GCSE English Literature Revision: A Christmas Carol

Context Points

1. 1834 New Poor Law

   • Punished poor people for being poor.
   • Required work in workhouses to avoid imprisonment.
   • Criticized by Dickens; referenced in dialogue by Scrooge.

2. Victorian Class Divisions

   • Highlighted the ignorance of the wealthy towards the struggles of the poor.
   • Example: Bob Cratchit’s life vs. wealthy class.

3. Dickens' Personal Experience

   • Dickens' father sent to debtor's prison; Dickens worked in a shoe blacking factory at age 12.
   • Empathy for poor children portrayed in characters like Tiny Tim.

Key Themes

1. Charity

   • Importance of charitable actions by the wealthy.
   • Example: Scrooge as a patron for Tiny Tim.

2. Redemption

   • Possibility of altering one's afterlife by changing greedy ways.
   • Illustrates religious beliefs of the Victorian era.

3. Christmas

   • Reminder of the sacrifice of God by sending Jesus, born on Christmas.

4. Family

   • Importance of family contrasted with Scrooge’s neglect.
   • Happy families like the Cratchits and Belle.

5. Class and Social Injustice

   • Critique of the greed of the rich contributing to class divides.
   • Inequality faced by workers like Bob Cratchit.

Top 10 Quotations

1. Scrooge’s Isolation

   • "Solitary as an oyster" - depicts isolation due to greed.

2. Support of 1834 Poor Law

   • "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" - rhetorical question showing Scrooge’s initial stance.

3. Cratchit Family's Poverty

   • "Small pudding for a large family" - oxymoron highlighting poverty but familial happiness.

4. Tiny Tim's Thankfulness

   • "God bless us, everyone!" - exclamatory sentence of gratitude.

5. Jacob Marley's Warning

   • "Wears the chain I forged in life" - metaphor for consequences of greed.

6. Ghost of Christmas Past

   • "Like a child, but also like an old man" - representing Scrooge's life stages.

7. Belle’s Break-up

   • "Another idol has displaced me" - metaphor for Scrooge’s obsession with money.

8. Ignorance and Want

   • "This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want." - symbolizing the consequence of neglect.

9. Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

   • "Wore a deep black garment" - foreshadowing Scrooge's future.

10. Fred’s Forgiveness

    • "Merry Christmas, Uncle" - symbolizes family forgiveness and second chances.

Additional Quote

• Scrooge’s Transformation
  • "I will live in the past, present, and future." - signifies redemption and change.