Starter quiz
- Which part of a person's life did Charles Dickens think was particularly significant in shaping a person?
- old age
- childhood ✓
- young adulthood
- mid adulthood
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- What did Charles Dickens believe would happen to children who faced injustice?
- They would grow up to be poor.
- They would grow up to be lonely.
- They would grow up to be resentful. ✓
- They would turn their backs on society. ✓
- They would die young.
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- Which of the following statements are true about Scrooge's childhood in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- Scrooge was neglected by his friends. ✓
- Scrooge's father died when he was a very young boy.
- Scrooge's little sister Fan ran away to France when she was a young adult.
- Scrooge's father left him at boarding school during the holidays. ✓
- Scrooge was a well-loved child at school - particularly by his teachers.
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- In 'A Christmas Carol', why does Belle break her engagement with Scrooge off?
- Because he doesn't have enough money to sustain a life with her.
- Because she doesn't love him anymore.
- Because she recognises that his priorities have changed. ✓
- Because he didn't want to have a family with her.
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- Which of the following is the correct definition for the term 'emotional repression'?
- When you don't feel any emotions at all.
- When you are overhwlemed with extreme emotion.
- When you push your emotions away and ignore them. ✓
- When you show your emotions clearly to others.
- When you cannot interpret or understand other people's emotions.
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- Match the 'A Christmas Carol' quotation up to the stave it appears in.
- stave 2⇔“A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there" ✓
- stave 1⇔“Because you fell in love!” growled Scrooge... ✓
- stave 3⇔“Are there no prisons?” said the Spirit, turning on him..." ✓
- stave 4⇔"Assure me that I yet may change these shadows" ✓
Exit quiz
- What are Scrooge's views on community in stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- He feels indifferent towards his local community.
- He values community and recognises its importance.
- He wilfully isolates himself from his local community. ✓
- He views community as a drain on an individual's resources. ✓
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- What are Scrooge's fears in staves 1-3 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- fear of the cold
- fear of abandonment ✓
- fear of dying
- fear of emotional vulnerability ✓
- fear of poverty ✓
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- Which of these can be used as a synonym for 'appears emotionless'?
- legacy
- stoic ✓
- cynical
- transformed
- vulnerable
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- Complete the quotation from stave 2 of 'A Christmas Carol': “There is nothing on which it is so hard as ...".
- 'poverty' ✓
- Which character does Dickens present (and celebrate) as emotionally vulnerable in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- Fred ✓
- Jacob Marley
- The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
- Fezziwig ✓
- Bob Cratchit ✓
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- Which of these statements best explains Scrooge's greatest fear in stave 4 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- Scrooge fears the finality of death in stave 4.
- Scrooge fears the spirit's appearance in stave 4 - it resembles the Grim Reaper.
- Scrooge fears being buried in a neglected part of town and left to rot.
- Scrooge becomes fearful of not leaving a positive legacy behind when he dies. ✓
- Scrooge becomes fearful of having the same fate as Jacob Marley in stave 4.
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Scrooge's Stave 1 behaviour is arguably motivated by his fear of abandonment; fear of poverty and fear of vulnerability
- Scrooge’s fears and the behaviour that these fears have encouraged exemplify Dickens’ fears for society
- Through Scrooge’s fear of poverty, we see how punishing life was for impoverished Victorian citizens
- Dickens criticises Victorian stoicism, suggesting that it led to a lack of empathy for others, which exacerbates poverty
- By the end of Stave 4, Scrooge’s greatest fear is the lack of legacy he will leave behind him, showing his change
Common misconception
Students think that, in Stave 4, Scrooge is frightened of dying.
Scrooge is not frightened of death. He is frightened of dying without leaving a legacy because he has not contributed anything to society.
Keywords
To abandon - to leave a person behind, usually forever
Vulnerability - able to be easily hurt or attacked, either physically or emotionally
To advocate - if you advocate for something, you promote it
Legacy - the long impact of a person's life
Stoic - enduring hardship without showing it - not showing one’s emotions
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