Starter quiz
- How are Scrooge's lodgings described in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- bare and plain ✓
- ornate and decorative
- valuable and beautiful
- bright and colourful
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- Which parable does Dickens allude to through Marley's Ghost's regret in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- The Good Samaritan
- Lazarus and the Rich Man ✓
- The Lioness and her Cubs
- The Almond Tree
- The Eagles and the Vine
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- What role does Marley's Ghost play in the novella 'A Christmas Carol'?
- Dickens' moral compass
- Scrooge's redeemer ✓
- An example of how to live your life
- A harbinger of hope ✓
- Scrooge's enemy
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- What does 'to draw parallels between' mean?
- to make connections to ✓
- to be exactly the same as
- to contrast with
- two characters whose lives run alongside one another
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- Complete the quotation from Stave 2 of 'A Christmas Carol': "Another ______ has displaced me.... a golden one."
- 'Idol' ✓
- A ______ is a short, simple story with a moral lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.
- 'Parable' ✓
Exit quiz
- What is an allusion?
- a short story containing a moral lesson
- a reference a writer makes to another story ✓
- the main character in a novella
- a simple story with a moral lesson as told by Jesus in the Gospels
- a group of words which all start with the same letter
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- How is Scrooge's fireplace described in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- small and meagre
- ornate and decorative ✓
- expensive and valuable
- huge and ugly
- plain and dull
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- What is ironic about Scrooge being surrounded by depictions of the Scriptures on his fireplace in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- It suggests he wholeheartedly abides by the teachings of the Scriptures.
- It reflects the way in which he has surrounded himself with people.
- It suggests he has neglected faith and morality in favour of avarice and greed. ✓
- It suggests he has isolated himself from humanity, but not from art.
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- Who was Cain in the Bible?
- Abel's brother and murderer who was exiled by God ✓
- the father of Abel, who punished his son for murder
- God's appointed deputy on Earth
- the first-born son of Abel - Adam's son
- the brother of Eve from the Genesis story
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- In what way are Marley's Ghost in 'A Christmas Carol' and Cain similar?
- They are both doomed to wander the Earth as punishment for their sins. ✓
- They are both the sons of important figures.
- They both help to save someone else's soul.
- They are both sinful. ✓
- They both carry heavy chains and cashboxes around with them.
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- Which characters from the Scriptures does Dickens compare to Scrooge through his use of allusion in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- Abel
- Solomon ✓
- Belshazzar ✓
- The Queen of Sheba
- The Pharoah's daughter
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Dickens describes Scrooge’s fireplace as very ornate and decorative by comparison to the rest of his lodgings.
- Dickens uses the fireplace to allude to various stories from the Scriptures, such as the Queen of Sheba and Belshazzar.
- Dickens draws parallels between Marley’s Ghost and the Pharaoh's daughter because they both save a soul.
- Dickens highlights Marley’s sins by comparing him to Cain in the Bible.
- Dickens uses allusion to draw comparisons between Belshazzar and Scrooge, both of whom worship false idols.
Common misconception
Pupils do not recognise the significance of Dickens' description of Scrooge's fireplace.
The description contains a multitude of allusions that enhance our understanding of the characters Marley's Ghost and Scrooge.
Keywords
Allusion - an indirect reference to something else.
To depict - to show or present something in a certain way.
Ornate - highly decorated.
Draw parallels - to make connections with something else.
Endeavour - to try hard.
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