New
New
Year 11
AQA

'A Christmas Carol': Scrooge's fireplace and Dickens' use of allusion

I can understand the allusions Dickens makes in his description of Scrooge’s fireplace.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

'A Christmas Carol': Scrooge's fireplace and Dickens' use of allusion

I can understand the allusions Dickens makes in his description of Scrooge’s fireplace.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Dickens describes Scrooge’s fireplace as very ornate and decorative by comparison to the rest of his lodgings.
  2. Dickens uses the fireplace to allude to various stories from the Scriptures, such as the Queen of Sheba and Belshazzar.
  3. Dickens draws parallels between Marley’s Ghost and the Pharaoh's daughter because they both save a soul.
  4. Dickens highlights Marley’s sins by comparing him to Cain in the Bible.
  5. Dickens uses allusion to draw comparisons between Belshazzar and Scrooge, both of whom worship false idols.

Common misconception

Pupils do not recognise the significance of Dickens' description of Scrooge's fireplace.

The description contains a multitude of allusions that enhance our understanding of the characters Marley's Ghost and Scrooge.

Keywords

  • Allusion - an indirect reference to something else.

  • To depict - to show or present something in a certain way.

  • Ornate - highly decorated.

  • Draw parallels - to make connections with something else.

  • Endeavour - to try hard.

You may want to print pupils stories from the Scriptures and get them to read them independently before discussing them. This will further enhance their understanding of the allusions and will allow them to form their own ideas.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

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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6 Questions

Q1.
How are Scrooge's lodgings described in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
Correct answer: bare and plain
ornate and decorative
valuable and beautiful
bright and colourful
Q2.
Which parable does Dickens allude to through Marley's Ghost's regret in 'A Christmas Carol'?
The Good Samaritan
Correct answer: Lazarus and the Rich Man
The Lioness and her Cubs
The Almond Tree
The Eagles and the Vine
Q3.
What role does Marley's Ghost play in the novella 'A Christmas Carol'?
Dickens' moral compass
Correct answer: Scrooge's redeemer
An example of how to live your life
Correct answer: A harbinger of hope
Scrooge's enemy
Q4.
What does 'to draw parallels between' mean?
Correct answer: to make connections to
to be exactly the same as
to contrast with
two characters whose lives run alongside one another
Q5.
Complete the quotation from Stave 2 of 'A Christmas Carol': "Another has displaced me.... a golden one."
Correct Answer: Idol, idol, Idol., idol., 'idol'
Q6.
A is a short, simple story with a moral lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.
Correct Answer: Parable, Parable., parable., parable., 'parable'

6 Questions

Q1.
What is an allusion?
a short story containing a moral lesson
Correct answer: a reference a writer makes to another story
the main character in a novella
a simple story with a moral lesson as told by Jesus in the Gospels
a group of words which all start with the same letter
Q2.
How is Scrooge's fireplace described in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
small and meagre
Correct answer: ornate and decorative
expensive and valuable
huge and ugly
plain and dull
Q3.
What is ironic about Scrooge being surrounded by depictions of the Scriptures on his fireplace in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
It suggests he wholeheartedly abides by the teachings of the Scriptures.
It reflects the way in which he has surrounded himself with people.
Correct answer: It suggests he has neglected faith and morality in favour of avarice and greed.
It suggests he has isolated himself from humanity, but not from art.
Q4.
Who was Cain in the Bible?
Correct answer: Abel's brother and murderer who was exiled by God
the father of Abel, who punished his son for murder
God's appointed deputy on Earth
the first-born son of Abel - Adam's son
the brother of Eve from the Genesis story
Q5.
In what way are Marley's Ghost in 'A Christmas Carol' and Cain similar?
Correct answer: They are both doomed to wander the Earth as punishment for their sins.
They are both the sons of important figures.
They both help to save someone else's soul.
Correct answer: They are both sinful.
They both carry heavy chains and cashboxes around with them.
Q6.
Which characters from the Scriptures does Dickens compare to Scrooge through his use of allusion in Stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
Abel
Correct answer: Solomon
Correct answer: Belshazzar
The Queen of Sheba
The Pharoah's daughter