'A Christmas Carol' Stave 3: Ignorance and Want
I can explain the significance of the characters Ignorance and Want and how Dickens uses them to convey his message of social responsibility.
'A Christmas Carol' Stave 3: Ignorance and Want
I can explain the significance of the characters Ignorance and Want and how Dickens uses them to convey his message of social responsibility.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Dickens believed that the key to a moral and upstanding society, was a carefree and innocent childhood
- The children in the novella either depend on themselves or are depended on by others and therefore are not carefree
- Ignorance and Want represent society - they have been shaped and moulded by the cruelty and injustice of inequality
- Dickens describes Ignorance and Want as animalistic and feral to reflect the neglect and cruelty they have faced
- Dickens uses these two characters to highlight our moral necessity to protect children from misery and ‘Want’
Common misconception
Students tend to struggle to understand how Scrooge has metaphorically fathered Ignorance and Want.
By being ignorant, Scrooge has neglected his social responsibility and nurtured inequality and injustice - the two children represent this.
Keywords
Moral - Being a moral person means you understand the difference between right and wrong and do the right thing.
Dependent - If someone is dependent upon someone else, it means that they rely upon them.
To corrupt - If something has the power to corrupt someone, it has the ability to make them behave in a dishonest and immoral way.
To neglect - If someone is being neglected, their basic needs (like love, shelter and sustenance) are not being met.
Hypocrisy - Hypocrisy means claiming to have higher standard of behaviour or morals than you actually have.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
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).
Video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
"He's a comical old fellow."
"If he be like to die, he had better do it."
“God bless us every one!”
"My dear... the children! Christmas Day.”
“Have they no refuge or resource?”
Exit quiz
6 Questions
Makes them appear ill (sick with mankind’s disease).
Reminiscent of Scrooge’s lifestyle and miserliness.
Shows they are uncared for and neglected (by mankind).
Angry, hateful & resentful (this is how they will grow up).
Described as animalistic to show lack of humanity.