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Year 11 - English

'A Christmas Carol': a hopeful tale

A Christmas Carol: a Christian parable

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils consider whether Dickens presents 'A Christmas Carol' as a Christian parable. They look at Dickens as a Christian writer, Marley's ghost, Tiny Tim and Dickens' use of allusion. They think about charity in the novella and write an essay about whether the novella is hopeful.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to analyse the extent to which 'A Christmas Carol' is a hopeful tale.

Key Notes

  • 'A Christmas Carol' can be considered a hopeful tale about redemption.
  • The novella teaches us about the importance of social responsibility, empathy, generosity and charity.
  • Dickens outlines the key virtues and values required to create a fairer and more equal society.
  • A detailed essay constantly links back to the writer's methods and intentions.
  • A coherent, conceptualised response follows the same line of argument.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • inspirational: Something that makes you feel encouraged or hopeful.
  • social responsibility: Somebody who believes in social responsibility invests in their community and supports those in need.
  • didactic: Something that is intended to teach a moral lesson is didactic.
  • injustice: A lack of fairness or justice.
  • propaganda: Information or ideas spread in an attempt to influence others.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students often don't realise that they need to carefully consider what the question is asking them.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

'A Christmas Carol' can be considered a hopeful tale about redemption. The novella teaches us about the importance of social responsibility, empathy, generosity and charity.

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

Something that makes you feel encouraged or hopeful.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students often don't realise that they need to carefully consider what the question is asking them. Correction: Before students can plan anything, they need to consider what the question is actually asking them to do. Rephrasing the question can help.

More Lessons In This Unit

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