GCSE AQA grade 9 detailed theme notes for a Christmas carol.
Includes: family, isolation, capitalism, materialism + wealth, morality, poverty + social injustice, regret, religion + Christmas, redemption + change, the supernatural.
These notes will cover any theme that could possibly crop up in yo...
A Christmas carol themes
Family:
o The exploration of family as a theme within the novella closely ties in with Dickens’ greater agenda to popularise
an emotional element to Christmas, hence, he emphasises the importance of family during the festive time
o This is contextually significant as Queen Victoria and Albert was idealised and perceived to be model
o He emphasised ideas surrounding family by exploring them in detail, highlighting the positive effects that family
can have while also explaining the consequences which could arise due to the absence of family
o He builds on this by presenting the theme of family as one which embodies joy, strength and affection, this is an
interesting presentation as it could be argued that Scrooge begins the novella as the complete antithesis to these
ideas
o This introduces the idea that the absence of family may be one of the key factors which contributed to Scrooge’s
initially abhorrent characterisation
Positive effects of family:
Fred:
o Generates a positive atmosphere, prior to his arrival Dickens focuses on cold, gloomy imagery, however, he
‘heated himself’ and looked to be in ‘a glow’, introducing warmth to the stave
o This is significant as Dickens previously asserted that even ‘external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge’
which suggests that Fred’s virtue is stronger than the forces of nature, spotlighting the power and value of family
o It is interesting to note that Dickens emphasises that Scrooge isolates himself from family, linking to hid downfall,
as highlighted by the ghost of Christmas past who takes him to Fred’s party
o There, he acknowledges that if he had experienced a loving family ‘years ago’ then he might have ‘cultivated the
kindness of life’ – presenting that a supportive family is instrumental in the development of a person and so the
concept of family should be seen as paramount in society
Bob Cratchit:
o Large families like the Cratchits were prevalent, so Dickens constructs them to be a relatable presentation of the
lower class
o He idealises their family by focussing on their unity, happiness and strength despite financial struggles, conveying
the idea that poverty is no barrier to happiness
o This is highlighted through his description of the household on Christmas day as even the ‘potatoes ‘knocked
loudly… to be let out’, emphasising their joy and excitement
o The unity is essential in Tiny Tim’s death, where the reader witnesses the family come together for a loving
funeral, starkly contrasting Scrooge’s ‘unwatched, unwept, uncared for’ body – the alliteration emphasises his
loneliness, highlighting to the reader family is more important than money
Minor characters:
o Dickens emphasises the value of family through even the most minor characters, implying family is so essential
that it should be interwoven into everyone’s life
o Dickens makes this apparent by including subtle comments regarding the importance of family
o When he writes that ‘all the children of the house were running out into the snow to meet their married sisters,
brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts’ – the extensive listing serves to further Scrooge’s isolation as it presents the
abundance of family as invaluable
The negative effects of an absent family:
o Fanny | when Fanny comes to take scrooge home from boarding school she informs him that their father is now
a ‘kinder’ man and their home feels ‘like heaven’, this is a powerful simile as it highlights the great power family
can have, emphasising the importance. Therefore, when Scrooge glances ‘anxiously at the door’ and ‘mournfully’
, shakes his head makes the reader aware of his great sorrow over her death, her absence evidently has a
profound effect on his character, spotlighting the fact that after he is reminded of her kindness he is ‘uneasy’
and begins to reflect on his relationship with Fred.
o Belle | when Scrooge is taken to see Belle, she reveals that she has been replaced by a ‘golden’ idol, this is in
reference to Scrooge’s passion and pursuit of money. Dickens presents the idea that Scrooge’s inclination
towards money over relationships has damaged his opportunity to kindle love and start a family. The magnitude
of his loss is foregrounded when he sees Belle with her children, prompting him to question what it would have
been like to have children who ‘called him father’, this pitiful sentiment highlights the regret that Scrooge feels,
implying that he has come to the realisation that family is more important than money
Isolation:
o Scrooge is an outsider, and is victim to his own, self-inflicted loneliness, as he ostracises himself from society
Scrooge’s isolation:
o Scrooge is described as ‘secret and self-contained and solitary as an oyster’, the sibilance is similar to that of
snake suggesting something sinister, this is a biblical allusion as it alludes to the snake which tempted Adam and
Eve
o Dicken may be trying to say isolation is deadly, the phrase also creates a semantic field of isolation, through this
instantly the reader understands the kind of person Scrooge is
o There is polysyndetic listing which is used to make the adjectives more powerful with each adjective the reader is
given a deeper understanding of scrooge
o Scrooge’s isolation is shown through social interactions as people in the Victorian times were very cordial with
each other, greeting people was part of culture, but ‘nobody every stopped him in the street to say… my dear
Scrooge, how are you?’
o Scrooge purposefully isolated himself from society and this same behaviour is mirrored through the people
around him, the fact that people no longer greet him shows the extent to which he isolated himself
o However, Fred never gives up on him as he is persistent: In Scrooge’s change he becomes a social butterfly as he
attends Fred’s dinner party saying ‘It’s I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to diner. Will you let me in, Fred?’ – the
question holds a lot of tension as it contains all the insults Scrooge gave to Fred and the lifetime of exclusion
o Dickens illustrates that it is never too late to come back and that no one has to isolate themselves, this is apart of
his socialist ideology which is based on inclusion and equality
Isolation as a gateway:
o Dickens show us how a misanthropic person like Scrooge is made, as Scrooge witnesses ‘a solitary child,
neglected by his friends, is left there still’, this clearly had a big impact on him as he ‘sobbed’ and ‘wept to see his
poor forgotten self as he used to be’
o The emotive language gives the reader a change to see Scrooge in a vulnerable state and see the major impact
hat loneliness had on him, while at the start he is painted as unfeeling saying that ‘external heat and cold had
little influence on him’, this is the first instance which shows Scrooge does have feelings, foreshadowing more
changes
o Later on in life, his isolation is caused by greed as Belle states an ‘idol’ has displaced her a ‘golden one’, meaning
his need for money became a priority instead of nurturing the relationships he had in life
o Belle says she hopes he is ‘happy in the life you have chosen!’, this is the moment that Scrooge finally chose
money and greed over everything else
Capitalism:
o It can be argued Dickens in trying to show the isolation that capitalism causes, which Dickens was highly critical of
o The focal point of Scrooge’s life was money and greed and it is what motivated him and why he was never
satisfied
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