Extra Context

• Dickens' childhood experiences influenced 'A Christmas Carol'
• 'A Christmas Carol' is a political diatribe against the politics of Victorian society
• Dickens uses the novella to challenge injustice and expose the impact of poverty in 19th century London
• Actions have consequences and we should help those in need if we have the power to do so
• The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 restricted aid to the poor to workhouses
• Thomas Malthus believed in preventive checks to lower the birth rate and positive checks to increase the death rate
• Workhouses provided poor living conditions and separated families
• The rich lived in luxury while the poor lived in squalor and deprivation
• Scrooge is the protagonist in 'A Christmas Carol'
• Scrooge is described as anti-social, stubborn, greedy, cruel, and cold-hearted
• Scrooge questions charity and believes the poor should be in prisons or workhouses
• Scrooge's transformation is shown through his redemption and philanthropic behavior at the end of the novel
• Scrooge's redemption symbolizes forgiveness, compassion, joy, and transformation
• Marley, Scrooge's business partner, wears chains symbolizing his sins and avarice
• Marley was Scrooge’s business partner
• Marley is weighed down by chains symbolizing his badly spent life and warns Scrooge must change
• The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge his past and brings up a mixture of emotions
• The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge how others celebrate Christmas, including the Cratchits
• The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is dark and mysterious
• Scrooge says "I don’t know anything, I’m quite a baby" at the end of the novel after deciding to redeem himself
• Scrooge's transformation is linked to Christianity and being born again
• Bob Cratchit is Scrooge’s clerk and is treated poorly by him
• The Cratchits are poor but love Christmas and celebrate it well
• Fred is Scrooge’s nephew and represents Dickens’ view on Christmas
• Fezziwig contrasts with Scrooge in generosity and enjoyment of Christmas
• Belle releases Scrooge from their engagement because he loves money more than her
• Scrooge is rich but very selfish and does not like Christmas
• Scrooge is visited by his dead business partner Jacob Marley who warns him of consequences if he doesn’t change
• The Ghost of Christmas past shows Scrooge some of his past Christmases
• The Ghost of Christmas present shows Scrooge the Cratchits Christmas and warns about Tiny Tim's fate
• The Ghost of Christmas yet to come shows Scrooge a dark future if he doesn’t change
• Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning determined to change and becomes a changed man for the rest of his life
• Dickens wrote 'A Christmas Carol' based on his experiences of poverty and concern for children
• Dickens includes a range of middle class and working class characters in the novel
• Poverty was a huge problem in the 19th century due to industrialization and increasing population
• Dickens divides the story into 'staves' to reinforce the idea that it is a Christmas carol in prose
• Scrooge's avarice and redemption are key themes in the novel
• Scrooge is personally responsible for the Cratchit’s problems due to his low wage set for Bob
• Ignorance and Want personify lack of education and poverty
• Tiny Tim has a special role in Scrooge’s redemption