a christmas carol essay prompts

A Christmas Carol by Dickens Essay

A Christmas Carol by Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. Since its publication, this book, arguably one of his most famous works, has made its mark on American culture and literature. It is difficult to underestimate the significance of A Christmas Carol , which was made into numerous TV and stage versions. Some would even argue that this Dickens’s work invented or rather reinvented Christmas, while others underline the importance of his work for the development of the new forms of literature. This essay aims to discuss the theme and the characters of the book. It starts with a summary of the plot, then examines the main characters and the themes and concludes with the personal opinion on the novella.

Dickens offers a story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy and selfish older man living alone in his London house, whose only concern is money. Scrooge hates Christmas and is indifferent to other people’s suffering, including his workers. However, on Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his business partner and by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future. The first ghost takes him on a journey through his past Christmases: one of a miserable and lonely little boy and others of a young man, more interested in gold than in his fiancé. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge his clerk’s family Christmas, a Christmas evening of a poor, but loving family, and his nephew’s celebrations, where guests mock him for his unfriendliness and greediness. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows him his own death, which would bring more joy to people who knew him than grief. The terror of this night magically transforms Ebenezer Scrooge into a generous and good-hearted man, kind to his neighbors and eager to help those in need.

The main hero of the book, Ebenezer Scrooge, is characterized mainly by his greediness and by the fear that he creates among people who know him. Charles Dickens describes (1843, 4) him as such: “No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o’clock, no man […] inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge”. Even his clerk is terrified of him and barely dares to speak in his presence.

According to Thompson (2017, 269), the descriptions of Scrooge’s personality allude to the Old Testament figure of King Belshazzar, the ruler who loves wealth and who is punished by God for his greed and pride. However, unlike Belshazzar, Scrooge takes advantage of the warning delivered by the Christmas ghosts and changes, fearing the dreadful end that is awaiting him. He accepts to change and declares: “I will not shut out the lessons that they [the Spirits of the Past, the Present and the Future] teach” (Dickens 1843, 57). Thus, he is a sinner, but the night that he goes through makes hem find the strength to change. This magical and radical overnight transformation becomes central to the figure of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Other central figures are the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first ghost to visit Scrooge; he is quite and rather compassionate towards Scrooge, to whom he shows the pictures of his childhood. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a joyful and vibrant character, wearing a green robe and symbolizing joy and happiness. The third Ghost is the most fearsome one; he wears a black cloak and remains silent during their journey. Although the ghosts have distinct personalities, their common characteristic is their role as the messengers. Their figures also reflect Dickens’ interest in “the narrative possibilities of the communication between the living and the dead” (Wood 2018, 412). Dickens’s interest in the supernatural urges him to experiment with the forms of expression and create the figures of these Spirits to deliver the message to Scrooge.

Another prominent figure is Tiny Tim, who is the most significant figure of childhood in the book. He is a son of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk. He has a disability, but is full of cheer and love and brings a lot of joy to his family. His words – “God bless us every one!” – mark the end of the novella (Dickens 1843, 92). The figure of Tiny Tim reflects the conception of childhood as the stage of innocence, although it is not the only way children are represented in the novella (Robinson 2016, 8). For instance, the readers observe frightening figures of children clinging to the clothes of the Ghost of Christmas Present. Contrary to this image of “figures which are a product of a fallen world (Robinson 2016, 2), Tim is a constant reminder to everyone of the courage in the face of difficulties.

The characters of A Christmas Carol serve to express Dickens’s Christian humanistic views and attitudes. According to Newey (2016, 12), A Christmas Carol is one of the most important works of Charles Dickens in a sense that it “brings into focus many of Dickens’s core concerns and attitudes of mind.” Dickens demonstrates the transformation of a greedy lender with no sympathy to others, which symbolizes capitalist and rationalist values, into the embodiment of Christianity and humanism.

The contrast between Dickens’s characters furthers strengthens the differences between two ideologies, the humanistic and the capitalist one. The family of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk, is a model of a loving family, poor in money but rich in heart, while Scrooge himself reflects utilitarian, purely rationalist values. The values of family loyalty, humanism, kindness, are confronted with the rationalism and greediness of the protagonist.

Another theme of the novella is the relationship between the supernatural and the living. As stated above, Dickens’s works have significantly contributed to the development of the Victorian ghost story. His fascination with the supernatural makes him create the powerful figures of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future, who communicate with the protagonist and act as the messengers of the divine. This communication between the living and the supernatural is central to the plot. This theme reoccurs in Dickens’s works, for instance, in “The Signalman,” although in total, it is present in about 18 Dickens’s stories. The critical result of the supernatural intervention is that it leads to change and transforms the protagonist.

Although often presented as a children’s story, Dickens’s novella A Christmas Carol tells a reader a lot about Dickens’s attitudes and views about the world. This novella promotes the humanistic ideology based on Christian values: love, empathy, and generosity. Moreover, the author experiments with literary forms and contributes to the development of the ghost story. The supernatural plays a central role in the transformation of the main hero. However, the idea that the protagonist needs supernatural intervention in order to change might be problematic for the humanistic perspective that is centered on the agency of human beings. The humanistic perspective stresses the inherently good qualities of human nature, which is contradictory to the idea that supernatural intervention is necessary in order to bring change.

Newey, Vincent. 2016. The Scriptures of Charles Dickens: Novels of Ideology, Novels of the Self. New York: Routledge.

Robinson, David E. 2016. “Redemption and the Imagination of Childhood: Dickens’s Representation of Children in A Christmas Carol.” Literator 37 (1): 1-8. Web.

Thompson, Terry W. 2017. “The Belshazzar Allusion in Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.” The Explicator 75 (4): 268-270. Web.

Wood, Claire. 2018. “Playful Spirits: Charles Dickens and the Ghost Story.” In The Routledge Handbook to the Ghost Story, edited by Scott Brewster and Luke Thurston, 87-96. New York: Routledge.

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A Christmas Carol - Essay Samples And Topic Ideas For Free

A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens that explores themes of redemption, the consequences of greed, and the importance of social compassion through the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Essays on this novella might delve into Dickens’ critique of social disparities, the character development of Scrooge, or the use of supernatural elements to convey moral lessons. Discussions might also explore the enduring popularity of “A Christmas Carol,” its adaptations over time, or its impact on the celebration of Christmas and the broader cultural discourse surrounding the holiday season. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about A Christmas Carol you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — A Christmas Carol — Theme of Redemption in “A Christmas Carol”

Theme of Redemption in "A Christmas Carol"

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Mr Salles Teaches English

A Christmas Carol Prediction AQA 2024

In 2024 I think the question will be about the effects of poverty (possibly including the Cratchits)

This essay is from my guide to essay writing on A Christmas Carol.

You can read it for free here: click .

The extract focuses on the suffering of the poor. Scrooge meets the wretched and miserable children with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who introduces them: “This boy is Ignorance”, “this girl is Want”. Scrooge’s reaction is revealing, he “tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude” . Scrooge believes that the children represent greed, which is why he “choked”. He cannot support them, so “Scrooge could say no more”. Dickens, through the Ghost, wants to show Scrooge that the children are totally self-interested and obsessed with money, and so are just like him.

This reminds him of how he angrily refused to allow Bob Cratchit even one more lump of coal in Stave 1. We also remember his refusal to donate to the charity men, asking “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” This reveals injustice and greed in society . Instead, Scrooge had counted his wealth, coin by coin. This revealed the consequences of his refusal, where he stubbornly holds on to his wealth so that the poor continue to suffer.

In this extract Scrooge asks if the poor can be helped, “have they no refuge or resource?”. Consequently , the spirit mocks him by using Scrooge’s own words to ask “are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Scrooge therefore regrets his sinful thoughts and actions.

Dickens also uses the “wolfish” children to represent Scrooge’s actions. Calling them “Ignorance” and “Want” shows Scrooge how his actions appear to others, as full of greed and misery. This causes Scrooge to regret his damaging behaviour.

The suffering of the poor is also presented elsewhere in the novel. In Stave 1, Scrooge walks his neighbourhood full of the poor and vulnerable who are happily celebrating Christmas. However , he rushes by angrily, ignoring their attempts at friendly conversation. Next, he denies his poor, loyal employee, Bob Cratchit, a day off for Christmas. Moreover, although he is wealthy, he pays Bob very little. This reveals his coldness and causes Bob’s life to be less full of happiness.

In addition, his nephew Fred interrupts Scrooge counting his money. He joyfully wishes Scrooge “Merry Christmas”, and invites his uncle to join him for a family Christmas. Despite Scrooge’s arrogant refusal, Fred keeps trying, asking “are you sure?” Scrooge reply is a harsh “Bah! Humbug!”, shouted as loudly as a storm. Then he repeats this. Although Fred responds fearfully with “I’m sure you don’t mean that”, Scrooge forces him to leave. Scrooge now realises that his anger and negativity have been damaging.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a mysterious figure , a “silent shape” who has a black hand “painted on its head”. It makes Scrooge obey and follow it into a future filled with death. He discovers Tiny Tim will die from illness and sees the Cratchits crying mourning tears for him. In CONTRAST, no one grieves at Scrooge’s graveside. His lack of pity for the poor mean they return his lack of empathy and steal his clothes from his abandoned corpse.

The dominant THEMES of the novel are family and desire for power.

Original 612 words

Thesis Statement No Explanations 20 Quotes 15 1-3 word quotes 6 NAMED METHODS 2 Society/era/patriarchal/Victorian/contemporary/ Malthusian/ Poor Laws etc 1 Dickens 2 Exploratory Could*, Might*, May*, Perhaps*, Probably* 0 Conclusion No Paragraphs 8 Words per paragraph 77

My Comments

This student is earning marks through sheer effort.

The interpretation of ‘choked’ is hilarious. It is based on the student thinking that ‘want’ means greed, rather than poverty. So, the interpretation is completely and utterly wrong.

The examiner is generous about this – they don’t just ignore it, they pretend that it is actually a plausible interpretation because of the later interpretation of Ignorance and Want in paragraph 4. The idea that they are symbols of Scrooge’s own ignorance and desires is plausible – even though I think it is totally wrong – we still have to give it credit.

This shows you the advantage of linking symbolism to Dickens’ purpose.

Another skill the student has is to immediately jump from the extract to several other parts of the novel. They link these together well, which definitely shows a clear understanding.

You should also look at how the word ‘society’ forces the student to write about Dickens’ purpose, and this forces the examiner to give it good marks.

However, we get the sense that this student has no idea that this is what is earning the marks – the rest of the essay is just quote analysis and retelling the plot. There is no sense that Scrooge or any of the other characters are constructs, there to illustrate Dickens’ ideas.

So, this student has got the grade through sheer effort – writing loads, referring to different parts of the novel, one analysis of symbol, and one of society and Dickens’ social message.

Everyone can do that. Everyone should therefore be able to get at least grade 6.

Examiner Comments

The first 4 paragraphs show a clear grasp of Dickens’ ideas.

The student uses a range of references from the extract.

They relate all of these to Dickens’ purpose and ideas.

The answer focuses on a clear understanding of Dickens’ purpose in creating the children Ignorance and Want.

The answer deals with several moments from the novel, so it is a clear and purposeful response to the full task.

To improve, the student should avoid simply retelling the story or plot.

Instead, they should link everything to Dickens’ ideas and purpose.

Mr Salles Teaches English is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts which help you get top grades, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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This is what Tilf.io said:

The extract focuses on the suffering of the poor. Scrooge meets the wretched and miserable children with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who introduces them: “This boy is Ignorance”, “this girl is Want”. Scrooge’s reaction is revealing, he “tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude”. Scrooge believes that the children represent greed, which is why he “choked”. He cannot support them, so “Scrooge could say no more”. Dickens, through the Ghost, wants to show Scrooge that the children are totally self-interested and obsessed with money, and so are just like him.

(This paragraph shows some understanding of the text, but there is a misinterpretation. The children 'Ignorance' and 'Want' are not meant to represent greed or self-interest; they symbolize the consequences of society's neglect of the poor. It's important to accurately reflect the symbolism Dickens uses to convey his attitudes towards the poor.)

This reminds him of how he angrily refused to allow Bob Cratchit even one more lump of coal in Stave 1. We also remember his refusal to donate to the charity men, asking “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” This reveals injustice and greed in society. Instead, Scrooge had counted his wealth, coin by coin. This revealed the consequences of his refusal, where he stubbornly holds on to his wealth so that the poor continue to suffer.

(You've made a good connection between Scrooge's actions and the broader societal attitudes towards the poor.

However, try to delve deeper into how Dickens uses these instances to critique the lack of compassion in society and the harsh realities of poverty.)

In this extract Scrooge asks if the poor can be helped, “have they no refuge or resource?”. Consequently, the spirit mocks him by using Scrooge’s own words to ask “are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Scrooge therefore regrets his sinful thoughts and actions.

(You've correctly identified the irony in the Ghost's response to Scrooge's question.

To strengthen your analysis, consider discussing how Dickens uses this moment to highlight the inadequacy of societal institutions like prisons and workhouses in addressing the needs of the poor.)

(Again, there is a misunderstanding here. The 'wolfish' children are not a representation of Scrooge's actions but rather the dire consequences of societal neglect and the potential future if ignorance and want are not addressed. It's crucial to interpret these characters in the context of Dickens's social commentary.)

The suffering of the poor is also presented elsewhere in the novel. In Stave 1, Scrooge walks his neighbourhood full of the poor and vulnerable who are happily celebrating Christmas. However, he rushes by angrily, ignoring their attempts at friendly conversation. Next, he denies his poor, loyal employee, Bob Cratchit, a day off for Christmas. Moreover, although he is wealthy, he pays Bob very little. This reveals his coldness and causes Bob’s life to be less full of happiness.

(This paragraph effectively highlights Scrooge's indifference to the poor and his employee's plight.

To enhance your response, consider how Dickens uses these examples to criticize the lack of empathy and the social divide between the wealthy and the poor.)

(You've captured the contrast between Fred's warmth and Scrooge's coldness well.

To link this back to the question, discuss how Dickens uses the character of Fred to represent a more compassionate and inclusive attitude towards others, which is the antithesis of Scrooge's initial views.)

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a mysterious figure, a “silent shape” who has a black hand “painted on its head”. It makes Scrooge obey and follow it into a future filled with death. He discovers Tiny Tim will die from illness and sees the Cratchits crying mourning tears for him. In CONTRAST, no one grieves at Scrooge’s graveside. His lack of pity for the poor mean they return his lack of empathy and steal his clothes from his abandoned corpse.

(This paragraph effectively contrasts the different reactions to death in the novel.

To further address the question, consider how Dickens uses these contrasting reactions to critique the social isolation that comes from a lack of compassion and charity towards the less fortunate.)

The dominant THEMES of the novel are family and desire for power.

(While family and the desire for power are indeed themes in the novel, for the purpose of this question, it's important to focus on how Dickens conveys attitudes to the poor.

Discuss how these themes relate to the treatment of the poor and the social responsibility of the wealthy.)

Overall feedback: Your response shows some understanding of the novel and its portrayal of the poor. However, there are several misinterpretations of key symbols and characters that need to be addressed. Ensure that your analysis aligns with Dickens's intentions and the social commentary he is making about the poor. Focus on how he uses characters and events to convey his attitudes towards poverty and societal responsibility.

What went well: You have identified key moments in the novel that relate to the suffering of the poor and have made some connections between Scrooge's actions and broader societal attitudes.

Even better if: To improve, ensure that your interpretations of the text are accurate and reflect the author's intended symbolism. Expand on how Dickens uses these instances to critique societal attitudes and the treatment of the poor. Additionally, make sure to consistently link your analysis back to the question, focusing on how Dickens conveys attitudes to the poor through the narrative and character interactions.

If you found Tilf.io helpful, why not try it for free. Get your exam practice essays marked.

This is from my Ultimate Guide to A Christmas Carol

How Does Dickens Want Us to Think About the Poor?

Although Dickens writes the novel as an entertainment, he wants the story of Scrooge’s moral awakening to “haunt” the reader, and so lead to a change in how his readers think about the poor.

Dickens shows his opposition to The Poor Laws, which created “workhouses” , by making Scrooge support them : “Are they still in operation?” . Scrooge also supports the criminalisation of the poor, “Are there no prisons?” and believes these are necessary to “decrease the surplus population” . Then Dickens creates Tiny Tim to show us what “the surplus population” looks like, and he uses Tiny Tim’s impending death to transform Scrooge’s view.

Scrooge’s words refer to Thomas Malthus’s economic theory and the cruelty of social policy. Because only male property holders could vote, Dickens targets his book at them, pricing it at an expensive five shillings, a third of the “fifteen shillings” a worker like Bob Cratchit earns. Dickens invites these readers, who would employ domestic servants, into the warmth of the Cratchits’ family Christmas, so that they too can understand the social effects of low wages.

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