During the festive time of year, it is common to hear classic Christmas songs being sung and to watch classic Christmas movies on TV. It is also common to read classic Christmas stories, and one of the most famous Christmas tales is that of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Dickens’ story has been turned into cartoons, movies and re-worked countless times which proves both how popular it is and also how enduring (enduring means long-lasting) his ideas were.
As we are studying The Victorians in History, and Oliver Twist in Literacy, it is a perfect opportunity to read this classic yuletide story and to think about how it compares to other Charles Dickens stories that we know. Read through the shortened version of the story below and then think about the following questions.
In what ways is A Christmas Carol similar to Oliver Twist?
What can we learn about Charles Dickens as an author based on the two stories you have read?
Is Victorian London a place you would like to live? Why/Why not?
Are there any characters in Oliver Twist that are similar to Ebenezer Scrooge?
What are the main themes in A Christmas Carol?
Who would you recommend this story to (think of a target audience)?
A mean-spirited, miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his counting-house on a frigid Christmas Eve. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, shivers in the anteroom because Scrooge refuses to spend money on heating coals for a fire. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, pays his uncle a visit and invites him to his annual Christmas party. Two portly gentlemen also drop by and ask Scrooge for a contribution to their charity. Scrooge reacts to the holiday visitors with bitterness and venom, spitting out an angry “Bah! Humbug!” in response to his nephew’s “Merry Christmas!”
The Ghost of Christmas Present, a majestic giant clad in a green fur robe, takes Scrooge through London to unveil Christmas as it will happen that year. Scrooge watches the large, bustling Cratchit family prepare a miniature feast in its meager home. He discovers Bob Cratchit’s crippled son, Tiny Tim, a courageous boy whose kindness and humility warms Scrooge’s heart. The specter then zips Scrooge to his nephew’s to witness the Christmas party. Scrooge finds the jovial gathering delightful and pleads with the spirit to stay until the very end of the festivities. As the day passes, the spirit ages, becoming noticeably older. Toward the end of the day, he shows Scrooge two starved children, Ignorance and Want, living under his coat. He vanishes instantly as Scrooge notices a dark, hooded figure coming toward him.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come leads Scrooge through a sequence of mysterious scenes relating to an unnamed man’s recent death. Scrooge sees businessmen discussing the dead man’s riches, some vagabonds trading his personal effects for cash, and a poor couple expressing relief at the death of their unforgiving creditor. Scrooge, anxious to learn the lesson of his latest visitor, begs to know the name of the dead man. After pleading with the ghost, Scrooge finds himself in a churchyard, the spirit pointing to a grave. Scrooge looks at the headstone and is shocked to read his own name. He desperately implores the spirit to alter his fate, promising to renounce his insensitive, avaricious ways and to honor Christmas with all his heart. Whoosh! He suddenly finds himself safely tucked in his bed.
Overwhelmed with joy by the chance to redeem himself and grateful that he has been returned to Christmas Day, Scrooge rushes out onto the street hoping to share his newfound Christmas spirit. He sends a giant Christmas turkey to the Cratchit house and attends Fred’s party, to the stifled surprise of the other guests. As the years go by, he holds true to his promise and honors Christmas with all his heart: he treats Tiny Tim as if he were his own child, provides lavish gifts for the poor, and treats his fellow human beings with kindness, generosity, and warmth.
If you enjoyed this story and would like to read the original version then click here (warning some of the language maybe a little unfamiliar as Dickens uses some words that were common in Victorian times but are not used as widely anymore).
In addition, a play-script of A Christmas Carol is available to download as a word document here christmas_carol_play_script.
I think this book is aimed at the people that enjoy Christmas.
Enbenezer was mean first and then became nice. In most of Charles Dickens’ books there is a bad person who turns into a good person or does something similar. The ghosts made Ebenezer a good person in the end.
It is set in a festive time which is Christmas. Some of the names in the book sounded very strange, like Ebenezer.
I would not like to live in a Victorian street as it describes it as being very dirty in Oliver Twist. The streets and especially the slums are mucky and had mire all over them. In the country the streets were probably much cleaner and that is where the rich people lived.
A Christmas Carol is a story of an old man that redeems himself. It is similar to Oliver as it is about a man that redeems himself for a better life.
Dickens is thoughtful author as he thinks about the poor.
I would love to live in Victorian London, it saw great improvements in the 64 year rule of Q.V.
I think that Mr.Brownlow is similar to Scrooge. He improved his and Oliver’s life.
The main themes are that Ebenezer is a grumpy old man that improves his thoughts of Christmas because of the Ghosts.
I would recommend this book to KS2 children+ as the language is complicated in the original version.
Question number six:
Who would you recommend this story to (think of a target audience)?
Answer:I would recommend this festive story to anybody who is looking for a story to read that is challenging and is relevant to the time of year. I also think that historians could and would like this book because it tells you what people were like in those days and how much people believed in God until Charles Darwin came up with the theory of evolution.
By Ruby
This is a lovely way to remind people that at Christmas it is all about giving and sharing. I like this story because at Christmas some people just think about themselves when it is just not all about them all the time. This is a wonderful time to think about people who don’t have the chance to celebrate Christmas or might be homeless or unloved.
That is a lovely, thoughtful comment Bea; I agree with everything you wrote.
I really enjoyed this story it made me feel really christmasy.
I do agree with Lee because it really felt nice and it was xmassy as well.
In the first part of A Christmas Carol it’s really boring but the more into the book you go it gets really interesting. I hope you enjoy the book the same way I enjoyed.
I think when people read A Christmas Carol, they will understand that Christmas is all about giving and that every one should celebrate Christmas. I like this book because it shows that sometimes at Christmas, people just think about themselves getting presents rather than the people suffering and the people that can’t afford presents at this festive time.
This is about a miser who is visited by three phantoms: The Ghost Of Christmas Past; The Ghost of Christmas Present and The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. After these three visions he decides to make a child’s Christmas better and somebody else’s Christmas better by buying them a turkey.
This story should remind people across the world that Christmas isn’t about gifts it is about sharing and making other people’s Christmas better. I love this extract of this story as it reminds people it is not all about you, it is about everybody.
I read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas carol, this now my favourite book by Charles Dickens. I would say that this book is similar to Oliver Twist as they both have grumpy old men and these characters both love money (‘bah humbug’ is Scrooge’s saying). My favourite part was when the 3 ghosts visited Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol is about a greedy, mean man called Scrooge being given a chance to change and become a much nicer, kind-hearted man. Fagin in Oliver Twist is fundamentally a good person but Bill Sikes was in charge. A Christmas Carol is a really moving story that always engages my Mummy in the story and would make anybody think about how they behave in life. There are a lot of children today such as Tiny Tim who need looking after or are in need.
“BAH HUMBUG!”
A Christmas Carol is moral tale about greed and selfishness. Although written in the Victorian times, much can be learnt from it today. Dickens’s story is a warning that the way we behave, directly affects other people. All Ebenezer is interested in is making money and cutting costs. He is mean, selfish and stingy.
It is not until he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future that he is forced to look at himself as he truly is. He is shown how his behaviour has directly effected the people around him and he does not like what he sees. I think it is a tale to remind us what life is really about. Love and goodwill to all. Merry Christmas everybody.
That is a very well-thought through and intelligent comment Theo. Thank you.
He should love chirstmas, it is the most important thing because that is when baby Jesus was born.
Ebenezer Scrooge was a bad spirited man at first but as the three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come visit he learns an important lesson in life and becomes a nicer and happier person. In many of Dickens books there is a moral tale and this one teaches us of how people can change in life and that anyone can make changes for their own good. I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas through this wonderful story.
A Christmas Carol is a really nice book which I would encourage everybody to read.