GCSE AQA Eng Lit Essay

This extract is from Stave One, when Fred visits Scrooge.

"A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew,
who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.

"Bah!" said Scrooge, "Humbug!"

He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge's, that he was all in
a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.

"Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure."

"I do," said Scrooge. "Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be
merry? You're poor enough."

"Come, then," returned the nephew gaily. "What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be
morose? You're rich enough."

Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said "Bah!" again; and followed it up with
"Humbug."

"Don't be cross, uncle!" said the nephew.

"What else can I be," returned the uncle, "when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out
upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for
finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in
'em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will," said Scrooge
indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own
pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!"

"Uncle!" pleaded the nephew.

"Nephew!" returned the uncle, sternly, "keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."

"Keep it!" repeated Scrooge's nephew. "But you don't keep it."

"Let me leave it alone, then," said Scrooge. "Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!"

"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,"
returned the nephew. "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time,
when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging
to it can be apart from that -- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know
of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts
freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

Starting with this extract, how does Dickens present the theme of charity and
Christmas Spirit?

Write about:
how Dickens presents the theme of charity and Christmas spirit in this extract
how Dickens presents the theme of charity and Christmas spirit in the novel as a
whole.
[30 marks]
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Dickens presents the theme of charity and a christmas spirit in ‘A Christmas Carol’ through Scrooges’ transformation from a miserly, greedy and heartless capitalist man to one that promises to cherish christmas forever.

Firstly, the theme of charity and christmas spirit is conveyed in the conversation between Fred and his stubborn uncles, Scrooge. When Fred attempts to spread some christmas spirit by wishing his uncle ‘A merry christmas’, scrooge replies with ‘humbug’ do express hsi dislike towards the festive season. He believes that Christmas is ‘a time for paying bills without money’ For him, Christmas is a waste of money and instead during that time you could earn more and more money, although he is already rich. Fred, his nephew, who isn’t wealthy, represents the working class, who value the Christmas spirit and happiness over Scrooge. When Scrooge is taken by the ghost of Christmas past, we learn that his finance, Belle, had left him because ‘another idol’ had replaced her - money. Scrooge’s ambition for money drove him crazy and away from people and his family. Then he learns that Belle is now married and has children, making him feel emotion for the first time. He is disheartened that he could have been married and have children, but his greed overpowered his life. The author conveys a message, that money doesn't bring happiness, whereas fred, an unwealthy citizen, is happy and cheerful.

In stave 1, Marley's ghost visits Scrooge.Seeing the ‘phantom taking of his bandage’ he realises he is real because in the victorian era the friends or family of a dead person would tie their head to stop its jaw from opening. This was most likely to have been Scrooge. Marley is described to be covered in ‘cash boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, and heavy purses’ He now has to suffer, wearing the business items that lead to his greed when he was alive, carrying his sins around. He warns Scrooge that he should not be greedy and should be more charitable and kind. He reinforces that wealth becomes a burden unless it is used to help others and make them happy. Especially, knowing that Marley’s ghost is very real, this leaves a lasting impact on Scrooge, but also hints to the wealthy audience that change needs to happen

Another way that the theme of charity and christmas spirit is shown in the novel is scrooge's harsh reaction to the charity collectors who came to his front door. He instantly replies with ‘are the no prisons?’ emphasising that he will not donate and is careless towards the poor. He reveals his malthusian belief that by helping the poor they will depend on the rich and with the growing population, there will not be enough food for everyone, unless the poor population decreases. Many upper class and wealthy people during this time believed in this theory however the author Dickens, was a socialist who believed the gap between the poor and the rich can be bridged if the rich help the poor instead of being greedy. After visiting the Cratchits Christmas dinner, with the ghost of christmas present, learns that many people work long hours to just be able to provide food for his family, something that Scrooge never experienced. At the end of the play, Scrooge changes his ways and sends a turkey to the poor cratchits. This is purposefully down by the author to show the wealthy audience that they should be more charitable especially during the christmas season.

Also, when the ghost of Christmas past takes Scrooge to see Fezziwigs party, where he invited his employees and everyone they knew, such as they housemaid, baker, and milkmaid. At his party, it didn't matter how much money that one had, but that everyone was together and having a fun cheerful time, during the festive season. Fezziwigs generosity was looked up to by all including Scrooge. He was an example of how an employer should be to Scrooge but also to the wealthy and rich audience in the victorian era. By scrooge reflecting on the way he treats his clerk, Bob Cratchit, in the cold with only one lump of coal, he is disheartened and realises that he should change and wishes to ‘say a word’ to his clerk. Dickens wanted the audience to also rethink their attitudes towards the poor - is it better to be harsh and cold or kind and happy. By this the author illustrates the theme of charity and a christmas spirit.

Overall, Dickens portrays the theme of charity and Christmas spirit by illustrating the journey of Scrooge's transformation, in which he sees his failed engagement, his dead business partners sufferings, and the way people admired his kind employer Fezziwig, to a kind and generous man.


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