooge for being selfish, mean and
Cratchit underpaying and over-working her husband.
During the Christmas family meal, she is
unwilling to drink to Scrooge’s health because of
his miserly ways and poor treatment of her
husband.
Peter Bob’s oldest son, who inherits his father’s stiff-
Cratchit collared shirt for Christmas.
Martha Bob’s oldest daughter, who works in a milliner’s
Cratchit shop. (A milliner is a person who designs,
produces, and sells hats).
Bob Cratchit’s youngest son who is crippled from
Tiny Tim birth. Tiny Tim is a highly sentimentalised
character whom Dickens uses to highlight the
problems of England’s poor society and to create
the reader’s sympathy for him. He is presented
as a happy boy despite his physical disability.
Scrooge’s nephew, the son of his sister, Fan. A
Fred friendly, kind and merry man who embraces the
Christmas spirit. Every Christmas Eve, he invites
 Who said this?
Task: Match the quotes with the characters
QUOTE CHARACTER
``A merry Christmas, uncle! God save
you!'' cried a cheerful voice.
“We should make some small provision
for the Poor and the Destitute.”
``I wish to be left alone,'' said Scrooge.
``Since you ask me what I wish,
gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't
make merry myself at Christmas and I
can't afford to make idle people merry.
''
"Home, for good and all. Home, for ever
and ever. Father is so much kinder than
he used to be, that home's like Heaven!
“
``No more work to-night. Christmas Eve,
Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer! Let's have
the shutters up,”
``Our contract is an old one. It was
made when we were both poor and
content to be so ... You are changed.
When it was made, you were another
man.''
“He told me... that he hoped the people
saw him in the church, because he was
a cripple, and it might be pleasant to
them to remember upon Christmas
Day.''
QUOTE CHARACTER
“I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the founder of
the feast!”

"His wealth is of no use to him. He don't

do any good with it. He don't make
himself comfortable with it.”
“Show me no more! . . .Why do you
delight to torture me?”

“I will live in the Past, the Present, and

the future!”

‘His hat was off, before he opened the

door; his comforter too. He was on his
stool in a jiffy; driving away with his
pen, as if he were trying to overtake
nine o'clock.’
“I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to
assist your struggling family, and we will
discuss your affairs this very afternoon.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Which main character do you

feel is the most consistent
throughout the novella? Explain

THE MAIN THEMES

Responsibility (Moral) and Society
Throughout the novella, Dickens reveals his concerns
of a society where there is an unequal distribution of
wealth. He reveals how the rich enjoy comfort and feasting at
Christmas and ignore the dreadful living conditions of those who
are less privileged (they clearly punish the poor for their poverty
through such things as the “Treadmill” and the “Workhouses”).
In his writing, The Ghost of Christmas Present presents the
children (Ignorance and Want) and states that they are society’s
responsibility and should be treated with dignity and
compassion. Dickens set the novella over Christmas to
encourage the wealthy to share and be more compassionate for
those less fortunate than themselves.

Family
Family is an important part of the novella and
Scrooge The Ghost of Christmas Past forces Scrooge
to confront his own family as a young boy when he is rejected
and left alone at boarding school over Christmas. He also
witnesses the close family of Bob Cratchit, his loyal clerk, who
are clearly suffering as a result of his poor wages and his son’s
disability. Despite their poverty, they still celebrate Christmas as
a close family and embrace what they do have rather than what
they do not have.

Guilt/Blame

At the start of the novella, Dickens portrays Scrooge as

a representation of the ignorance and greed of society at the
time. Scrooge is forced to confront his selfishness through the
visitations of the spirits and as a result, he feels increasingly
guilty and realises how he has allowed his obsession with money
to dictate his entire life. By the end of the novella, Scrooge feels
he is to blame for his lack of understanding and poor judgement
of those who have no choice but to either live on the streets or
reside in workhouses.

Greed and Money

This is a dominant theme throughout the novella and Scrooge
represents this through his selfish obsession and lust for money.
The ghosts all focus on this and how Scrooge’s life has been
dominated by his greed and miserly ways resulting in his lonely,
anti-social existence. His partner, Jacob Marley, was of a similar
nature and this is why he comes to Scrooge, warning him that if
he continues the way he does, he will be condemned to an
eternal life of damnation and hell. We also see the greed of
those who fight over Scrooge’s belongings after his death...

Wealth vs Poverty

Dickens wanted to present the great division between

the wealthy and the poor as it was during Victorian society in ‘A
Christmas Carol’. He was aware of the suffering of those who
had very little because he too had suffered poverty as a child
due to his father’s debt. He was separated from his family and
forced to work in a factory as a child. These personal
experiences inspired him to write ‘A Christmas Carol’
and this is why he created the characters of Bob
Cratchit and his family to symbolise the poverty,
hardship, pain and suffering that existed at that
time.

Loneliness and Isolation

Scrooge is clearly presented as a lonely, isolated, old man who

has no friends or close family as a result of his own past choices.
His past life has moulded his character and created someone
who lives a solitary life, pushing away those who care and
having little concern or interest.... for his family, friends and
those who are less fortunate than himself.

The Supernatural
This was a part of the Christmas story-telling tradition that
started in the 17th century. By the 19th century, there was an
interest in spiritualism; people believed spirits who resided in
the afterlife wanted to communicate with the living. Scrooge is
presented with four spirits who wish to help Scrooge to become
more giving and less miserly and to show him the suffering and
pain of those less fortunate than himself. Dickens
uses supernatural events to create an element of
mystery and the unknown which creates tension
and suspense for the reader.

Christmas
Christmas time is at the heart of the novella. It represents a time
of giving, family, good will and celebration. The celebration of
Christmas is all about sharing. At the start of the novella,
Scrooge clearly despises Christmas and he makes no attempt to
share his wealth with those less fortunate than himself. By the
end, he is like a child and he relishes and embraces
the spirit of Christmas and is determined to make up
for lost time and all the Christmases he rejected and
despised over the years.

Choices
Throughout the novella, Scrooge is forced to make choices
which ultimately become life-changing. He has to decide
whether or not to change his ways from being a cold, heartless,
mean and miserly old man and make the choice of transforming
into a warm, kind, generous and caring person. By the end of
the novella, Scrooge clearly makes this choice and the reader is
filled with relief and joy.

Time, Memory and the Past

The novella focuses on the past, the present and the
future. The spirits take Scrooge on a voyage through the realms
of time and he has to confront his worst fears
through a voyage of self-discovery. He is forced to
remember his sad childhood and the mistakes he made when
discovered and lost true love. As a result, his journey through
time becomes life-changing, permanent and positive.

Forgiveness and Redemption

This means seeing the error of your ways and being saved from
sin or evil. Scrooge is transformed from a mean, greedy and
lonely old miser, who was blind to his sin, into a generous, good-
natured character who wants to make a significant change, not
only for himself but for others. He realises the mistakes of his
past and wants to make amends and seeks forgiveness and
redemption. The moral message of the novella is that all human
beings have the opportunity and can make the choice to
behave in kinder ways towards each other and be saved
from damnation and eternal suffering in the afterlife, as
advised by his partner, the ghost of Jacob Marley.

Generosity and Compassion

This is the essence of the Christmas spirit and this is why
Dickens sets the novella during this time of celebration.
Scrooge’s nephew and his clerk show compassion towards
Scrooge which is
in stark contrast to those who coldly dismiss Scrooge (e.g. his
fellow business associates, his servants and..... the pawn shop
owner) as he does them. Dickens clearly intended to share the
importance of compassion and empathy, particularly amongst
the wealthier members of society.

Transformation (both physical and

emotional)
By the end of the novella, Scrooge is transformed from a mean,
greedy and lonely old miser to a kind, compassionate, caring
man who wants to help others in need. The ghosts take him on a
voyage of self-discovery and enlightenment and by the end of
the novella he makes a permanent, positive transformation.
 Which Themes?
Task: Complete the following table using the
following quotes from the novella:

Quotes Themes
‘No beggars implored him to bestow
a trifle, no children asked him what it
was o’clock.’
"Good afternoon," said Scrooge.
"I want nothing from you; I ask
nothing of you; why cannot we be
friends?”
“Merry Christmas! What right have
you to be merry? What reason have
you to be merry?”
"It's not my business," Scrooge
returned. "It's enough for a man to
understand his own business, and
not to interfere with other people's.
Mine occupies me constantly. Good
afternoon, gentlemen!"
“Are there no prisons? Are there no
workhouses?”
``If they would rather die,'' said
Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and
decrease the surplus population.”
``And the Union workhouses?''
demanded Scrooge. ``Are they still
in operation?''
"I wear the chain I forged in life,"
replied the Ghost. "I made it link by
link, and yard by yard; I girded it on
of my own free will, and of
my own free will I wore it.”
"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.”
‘Every one of them wore chains like
Marley's Ghost; some few (they
might be guilty governments) were
linked together; none were free.’
‘So he listened for the hour. To his
great astonishment the heavy bell
went on from six to seven, and from
seven to eight, and regularly up to
twelve; then stopped. Twelve! It was
past two when he went to bed. The
clock was wrong.’

Quotes Themes
“A solitary child, neglected by his
friends, is left here still”
“What Idol has replaced you?” “A
golden one.”
"Clear away, my lads, and let's have
lots of room here! Hilli-ho, Dick!
Chirrup, Ebenezer!"
"I wish," Scrooge muttered, putting
his hand in his pocket, and looking
about him, after drying his eyes with
his cuff: "but it's too late now."
‘Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob
took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny
corner at the table; the two young
Cratchits set chairs for everybody,
not forgetting themselves... At last
the dishes were set on, and grace
was said.’
"It should be Christmas Day, I am
sure," said she, "on which one drinks
the health of such an odious, stingy,
hard, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge.’
“His wealth is of no use to him. He
don’t do any good with it.”
"What is the matter?" asked the
Spirit.
"Nothing," said Scrooge.
"There was a boy singing a
Christmas Carol at my door last
night. I should like to have given him
something: that's all."
"If these shadows remain unaltered
by the Future, none other of my
race,...What then? If he be like to
die, he had better do it, and
decrease the surplus population."
Scrooge hung his head to hear his
own words quoted by the Spirit, and
was overcome with penitence and
grief.’
‘They were not a handsome family;
they were not well dressed . . . but,
they were happy, grateful, pleased
with one another, and contented
with the time.’
“A merry Christmas, Bob … I’ll raise
your salary.”
“I will honour Christmas in my heart,
and try keep it the whole year
round.”
“We should make some small
provision for the Poor and the
Destitute.”
‘Scrooge was better than his word.
He did this and infinitely more…’

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Which theme do you think is

the most significant in the
novella? Explain why.
 The Ghosts
The Ghost of Marley

In the living world, Jacob Marley was

Ebenezer Scrooge's equally greedy partner.
He died seven years before the narrative
opens but appears to Scrooge as a ghost condemned to
wander the world bound in heavy chains. Marley hopes to
save his old partner from suffering a similar fate. Jacob
Marley was Scrooge’s partner when he was alive. Marley
died seven years before the narrative opens. In Stave 1,
he appears to Scrooge as a fearful ghost condemned to
purgatory and to wander the world bound in heavy
chains as a result of his greed and selfish ways when he
was alive. Marley visits Scrooge in the hope of saving his
old partner from suffering a similar fate. He warns him
that if he continues to live the way he does he will end up
like him and will suffer a similar if not worse fate in the
afterlife.

The Ghost of Christmas Past

The first spirit to visit Scrooge - a curiously

childlike apparition with a glowing head. The
spirit uses a cap to dampen the pure light
coming from his head. The ghost is described as ‘from
the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of
light’ (a link to Bible and Christ who was seen as ‘the
light of the world’). He takes Scrooge on a tour of his past
experiences of Christmas, viewing himself as a lonely
schoolboy forced to relive the harsh realities of his life as
a child when he was rejected by his family on Christmas
day and ending up spending Christmas at boarding
school. The ghost reminds Scrooge of his sister’s visit,
Little Fan, who tells him that their father has changed
and takes him home. Scrooge finds it hard to confront
this painful time in his childhood. He then relives his past
life as a young apprentice to the generous, jolly Fezziwig
and he is reminded of a Christmas which was special, fun
and memorable. It was at this time that he meets the
beautiful Belle and he falls deeply in love and becomes
engaged to her. Sadly, as time goes by, the ghost takes
him back to the time when his ambition and obsession
with making money resulted in Belle breaking off the
engagement. As a result of this painful memory, Scrooge
tries to squash the ghost as he finds it hard to deal with
the sadness and grief of this event.

The Ghost of Christmas Present

The second spirit to visit Scrooge is a
majestic, colourful giant clad in a green robe
who resembles Father Christmas. He is a
jolly, high-spirited apparition and his lifespan
is restricted to Christmas Day. He escorts Scrooge on a
tour of the Christmas celebrations throughout London
which includes visiting his employee, Bob Cratchit’s
humble dwelling, and his nephew’s home, as well as a
tour of poor miners and sailors who all embrace the
Christmas spirit, ‘...the people who were shovelling away
on the housetops were jovial and full of glee’, ....‘the old
man, in a voice that seldom rose above the howling of
the wind upon the barren waste, was singing them a
Christmas song.’ Scrooge is shown the true meaning of
the spirit of Christmas and how family is more important
than having lots of money. He also shows Scrooge the
ways others find ways to celebrate Christmas despite
their poverty and isolation. ‘But they were happy,
grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with
the time’. He also uses Scrooge’s words against him “if
they’d rather die, they’d better do it and decrease the
surplus population” which makes Scrooge feel a twinge
of guilt for the first time. Scrooge meets Bob’s son, Tiny
Tim, for the first time, and becomes aware of his
disability and the possibility that his life could end soon
without the proper care needed which costs money.
Eventually the ghost reveals 2 children beneath his robes
who represent/symbolise Greed and Ignorance and
again, Scrooge is forced to confront how the conditions of
society have created these monsters.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

The third and final spirit to visit Scrooge, a

silent phantom clad in a hooded black robe
who terrifies Scrooge with visions of his death.
The ghost has no face nor voice and he takes him into
the future and presents him with visions of dark, ominous
and fearful images. He sees his fellow businessman in
the City of London discussing his funeral (unknown to
him at the time). He sees a group of scavengers going
through his belongings and then discovers Tiny Tim has
died before he sees his own grave. He also takes Scrooge
through ‘alleys and archways, like so many cesspools,
disgorged their offences of smell and dirt and life’ and to
‘an obscure part of the town’. He presents Scrooge with
images of his lonely death forcing Scrooge to see his
eventual fate where nobody mourns his passing. The
Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come highlights and predicts:
 Scrooge’s doomed future as a result of his past life
 The prediction of the tragic death of Tiny Tim
 Scrooge’s own death as a result of his selfish, lonely
existence
Which Spirit do the following quotes refer
to?
Quote Which Spirit?
‘...sparkling eye...’

‘...a solemn phantom...’

“It is doomed to wander

through the world . . . .And
witness what it cannot
share, but might have
shared on earth, and turned
to happiness...”
‘...it was shrouded in a
deep black garment...’

‘...kind, generous, hearty

nature...’
‘...like an old man...’

“Would you know . . .the

weight and length of the
strong coil you bear
yourself? . . .You have
labored on it since.”
‘...the ghost grew older,
clearly older...’
“The child will die...”

“No rest, no peace,

incessant torture of
remorse.”
‘...cheery voice...’

Quote Which Spirit?

‘...the voice was soft and
 gentle...’
‘...it brought two children;
wretched, abject, frightful,
hideous, miserable...’
“Oh! Captive, bound and
double-ironed...”

‘...a jolly giant...’

[Ignorance and Want]

“Beware them both...”
‘Like a mist along the
ground...’

“I am here tonight to warn

you that you have yet a
chance and hope of
escaping my fate...”

‘...unearthly visitor...’

‘A monstrous iron safe

attached to its ankle, who
cried piteously at being
unable to assist a wretched
woman with an infant, who
it saw below upon a
doorstep.’
‘...a genial face...’

‘...it seemed to scatter

gloom and mystery..’

‘...like a child...’

‘...the spirit was as

immoveable as ever...’

QUESTIONS
 1) Why do the ghosts look like they do?
2) Why is the Ghost of Christmas Past half-child,
half-old man?
3) Why is the Ghost of Yet to Come a hooded
phantom that doesn't talk?
4) What would change if the Ghost of Yet to Come
could simply answer Scrooge's questions?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Which ghost do you feel has the greatest

EFFECT on Scrooge’s transformation?
How Does Scrooge Change?

In the Beginning By the End (Stave 5)

(Stave 1)
He is miserable and rude to He is positive and compassionate
others to others
He rejects Fred’s kind He visits Fred on Christmas Day
invitation to spend
Christmas Day with him
He refuses to give money to He offers a large contribution to
the charity men charity
He goes home alone He goes to church and to his
nephew’s home
He complains about Bob’s He raises Bob’s wages
wages
His fire is nearly dead He orders the fires to be lit

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Scrooge begins by being isolated and
feared by others. By the end of the
novella he clearly becomes more
compassionate towards other characters.
 QUESTIONS - CONSOLIDATION

 Although the novella is called ‘A Christmas Carol’, the story

isn’t only about Christmas; it’s about our responsibility to
others all year round. What do you think?
 How does Dickens teach us that emotional support is more
important than money?
 Some people have described ‘A Christmas Carol’ as a fairy-
tale. For others it is a realistic portrayal of the suffering of
the poor during the Victorian era. Which ‘interpretation’ of
the novella do you most agree with so far?
 How far can ‘A Christmas Carol’ be seen as a good example
of the values and real meaning of Christmas?
 Who is the intended audience of this novella? Are we
supposed to identify with Scrooge and reach into our own
selfish ways?

How to Approach the Exam

‘A Christmas Carol’ is part of your COMPONENT 2 English

Literature exam:

English Literature English Literature

Component 1: 2 hours Component 2: 2 hours 30 mins
A) B) The Poetry A) Post B) ‘A C) Unseen
Shakespeare Anthology (1 1914 Text Christmas poetry (1hr)
: hr) (45 mins) Carol’ (45 - Part (a) (20
- Part (a) (20 - Part (a) (20 - Part (a) mins) mins)
mins) mins) (20 mins) - Part (b) (40
- Part (b) (40 - Part (b) (40 - Part (b) mins)
mins) mins) (40 mins)

REVISION TIPS
 In the ‘A Christmas Carol’ section you will be given a source-based question.
This means you will need to write about your character or theme in relation to
the whole story, but you will have an extract from the novel to help you form
your response
  It is essential to plan your essay – choose five key events from across the text
(beginning, middle, end) and then read the extract to see where you can fit
these quotes into your response
 You are assessed on your understanding of language so use the quotes from
the extract to gain marks here e.g. Dickens uses the simile ‘tight-fisted as a
grindstone’ to suggest that Scrooge was…
 You also need to make some references to the context of the novel – where it
was set (Victorian London) and how this affects our understanding e.g. Just
like many of the poor in Victorian London, the Cratchits struggle to find enough
money to eat properly…

Things you should be doing in your revision time at home:

 Re-read the novella with a pen in your hand (underline key quotations and
make notes in the margin where scenes link to particular characters and /or
themes).
 Watch the film versions
 Learn the plot off by heart – all the key moments, in the correct order.
 Learn key points and quotations for all the main characters and themes
that may come up on the essay question. Make sure you have created
revision cards
 Practise writing essays
 Start now, pace yourself - this revision work will help you go into the exam
with confidence.
 Don’t leave it until the last minute!

EXAMPLE QUESTION
SECTION B (19th Century Prose)

A Christmas Carol

You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this question.

You should use the extract below and your knowledge of the whole novel to answer this question.

Explore the presentation of Scrooge throughout the novel.

In your response, you should:

- refer to the extract and the novel as a whole;

- show your understanding of characters and events in the novel;
- refer to the contexts of the novel. [40]

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. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled
his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty
rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with
him; he iced his office in the dog-days, and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind
that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to
entreaty. Foul weather didn’t know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet could boast
of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often ‘came down’ handsomely, and Scrooge never did.

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, ‘My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you
come to see me?’ No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children ever asked him when it was o’clock, no
man or woman ever once in all his life enquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blind men’s
dogs appeared to know him; and, when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up
courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, ‘No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!’

But what did Scrooge care? It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded parts of life, warning
all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call ‘nuts’ to Scrooge.

Once upon a time – of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve – old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It
was cold, bleak, biting weather; foggy withal; and he could hear people in the court outside go wheezing up and
down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The
City clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already – it had not been light all day – and candles were
flaring in the windows of neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring
in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that, although the court was of the narrowest, the houses
opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have
thought that nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.

The door of Scrooge’s counting-house was open, that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell
beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so very much
smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn’t replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and
so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part.
Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a
man of strong imagination, he failed.