Mr Bruff’s Guide to ‘A Christmas Carol’

The complete original text, alongside detailed analysis which includes:
The Author: Charles Dickens
How are Dickens’s beliefs reflected in “A Christmas Carol”?
Is “A Christmas Carol” still relevant today?
Structure: Understanding the title & What is a novella?
What is a stave? & The structure of the story
What is an allegory?
Context – A Victorian Christmas & Poverty in Victorian Britain
A summary of the story
Check your understanding – a quick quiz
Analysis of the Characters – Ebenezer Scrooge
Analysis of the Characters – Fred Scrooge
Check your understanding – compare Scrooge and Fred
Analysis of the Characters – The Cratchit Family
Analysis of the Characters – Fan, Fezziwig, Ignorance and Want
Analysis of the Characters – Belle, Jacob Marley
Analysis of the Characters – The Three Spirits
Check your understanding – compare the three spirits
Key themes and techniques
Check your understanding – Dickens’s use of description
Writing about the novella
Sample essay – Explore the transformation of Ebeneezer Scrooge
Sample essay- Discuss the ways in which Dickens presents wealth and poverty in “A Christmas Carol”
Check your Understanding – some answers!