A Christmas Carol: Children - model answer Flashcards
What historical context should I include in my introduction A Christmas Carol?
The historical context is important to note, published in 1843, this was a period of concern about child welfare in industrialised Victorian Britain, and Dickens’ own experience working in a blacking factory at age 12 is also critical.
How does Dickens use children to show them as victims and agents of change?
Dickens deliberately presents children as suffering innocents who simultaneously possess the moral clarity and emotional impact to inspire change, he uses their vulnerability to criticise Victorian attitudes while employing their innocence as the impetus for redemption
What three key representations of children as victims should I analyse?
There are three key representations of children as victims, the allegorical children Ignorance and Want, the physically vulnerable Tiny Tim, and Scrooge’s own emotionally neglected childhood
What key quotation describes the allegorical children Ignorance and Want?
This quotation describes the allegorical children Ignorance and Want “wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable””
What warning does the Ghost give about Ignorance?
The Ghost gives a warning about ignorance: “Doom is written on his brow, unless the writing be erased””
How does Scrooge respond to seeing Ignorance and Want and why is this significant?
Scrooge responds to seeing Ignorance and Want by asking “Have they no refuge or resource?” echoing his earlier dismissal of charity-seekers, showing how his callousness toward abstract poverty is challenged by its embodiment in children”
What quote shows how Tiny Tim connects to Christian values?
Tim hoped people saw him in church so they would “remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see” This quote connects Tiny Tim to Christian values.
What description of young Scrooge shows his emotional neglect?
This description of Young Scrouge shows his emotional neglect “a solitary child, neglected by his friends””
What is Scrooge’s emotional reaction to seeing his childhood self?
Scrooge’s emotional reaction to seeing his childhood is seen when he feels “a pang of tenderness,” demonstrating how childhood suffering resonates even across decades
What concluding point could I make about the three representations of children as victims?
Dickens critiques Victorian society’s neglect of children across multiple dimensions – spiritual, physical, and emotional – presenting childhood vulnerability as both a moral indictment and a call to action
What three examples of children as agents of change should be analysed?
There are three examples of children as agents of change: Tiny Tim’s moral influence, the Cratchit children’s embodiment of familial joy, and Fan’s transformative love
What famous line from Tiny Tim exemplifies his role as an agent of change?
“God bless us, every one!” is a famous line from Tiny Tim which exemplifies his role as an agent of change
What question from Scrooge shows Tiny Tim’s impact on his transformation?
When Scrouge says “Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live” it shows the impact Tiny Tim has had on his transformation.
How do the Cratchit children demonstrate joy despite poverty?
the Cratchit children demonstrate joy despite poverty through their Christmas celebration where “the two young Cratchits danced about” and the potatoes “knocked loudly” to be served
What quote from Fan shows her role in changing family dynamics?
This quote from Fan shows her role in changing family dynamics “Father is so much kinder than he used to be, Home’s like Heaven!”
What concluding point could I make about children as agents of change?
Dickens presents children not merely as passive recipients of adult actions but as moral exemplars and emotional catalysts capable of inspiring profound transformation
What narrative techniques does Dickens use?
He contrasts different children’s experiences, manipulates perspective to create emotional connection and uses of sensory imagery and syntax to enhance thematic treatment He Dickens contrasts between different children – Scrooge’s lonely past versus Belle’s children, Ignorance and Want versus the Cratchit family
How does Dickens contrast between different children?
Dickens contrasts between different children – Scrooge’s lonely past versus Belle’s children, Ignorance and Want versus the Cratchit family
Why is the structural placement of these contrasts significant?
The placements of these contrasts occur primarily during the Ghost of Christmas Present’s visit, at the centre of the narrative where Scrooge’s transformation accelerates
How does Dickens manipulate perspective through childhood scenes?
Dickens manipulates perspective through childhood scenes through using children as emotional touchpoints for both Scrooge and readers, creating intimacy with suffering by fusing narrator and character perspectives
What example shows Dickens creating pathos without sentimentality?
Dickens creates pathos without sentimentality, in the narrator’s observation that Tiny Tim “bore a little crutch, and had his limbs supported by an iron frame”
How does Dickens use sensory imagery with children?
Dickens use sensory imagery by contrasting the “bright gleaming eyes” of the Cratchit children with Ignorance’s “scowling” countenance
How does Dickens’ syntax reflect his treatment of children?
Dickens’ syntax reflect his treatment of children as he uses shorter, simpler sentences for moments of childhood innocence (“God bless us, every one!”) and more complex constructions for describing their suffering
It is important to consider social commentary and historical context: What Victorian context about children could I include?
It is important to consider social commentary and historical context. The paradoxical treatment of children – sentimentalised in middle-class ideology while exploited in industrial labour and workhouses under the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act
