'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ depictions of poverty and suffering
I can explore how Dickens uses the Cratchit family to humanise the poor and encourage his readers to show compassion towards them.
'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ depictions of poverty and suffering
I can explore how Dickens uses the Cratchit family to humanise the poor and encourage his readers to show compassion towards them.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Dickens' detailed descriptions of the Cratchits and their belongings emphasise how they are living in abject poverty.
- He conveys the message 'money doesn't buy happiness' by showing how they value family time over material possessions.
- Dickens encourages his wealthy readers to show compassion by using the Cratchits to humanise poor people.
- Poor Victorians lived in cramped conditions and endured awful working conditions to avoid debtors prisons or workhouses.
- There was a lot of social stigma around poverty; many believed poor Victorians were lazy, stupid or morally inferior.
Keywords
Abject poverty - extreme poverty where basic needs like food and shelter are not met
Dialogue - a conversation between two or more characters in a story
Stigma - a negative mark of shame or disgrace attached to a person or group by others' judgements of them
Utilitarian - a belief focused on practical and functional purposes, valuing usefulness over beauty or comfort
Workhouse - institutions where poor people worked in exchange for food and shelter, often in harsh conditions
Common misconception
People who work hard enough can escape poverty.
This was a common belief in Victorian times when people in poverty faced much social stigma. Unfortunately, poverty was not easy to escape; many poor people were uneducated, had no access to healthcare and lived in cramped conditions.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ depictions of poverty and suffering, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ depictions of poverty and suffering, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the ‘A Christmas Carol’: a critique of Victorian values unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to the extract from Stave 3 of 'A Christmas Carol' depicting the Cratchits' Christmas celebrations. You can find a copy of this in the additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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