'A Christmas Carol' Stave 4: death in the novella
I can understand the significance of death in the novella.
'A Christmas Carol' Stave 4: death in the novella
I can understand the significance of death in the novella.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Scrooge’s reactions to the first two deaths in the novella are callous - he represses his emotions.
- Over the course of the novella, Scrooge learns the value of individual human life, so is more affected by the deaths.
- Through Tiny Tim’s death, Scrooge recognises that the "surplus population" are, in fact, human beings worthy of life.
- Scrooge recognises the importance of living a fulfilling life and contributing positively to the welfare of others.
- Dickens emphasises that having a positive impact on others doesn’t always require money, it requires compassion/empathy.
Common misconception
Pupils think that Dickens is solely emphasising the value of human life.
Dickens is also emphasising the importance of what we do with our lives - how we use them to enrich other people's human experience.
Keywords
Indifferent - If you are indifferent to something, you are not bothered about it.
Callous - Someone callous is exceptionally harsh and cruel.
To repress - If you repress your emotions, you push them to the back of your mind and try to ignore them.
Welfare - A person’s welfare is their happiness, health and wellbeing.
Social responsibility - Somebody who believes in social responsibility invests in their community and supports those in need.
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).
Video
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