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Themes covered: Christmas, Redemption, Social Injustice

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Themes covered: Christmas, Redemption, Social Injustice

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A Christmas Carol - Themes overview - Themes - AQA - GCSE English Literature Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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Revise and learn about the themes of Charles Dickens's novella, A Christmas Carol with BBC Bitesize GCSE English Literature (AQA).

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Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, and spent the first nine years of his life living in the coastal regions of Kent, a county in southeast England. Dickens' father, John, was a kind and likable man, but he was financially irresponsible, piling up tremendous debts throughout his life. When Dickens was nine, his family moved to London. At twelve, his father was arrested and sent to debtors' prison. Dickens' mother moved seven of their children into prison with their father but arranged for Cha rles to live alone outside the prison, working with other child laborers at a hellish job pasting labels on bottles in a blacking warehouse.

The three months Charles spent apart from his family were severely traumatic. He viewed his job as a miserable trap-he considered himself too good for it, stirring the contempt of his worker-companions. After his father was released from prison, Dickens returned to school, eventually becoming a law clerk. He went on to serve as a court reporter before taking his place as one of the most popular English novelists of his time. At age 25, Dickens completed his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which met with great success. This started his career as an English literary celebrity, during which he produced such masterpieces as Great Expectations, David Copperfield, and A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens died in Kent on June 9, 1870, at the age of fifty-eight.

Background on A Christmas Carol

Dickens's beloved novella A Christmas Carol was written in 1843, with the intention of drawing readers' attention to the plight of England's poor. (Social criticism, a recurring theme in Dickens's work, resounds most strongly in his novel ) In the tale, Dickens stealthily combines a somewhat indirect description of hardships faced by the poor with a heart-rending, sentimental celebration of the Christmas season. The calloused character of the apathetic penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge, who opens his heart after being confronted by three spirits, remains one of Dickens's most widely recognized and popular creations.

A Christmas Carol takes the form of a relatively simplistic allegory-it is seldom considered one of Dickens's important literary contributions. The novella's emotional depth, brilliant narration, and endearing characters, however, offer plenty of rewards for literature students, Dickensian fans, and Grinches alike. Like A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol has won much appreciation among general readers despite being dismissed by scholarly critics of Dickens's work.

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a christmas carol free online study guide

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A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol Background | SparkNotes

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Important information about Charles Dickens's background, historical events that influenced A Christmas Carol, and the main ideas within the work.

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Important and high grade vocab for A Christmas Carol

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Important and high grade vocab for A Christmas Carol

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Allegory
Stave
Novella
Redemption
Miser
Contempt
Apathetic
Misanthropy
Benevolence
Iniquitous
Disparity

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Ebenezer Scrooge - the main protagonist
Bob Cratchit - Scrooge's office clerk
Mrs Cratchit - Bob's wife
Martha Cratchit - Bob's daughter
Peter Cratchit - Bob's oldest son
Tiny Tim - Bob's youngest son, who is crippled
Jacob Marley - Scrooge's business partner, now dead

The Ghost of Christmas Past - A spirit who takes Scrooge to see Christmas in the past; Scrooge's childhood memories
The Ghost of Christmas Present - A spirit who visits Scrooge and shows him how different people manage Christmas in Victorian Britain
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to come - A spirit who shows Scrooge what may happen in the future...

Fan - Scrooge's sister
Fred - Scrooge's nephew (Fan's son)
Belle - Scrooge's former fiancée
Fezziwig - Scrooge's old employer
Charity collectors (Portly gentleman) - who come to see if Scrooge will donate to the poor
Ignorance and Want - Two spirit children, symbolic of the needs of people in Victorian Britain
Mrs Dilber - A working class woman

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In 1789, the French peasants (working class) rebelled against the ruling elite, and the monarchy. This led, after years of conflict, to the French government and aristocracy being overthrown, and a new Republic of the People was established.
THe aristocracy of England did not want to see the same thing happening, so with the industrial revolution in full swing, and the working class losing their jobs as machines in factories replaced people, a hungry working class was upset and the English government acted in 1815, introducing the Poor Law.

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A Christmas Carol quiz that tests what you know. Perfect prep for A Christmas Carol quizzes and tests you might have in school.

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Origins and Overview of A Christmas Carol

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Origins and Overview of A Christmas Carol

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Discussions of the Spirits and Spectres in ACC

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Discussions of the Spirits and Spectres in ACC

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Ghosts in A Christmas Carol | The British Library

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The ghosts in A Christmas Carol are by turns comic, grotesque and allegorical. Professor John Mullan reflects on their essential role in developing the novel’s meaning and structure.

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They will be in your A Christmas Carol folders - check these, and our advice is that you put your key quotes sheets from the 3 texts (Macbeth, AIC and ACC) somewhere safe.

If you have sections to complete, come to supported study to finish these off.