A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories

Charles Dickens

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

One of eight children, Charles Dickens (1812–1870) had to leave school at age twelve to go to
work. His job was pasting labels on bottles in a factory for ten hours a day, six days a week, and he
hated every minute of it. Less than two weeks after Dickens started this job, his father was put in jail
for failing to pay his debts. His mother and siblings moved into the jail with him because they could
not afford to live anywhere else. Young Charles, living in a boarding house, suffered grief and great
loneliness at this time. He thought his dreams of growing up to be a learned and respected gentlemen
were forever gone and that he would have to work at menial jobs for the rest of his life.
Luckily, though, his father inherited a small amount of money, enough to pay his debts and get out
of jail. Young Charles was soon allowed to go back to school, which he enjoyed for about two and a
half more years. By age fifteen, he was working again, this time as an office boy in a law firm. He
found the law boring and decided to prepare himself for a career as a journalist. He learned shorthand
and worked as a court stenographer until he was old enough to work as a journalist. By the age of
nineteen, he was writing about the most important news events of the day for several news
publications. He also began writing short sketches of London life and people. His first story was
published in December 1833, and from that moment on, he was a fiction writer. He is now best known
for all the unforgettable characters he created.

BACKGROUND
Dickens lived during the Industrial Revolution in England. Child labor laws were nonexistent, and it
was not unusual for children to work long hours to help support their families. Workers were often
exploited, working long hours, sometimes under dangerous conditions. Social programs for the poor
were insufficient. Dickens’s work, taken as a whole, is an indictment of this society. As you read A
Christmas Carol, notice how the poor, especially the children, are mistreated and see what the results
of this mistreatment are.

QUICK GUIDE

As you read A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories, keep the following literary elements
in mind:
• ATMOSPHERE, or mood, is the feeling created in a reader by a literary work or passage. As you read
these stories, reflect on how they make you feel.
• CHARACTERIZATION is the way or ways in which a writer reveals information about a character. In
direct characterization, the writer makes direct statements about a character’s appearance,
personality, and actions. In indirect characterization, a writer suggests information about a
character through what the character says and does, what other characters say about him or her, or
how other characters behave toward him or her. Notice how Dickens develops his characters.
• FANTASY is highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life. Look for
elements of fantasy as you read A Christmas Carol.
• IMAGERY is the use of language that appeals to one or more of the five senses —sight, hearing, taste,
smell, and touch. Notice how Dickens uses imagery.
• The AUTHOR’S MESSAGE includes ideas, information, and attitudes that the writer of a work wants
to convey to his or her audience. Author’s bias refers to the writer’s feelings toward or personal
interest in his or her subject. As you read, evaluate Dickens’s attitude toward his subject.

© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1

 TRADE BOOK LESSON PLAN: A CHRISTMAS CAROL AND OTHER CHRISTMAS STORIES

• A THEME is a central message or insight revealed through a literary work. As you read, think about
the theme Dickens is communicating.

VOCABULARY
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE TWO
1. solitude n. state of being alone
2. ponderous adj. unwieldy because of weight Discussion Questions
3. melancholy adj. sad and depressed; gloomy 1. What imagery appealing to the sense of
4. tumult n. noisy commotion sight does Dickens use to describe the
5. boisterous adj. noisy and lively Ghost of Christmas Past? Give three
6. canisters n. small boxes or cans for coffee, tea, examples.
sugar, etc. 2. Compare and contrast Fezziwig with the
7. adamant adj. not giving in or relenting; man Scrooge becomes in his old age.
unyielding 3. Why does Belle release Scrooge from his
8. affront n. open or intentional insult promise of marriage?
9. pendulous adj. hanging freely or loosely
WRITING ACTIVITY In a paragraph, describe
10. dwindled v. kept on becoming smaller
11. motley adj. having or composed of many
any one of the past Christmases that Scrooge
different or clashing elements
sees on his journey with the Ghost of
12. fraudulent adj. based on or characterized by
Christmas Past.
cheating
13. fatigued adj. exhausted; weary A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE THREE
14. infirm adj. frail; shaky; weak Discussion Questions
15. corroborates v. confirms; offers support of a 1. Describe the atmosphere, or mood, of
statement Christmas at Bob Cratchit’s house.
16. dormant adj. as if asleep; quiet; still 2. Why do you think Mrs. Cratchit did not
17. hilarity n. state or quality of being very merry really want to drink to the health of
18. tranquil adj. calm, peaceful Mr. Scrooge?
19. agility n. ease and quickness of movement
3. Name three places the Ghost of Christmas
20. credible adj. believable; reliable
Present visits with Scrooge, other than the
Cratchits’ house. What do all of these
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE ONE
places have in common?
Discussion Questions
WRITING ACTIVITY In a few sentences, explain
1. Who is Marley? What is his relationship the attitude of Scrooge’s nephew toward his
to Scrooge? uncle.
2. Does Dickens use direct characterization
or indirect characterization to let the A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE FOUR
reader know what kind of person Scrooge’s Discussion Questions
nephew is? Explain your answer.
1. What details does Dickens use to evoke an
3. How does Scrooge feel about poor atmosphere of dread and mystery when
people? Give evidence from the story to Scrooge first sees the Ghost of Christmas
support your answer. Yet to Come?
WRITING ACTIVITY Write a paragraph in
2. Name three scenes that the Ghost of
which you explain why Marley is doomed to Christmas Yet to Come shows to Scrooge.
wander the Earth and what he hopes to
accomplish by visiting Scrooge. 3. What does Scrooge promise the Ghost of
Christmas Yet to Come?
WRITING ACTIVITY In a few sentences, explain
how you know, based on this section, that
Dickens’s story is a fantasy.

© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 2

A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE FIVE
Discussion Questions
1. What errand does Scrooge ask the boy
outside his window to do on Christmas
morning?
2. What does Scrooge do on Christmas Day
that surprises his nephew Fred?
3. What is the theme of this part of the
story?
WRITING ACTIVITY In a paragraph, explain
how you know that Scrooge is a changed man.
A CHRISTMAS TREE
Discussion Questions
1. Which toy most frightened the narrator
when he was a child? What is the
narrator’s explanation for this?
2. Dickens uses imagery in his description
of the Christmas tree. Find at least one
example of imagery that appeals to
each of these senses: sight, hearing, and
smell.
3. How do you know that the vision
of the woman with the rusty keys
is an example of the use of
fantasy?
WRITING ACTIVITY In a sentence, explain why
Dickens tells so many ghost stories within this
story.
A CHRISTMAS DINNER
Discussion Questions
1. How would you describe the atmosphere,
or mood, evoked in the reader by this essay?
2. Would you say that Dickens uses direct or
indirect characterization to describe
Aunt Margaret’s husband? Explain your
answer.
3. Dickens says that nothing in nature is
“more delightful” than the Christmas
family party. What examples does he give
to prove his point? Give three.
WRITING ACTIVITY In a sentence, write what
you think is the most important theme of “A
Christmas Dinner.”
A GOOD-HUMOURED CHRISTMAS
Discussion Questions
1. How would you describe the atmosphere,
or mood, of the wedding described in this
story? Explain your answer.
2. Give an example of indirect characterization
of the old woman at the wedding. What does
this passage tell you about her?
3. What are the most obvious elements of
fantasy in this story?
WRITING ACTIVITY In a few sentences, explain
the theme of the poem “A Christmas Carol.”

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

WRITING Create a diary entry that Scrooge might have written on Christmas night, after his visit to
his nephew’s house. From Scrooge’s point of view, describe the activities of the day and tell how
you feel about them.
PERFORM A SCENE With a partner, perform a scene from A Christmas Carol. One of you can be
Scrooge and the other can be a visitor (Marley or one of the ghosts). Include other actors if you need
them to fill in minor roles.
ANSWERS

A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE ONE

1. In life, Marley was Scrooge’s partner in
the countinghouse. Now, he is a ghost.
2. Indirect—Dickens does not say Fred is
cheerful; instead, he shows by his words
and actions that he is cheerful.
3. Scrooge has no patience or sympathy for
poor people. He thinks they should be cared
for by charitable institutions, which he
supports, and he does not think they deserve
anything special because it is Christmas.
WRITING ACTIVITY Students should mention
that Marley must wander the Earth because he
did not lead a good life. He wants to advise
Scrooge to change his ways.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE TWO
1. Sample answer: long, white hair;
unwrinkled skin; muscular arms;
delicately formed legs and feet; dress
trimmed with flowers; light coming from
crown of his head (any three)
2. Fezziwig is jovial and generous, ready to
laugh and dance; Scrooge is a sour old
tightwad.
3. She realizes that Scrooge is more
interested in accumulating wealth than in
nurturing love and family.
WRITING ACTIVITY Students should describe
any one of these Christmases: when Scrooge
was neglected at the school; when his sister
Fan came to take him home; at old Fezziwig’s;
when Belle breaks their engagement; when
Belle, married and with children, talks about
him.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE THREE
1. The atmosphere is happy and loving,
despite their poverty and Tiny Tim’s
illness.
2. She resents Scrooge for the low pay he
gives to her husband.
3. a miner’s hut; a lighthouse; a ship at sea;
Scrooge’s nephew Fred’s house; beside
sick-beds; on foreign lands, in
almshouses, hospitals, jails (any three).
They are all full of love, joy, and
happiness despite difficulties.
WRITING ACTIVITY He feels sorry for his
uncle because he is missing out on so much
joy by choosing to reject his family.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE FOUR
1. The ghost is dressed in black from head to
toe; its face and body are concealed but
for one outstretched hand.
2. businessmen talking about a dead man;
beggars selling items taken from the dead
man; the body of the dead man; a couple
who are happy the man, their creditor, is
dead; Bob Cratchit’s house with Tiny Tim
dead upstairs; Scrooge’s own gravestone
(any three)
3. He will change, and he will always honor
Christmas in his heart.
WRITING ACTIVITY Students should mention
that travel into the future and the past indicates
that the story is a fantasy. The ghosts are
fantastic elements.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, STAVE FIVE
1. to go buy a Christmas turkey for the
Cratchits
2. He accepts Fred’s invitation to come over
for dinner.
3. Human relationships are more important
than wealth, and money is best used to
help others.
WRITING ACTIVITY Students should note that
Scrooge has started to do good with his money
and he has begun to enjoy other people.
A CHRISTMAS TREE
1. He was afraid of the mask because it made
him think of death—“the universal change
that is to come on every face and make it
still.”
2. Sample answer: lit candles decorating the
tree (sight); bells and music (hearing);
roasted chestnuts (smell)
3. According to the story, she has been dead
for about 200 years.
WRITING ACTIVITY Students should note that
the people in the house are telling ghost stories
around the Christmas fire, and he is just
repeating them.
A CHRISTMAS DINNER
1. an atmosphere of joy, merriment, and love
of family
2. He uses direct characterization. He says he
was “such a nice man, and so attentive to
grandmamma” rather than showing what
he did to deserve the descriptions “nice”
and “attentive.”
3. Sample answer: Grandpapa carries the
turkey home “in triumph.” Grandmamma
cooks sweets for the children. The family
plays blind-man’s buff.
WRITING ACTIVITY Students should mention
the theme that family relationships are
important.
A GOOD-HUMOURED CHRISTMAS 3. The exchange between the goblins and
1. The atmosphere is one of mixed feelings Gabriel Grub is obviously fantasy.
—of pleasure and joy mixed with regret WRITING ACTIVITY The theme is that
and a fear of the unknown. Christmas is the best time of year.
2. She talks about her own wedding, high-
heeled shoes, and Lady Tollimglower,
laughing all the time. This shows that she
is a good-humored woman who is fun to
be around.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

WRITING Students’ diary entries should reflect Scrooge’s joy after having visited his nephew’s home
on Christmas.
PERFORM A SCENE Students’ scenes should follow the corresponding scene from A Christmas Carol.

EDITABLE TEST
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