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Year 11 - English

'A Christmas Carol': Dickens' depictions of Victorian values

'A Christmas Carol': a critique of Victorian values

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils explore how Dickens presents 'A Christmas Carol' as a critique of dominant Victorian values. They first look at how he presents Victorian London, before looking at how he depicts poverty, suffering, wealth and status. They then look at what Dickens is critiquing in the novella.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to analyse how Dickens' depiction of Scrooge in Stave 1 and 5 critiques common Victorian values.

Key Notes

  • Many Victorians embodied the personal values of individualism, self-reliance and a 'Protestant' work ethic.
  • Scrooge embodies these values in Stave 1; he is depicted as "tight-fisted", refusing to help Bob or donate to charity.
  • Dickens critiques these values when he describes Scrooge as a "sinner", suggesting ruthless frugality is immoral.
  • In Stave 5, Scrooge embodies the opposite values: compassion, generosity, humility and integrity.
  • Dickens uses parallels between Stave 1 and 5 to emphasise the scale of Scrooge's redemption.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • frugal: careful and economical with resources, avoiding waste or unnecessary expenditure
  • Protestant: a branch of Christianity which focused on frugality, hard work, discipline, and personal responsibility
  • personal values: fundamental beliefs guiding an individual's behaviour, decisions, and interactions with others
  • utilitarian: belief that actions are right if they benefit the majority and maximise overall happiness
  • critique: a detailed evaluation or analysis, often focusing on weaknesses

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Wealthy Victorians did feel bad about those living in poverty but had no power to do anything about it.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Many Victorians embodied the personal values of individualism, self-reliance and a 'Protestant' work ethic. Scrooge embodies these values in Stave 1; he is depicted as "tight-fisted", refusing to help Bob or donate to charity.

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

careful and economical with resources, avoiding waste or unnecessary expenditure.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Wealthy Victorians did feel bad about those living in poverty but had no power to do anything about it. Correction: Many wealthy Victorians felt little sympathy for the poor, believing instead that people in poverty were lazy or morally inferior.

More Lessons In This Unit

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