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Year 10 - English

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: Meeting Marley's ghost

A Christmas Carol: Scrooge's redemption

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore 'A Christmas Carol'. They start by reading the novella in full, pausing during each stave to analyse key scenes, characters, themes and methods. After reading the novella, pupils chart Scrooge's redemptive journey and craft an essay on the presentation of fear.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain the significance of Marley's ghost.

Key Notes

  • Marley's ghost visits Scrooge and warns him of his impending damnation if he does not change his ways
  • Dickens uses Marley's ghost to convey Christian ideas of penance and remorse
  • The chains and cash boxes that Marley's ghost wears show that he wasted his life in pursuit of solely material gain
  • Marley's ghost verbalises Dickens' message about the importance of being charitable and socially responsible
  • Marley's ghost's visit could be said to be a catalyst in Scrooge's transformation

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Penance: Penance is an action performed by somebody who has sinned to show remorse or regret for their sins.
  • Remorse: Somebody showing remorse would apologise for their actions and try to make amends.
  • Culminate: The culmination of something is the direct result of it.
  • Social responsibility: Somebody who believes in social responsibility invests in their community and supports those in need.
  • Catalyst: A catalyst is the cause of an important change.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students often talk about Marley and Marley's Ghost as if they are the exact same character.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Marley's ghost visits Scrooge and warns him of his impending damnation if he does not change his ways. Dickens uses Marley's ghost to convey Christian ideas of penance and remorse.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Penance'

Penance is an action performed by somebody who has sinned to show remorse or regret for their sins.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students often talk about Marley and Marley's Ghost as if they are the exact same character. Correction: Marley in life held very different beliefs from Marley's ghost; his ghost acts as Scrooge's redeemer and represents something different.

More Lessons In This Unit

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