Scribd
Upload
182 views3 pages

Exam Q Theme of Christmas 1

Dickens presents the theme of Christmas in the extract through the Cratchit family's celebration of Christmas dinner despite their poverty. The family is shown busily preparing and enjoying the meal together, exemplifying their excitement to make the most of the holiday. Dickens explores how the Cratchit family celebrates Christmas traditions even in their difficult financial circumstances, highlighting the struggles of the poor in Victorian England but also their determination to enjoy the festive season. The theme of Christmas is also presented throughout the novel as Dickens contrasts Scrooge's initial dismissal of Christmas against the Cratchit family's celebration, showing the true spirit of Christmas through Scrooge's redemption by the end.

Uploaded by

Marcus Wright
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
182 views3 pages

Exam Q Theme of Christmas 1

Dickens presents the theme of Christmas in the extract through the Cratchit family's celebration of Christmas dinner despite their poverty. The family is shown busily preparing and enjoying the meal together, exemplifying their excitement to make the most of the holiday. Dickens explores how the Cratchit family celebrates Christmas traditions even in their difficult financial circumstances, highlighting the struggles of the poor in Victorian England but also their determination to enjoy the festive season. The theme of Christmas is also presented throughout the novel as Dickens contrasts Scrooge's initial dismissal of Christmas against the Cratchit family's celebration, showing the true spirit of Christmas through Scrooge's redemption by the end.

Uploaded by

Marcus Wright
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol

Read the following extract from Chapter 3 and then answer the question that follows:

In this extract, Scrooge is taken by the Ghost of Christmas Present to see Bob Cratchit,
with his family, celebrating Christmas.

Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds; a feathered
phenomenon, to which a black swan was a matter of course—and in truth it was something very
like it in that house. Mrs. Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing
hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Miss Belinda sweetened up the
apple-sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny corner at the
table; the two young Cratchits set chairs for everybody, not forgetting themselves, and mounting
guard upon their posts, crammed spoons into their mouths, lest they should shriek for goose before
their turn came to be helped. At last the dishes were set on, and grace was said. It was succeeded by
a breathless pause, as Mrs. Cratchit, looking slowly all along the carving-knife, prepared to plunge
it in the breast; but when she did, and when the long expected gush of stuffing issued forth, one
murmur of delight arose all round the board, and even Tiny Tim, excited by the two young
Cratchits, beat on the table with the handle of his knife, and feebly cried Hurrah!

There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked. Its
tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. Eked out by
apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family; indeed, as Mrs.
Cratchit said with great delight (surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish), they hadn’t ate
it all at last! Yet everyone had had enough, and the youngest Cratchits in particular, were steeped in
sage and onion to the eyebrows! But now, the plates being changed by Miss Belinda, Mrs. Cratchit
left the room alone—too nervous to bear witnesses—to take the pudding up and bring it in.

Suppose it should not be done enough! Suppose it should break in turning out! Suppose somebody
should have got over the wall of the back-yard, and stolen it, while they were merry with the goose
—a supposition at which the two young Cratchits became livid! All sorts of horrors were supposed.

Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing-day! That
was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and a pastry cook’s next door to each other, with a
laundress’s next door to that! That was the pudding! In half a minute Mrs. Cratchit entered—
flushed, but smiling proudly—with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm,
blazing in half of half-a-quarter of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the
top.

Starting with the extract, how does Dickens present the theme of Christmas?

Write about:
 How Dickens presents the theme of Christmas in this extract
 How Dickens presents the theme of Christmas in the novel as a whole

(30 marks)
Look at my annotations. Now, continue to annotate the extract whilst focusing on
the theme of Christmas.

Once you have at least six references highlighted and you have written some brief
notes, plan your links to context and also your links for bullet point two.

Now you are ready to write your essay. Follow the plan on the next page.
Introduction: A good introduction includes: your argument, references to the key words
from the question and a link to the big idea/theme/context of the time.

Model Introduction-

When considering the theme of Christmas in the novella, it is important to discuss


Dickens’ intentions when he created the Cratchit family. Dickens wanted to highlight the
struggle of the poor during the Victorian Era but also their determination to celebrate
traditions and make the most out of the festive season.

Main body of the essay:

Model Paragraph-

Dickens presents the theme of Christmas in the extract through the Cratchit family,
‘such a bustle ensued’. This verb highlights the large Cratchit family are busy preparing
the family Christmas dinner. It also shows that all of the family members are getting
involved which exemplifies their excitement. Here, Dickens is exploring the idea that
even though the family are poor, they are still attempting to make the most out of their
Christmas celebrations.

*Do this for at least 4 references from the extract- do not forget links to the Victorian
Era!*

Now you are ready to answer bullet point 2:

Model Paragraph-

Dickens presents the theme of Christmas earlier in the novel when Scrooge is
dismissive towards celebrating Christmas. He refuses to spend Christmas Day at his
nephew’s house as he does not believe in the purpose of this new tradition. This is a
contrast to the extract as the Cratchit family, although poor, still attempt to have a
perfect day.

Attitudes towards Christmas are explored when…


Highlighting to the reader that…

Finally, Dickens shows the true spirit of Christmas at the end of the novel as we see
Scrooge’s redemption…

You might also like