Supernatural in a Christmas carol essay plan gcse edexcel

6

Hello, this is my supernatural planned essay. Please could someone mark it and give me feedback, Out of 20 and please give me suggestions for improvement. Thank you.

In dickens political diatribe, it captures the zeitgeist of Victorian England and the treatment of the poor in 1843. Set in Victorian England, it highlights the stark contrast between the wealth and poverty whilst subtly criticising the lack of compassion in society. Scrooges transformation has occurred due to the presence of supernatural.

Through the allegorical novella, Marleys ghost is presented as a powerful symbol and pivotal plot device delivering a critical message to Scrooge and the parsimonious audience. Marley is presented to be regretful for embracing wealth as he states “I wear the chains,I forged in life” which connotes the chain as a warning to Scrooge of his predicament in the afterlife. It emphasises the heavy burden of guilt which follows and showcasing to Scrooge of his action to be accompanying him. The stain of ignorance is eternal- a facade of bravery crumbles as it festers with conscience. The chains are describe to be “long and wound about him like a tail”. Through the use of animalistic imagery of “tail” it insinuates marleys egoism has lead to animalistic treatment. The semantic field of wound encapsulates the idea of entrapment both physically and metaphorically. Each link can be represented as each moment Marley has chosen materialistic wealth over human connection.

As the parabolic novella progresses, the ghost of Christmas present is personified to represent Christmas. His”sparkling eyes, open hand… and cheery voice showcases him as both endearing and approachable. The adjectival phrases connote precious items and upholds monetary value which implies that the GOCPs advice will have great value creating stark irony. Furthermore reinforcing his cheerful and welcoming nature contrasting with miserly Scrooge. The connotations “open” symbolises generosity and the willingness to share elucidating as a microcosm of the lower class. His cheerful voice is a key part of his characterisation being the antithesis of the grim reality of scrooges world.

Another supernatural element which catalyses scrooges transformation,ghost of Christmas yet to come, represents the fear of death and the consequences of Scrooges actions in the future. The “phantom” approaches Scrooge as “slowly,gravely,silently”. Through the asyndetic listing, it creates an impression that’s just as the grim reaper is approaching Scrooges fears are approaching which frightens Scrooge and even the audience because it parallels their own coming closer to them. Additionally, it slows down the pace of the stave and creates a solemn tone. This creates a sudden suspense and it also creates a dark theme to lay the foundations. Dickens uses prolapses to exemplify to Scrooge nobody was negatively impacted by his death and must accentuate a change. The motif of “gravely” foreshadows the revelation of Scrooges grave.

Reply 1

nikiiiiiii

7

Hey! I didn't do Edexcel so I don't know what mark this would get, but I can give some suggestions for improvement.
Firstly, I'd say to make sure to re-read your essay at the end, or just re-read the sentences as you write as some of them don't make sense and aren't dramatically correct, which may lose you marks for grammar.
Secondly, be more specific in your analysis. For example in "his predicament in the afterlife" - quite vague. What predicament? You need to make it clear to the examiner that you know what you're talking about. Also, zoom in on words more and really dissect them. I agree that the asyndetic list gives the impression of a grim reaper, but how? What is it about those specific words that makes you think of that?
Another point is that you use some words a bit incorrectly. A semantic field is a group of words all under one theme, so a better way to phrase it would be "the semantic field of entrapment"(with "chains" and "wound"). A microcosm usually refers to a situation/small group/community that is a representation of something in the larger world/society. The way you have worded it makes it seem like the word "open" is a microcosm, but I assume you mean the ghost. I'm not sure I'd call one being a microcosm. And idk if "prolapses" was a typo or if you know a different meaning of it than me - if so please tell me cause I fully don't get what you mean.
Lastly, I would recommend to have a sentence at the end of each paragraph that ties your argument together and clearly links back to the question - this will help you get more marks for structure and show the point of the analysis. For example, a last sentence for your 2nd point could be "Dickens uses the supernatural to present a contrast to Scrooge's bleak view on Christmas as the ghosts begin to convince him to change his perspective."
Hope this helps! Lmk if you want me to elaborate on anaything

Reply 2

Darwizzy99

OP

6

Original post by nikiiiiiii

Hey! I didn't do Edexcel so I don't know what mark this would get, but I can give some suggestions for improvement.
Firstly, I'd say to make sure to re-read your essay at the end, or just re-read the sentences as you write as some of them don't make sense and aren't dramatically correct, which may lose you marks for grammar.
Secondly, be more specific in your analysis. For example in "his predicament in the afterlife" - quite vague. What predicament? You need to make it clear to the examiner that you know what you're talking about. Also, zoom in on words more and really dissect them. I agree that the asyndetic list gives the impression of a grim reaper, but how? What is it about those specific words that makes you think of that?
Another point is that you use some words a bit incorrectly. A semantic field is a group of words all under one theme, so a better way to phrase it would be "the semantic field of entrapment"(with "chains" and "wound"). A microcosm usually refers to a situation/small group/community that is a representation of something in the larger world/society. The way you have worded it makes it seem like the word "open" is a microcosm, but I assume you mean the ghost. I'm not sure I'd call one being a microcosm. And idk if "prolapses" was a typo or if you know a different meaning of it than me - if so please tell me cause I fully don't get what you mean.
Lastly, I would recommend to have a sentence at the end of each paragraph that ties your argument together and clearly links back to the question - this will help you get more marks for structure and show the point of the analysis. For example, a last sentence for your 2nd point could be "Dickens uses the supernatural to present a contrast to Scrooge's bleak view on Christmas as the ghosts begin to convince him to change his perspective."
Hope this helps! Lmk if you want me to elaborate on anaything

Thanks for the advice.
It was a typo- the word was prolepsis
Any suggestions on What I can add to the asyndetic listing analysis

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 3

nikiiiiiii

7

Original post by Darwizzy99

Thanks for the advice.
It was a typo- the word was prolepsis
Any suggestions on What I can add to the asyndetic listing analysis

Perhaps he's "slow" as he knows he doesn't have to hurry, as his approach is inevitable. "Gravely" connotes solemnity signifying his importance, and (as you stated) brings to mind the imagery of graves, linking the phantom to death. "silently" highlights the figures otherworldliness as he is able to move through the world without a sound, and makes him seem eerie and scary - like a predator creeping up on prey unnoticed until it's too late.

ofc this is quite long, but even going into detail on just one of the words would be good to explain why you link them to the grim reaper. + make sure you do this with analysis throughout the essay.

Supernatural in a Christmas carol essay plan gcse edexcel

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