Charles Dickens

1
Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
2
Symbolism

• Scrooge
• Beliefs and values of Victorian England in the
  1800s
• Bob Cratchit
• The spirit of Christmas Dickens wanted to see
  revived in England
• Fire that warms Bob and in the fire place
• The warmth felt within those who share and
  celebrate the season.
• Marleys Chains
• The money and priorities that Marley valued in
  his life while he was living.
• Ghost of Christmas Present
• Christmas joy , kindness, generosity, and peace
• Light Coming from the Ghost of Christmas Past
• The memories and spirit of Christmases past
• Cap held by the Ghost of Christmas Past
• greed, selfishness and other actions that
  extinguish the spirit of Christmas

3
Symbolism

• Girl Want
• Poor children who do not have the common
  necessities (housing, food, clothing)
• Boy Ignorance
• The uneducated, working-class factory children
  they should be feared because if they remain
  uneducated England will collapse and be doomed.

4
Symbolism

• Scrooges Coat of Gray
• Scrooges cold-hearted, unsympathetic personality
  
• Scrooges Coat of Blazing Holly-Red
• A redeemed Scrooge who is caring, generous, and
  warm-hearted

5
Theme

• What are some of the themes embedded within A
  Christmas Carol?
• People can change, also expressed as mankind
  can be redeemed.
• Acts of kindness enrich the spirit and lead to
  more acts of kindness by others.
• Unless society reaches out to help those less
  fortunate and in need, especially children,
  society is condemned/doomed.
• The way man treats others is more valuable
  than ones possessions.
• Mans offensives carries its own punishment

6
Characterization

• What are some ways the author characterizes
  Scrooge?
• Oh, but he was a tight-fisted hand at the
  grindstone.secret, self-contained, and solitary
  as an oyster.
• Direct Characterization
• There was a boy singing a Christmas carol at my
  door last night. I should like to have given him
  something thats all.
• Implies change through characters speech  
• If they rather die, they had better do it and
  decrease the surplus population.
• Characters speech
• It should be on Christmas Day, I am sure,
  said Mrs. Cratchit, on which one drinks the
  health of such an odious, stingy unfeeling man as
  Mr. Scrooge.
• Effects on other characters

7
Characterization

• Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say
  with gladsome looks, My dear Scrooge, how are
  you? No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle,
  no man or woman now, or ever in his life, inquire
  the way to such and such a place.
• Effects on others
• Scrooge says, Ill raise your salary, and
  endeavor to assist your struggling family.
• Actions
• Mr. Scrooge purchased the largest turkey in the
  poulterers shops and had it delivered to
  Cratchit.
• Actions
• He had been revolving in his mind a change of
  life and thought and hoped he saw his new-born
  resolutions carried out in this.
• Characters Thoughts

8
Characterization

• What are some ways the author characterizes
  Fred? Bob?
• Fred
• Fred invites his uncle for Christmas dinner even
  though he knows he doesnt like him.
• Fred restrains himself from yelling or call
  Scrooge names.
• Fred welcome his uncle after he was treated
  poorly by him.
• Sees Christmas as a time where he profits in
  personal gratitude rather than monetary gain.

9
Characterization

• Bob
• Slips the two men money when he is can afford it.
  
• Encourages Fred when he leaves.
• Wishes Scrooge a Merry Christmas even when
  Scrooge doesnt want to hear it.
• Applauds Freds views on the season.
• Toasts Scrooge even though he treats him poorly.
• Not handsome

10
Setting

• How is the setting significant to the novel?
• Charles Dickens was concerned about the way in
  which people were treated during the Victorian
  time period.
• The overall themes embedded within this story are
  based on the unfair treatment and class
  separation of the Victorian time period however,
  they can be still applied in current times.

11
Flashbacks

• What flashback helps the reader understand why
  Scrooge doesnt care for his nephew?
• When he reveals that his sister has died.
• What flashback helps the reader understand why
  Scrooge doesnt believe in love?
• When Belle, his lost love, releases him.

12
Foreshadowing

• So I pray, you hurry back to your seats
  refreshed and ready for a miser- to turn his coat
  of gray into a blazen Christmas holly-red.
• Marley pg. 660
• What is the significance of this quote?

13
Foreshadowing

• What signals does Dickens use to let the reader
  know that he will have an unusual evening?
• Marleys face appears on the door knocker, he
  checks each room, the pictures of Marley
  throughout the room, the sound of chains, the
  door opening , and the ringing bells.