'A Christmas Carol': a Victorian ghost story
I can explain why Dickens used the ‘ghost story’ genre to underpin his didactic message.
'A Christmas Carol': a Victorian ghost story
I can explain why Dickens used the ‘ghost story’ genre to underpin his didactic message.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Dickens was influential in establishing the ghost story as a popular genre in the Victorian period.
- Dickens capitalised on the popularity of this genre to spread his social message: he wanted this to be a best seller.
- Unlike the ghosts of early Gothic fiction, Dickens made the supernatural a natural extension of the real world.
- Dickens uses the ghosts as a literary device that enables him to explore moral and social issues.
- The apparitions structure the narrative and move it towards Stave 5, where we see Scrooge’s impressive transformation.
Common misconception
Students often don't realise that Dickens' deliberately capitalised on a popular genre.
Dickens wanted the novella to become a bestseller, as this would give his message the best chance of reaching as many people as possible.
Keywords
Genre - A style or category of literature.
Supernatural - A phenomenon that cannot be explained by science or constrained within the laws of nature.
Victorian respectability - The Victorian belief that people should act, dress and behave in a certain, socially-acceptable way.
Deviant - Anything deviant goes against the accepted norm or standard of behaviour.
Conservative - Conservative means very traditional and established - resistant to change.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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