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Copyright 2019 Online Teaching Resources Ltd
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To explore how Dickens
presents the arrival of Marley’s
Ghost
Copyright 2019 Online Teaching Resources Ltd
www.Teacher-of-English.com
Copyright 2019 Online Teaching Resources Ltd
Exploring ‘A Christmas Carol’
Marley’s Ghost Arrives
Bronze Challenge: Read the statements on the sheet
provided. Which five of them are true? Tick the boxes of
the statements that you believe to be true. Tick only five
statements.
Silver Challenge: Look at the image on the sheet provided.
It was drawn by the novel illustrator Arthur Rackham. What
do you think he was trying to convey about Scrooge in this
drawing?
Gold Challenge. Read the quotation on the sheet provided
and then respond to the questions that follow.
How many of these challenges can you complete in the
allotted time?
What do you remember about Stave One so far?
Bronze Challenge
Read the following ten
statements. Choose five
statements below which are
TRUE. Tick the boxes of the ones
that you think are true. Choose a
maximum of five statements.
o
Scrooge’s business is called
‘Scrooge and Marley’.
o
Scrooge’s dog, Marley, has a
dark eye.
o
Scrooge’s clerk wears a white
great coat.
o
Scrooge’s clerk is very cold
at work because he is only
allowed one coal.
o
According to Scrooge’s
nephew, Scrooge is
miserable.
o
Scrooge’s clerk is called
Fred.
o
In Stave One, Scrooge does
not address his nephew by his
first name.
o
Scrooge’s nephew is a
politician.
o
Scrooge’s nephew married
for money.
o
Scrooge’s nephew looks
forward to Christmas.
Silver Challenge
Look at this drawing by the novel illustrator
Arthur Rackham. What do you think the artist
was trying to convey about Scrooge?
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Gold Challenge
Read the following quotation
from Stave One:
‘If they would rather die, they
had better do it, and decrease
the surplus population.’
1.
2.
What does this quotation
reveal about Scrooge’s
attitude towards the poor
in Stave One?
Which influential
economist coined the
term ‘surplus population’
and how did Dickens feel
about it?
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Bronze Challenge
Read the following ten statements. Choose five statements below
which are TRUE. Tick the boxes of the ones that you think are
true. Choose a maximum of five statements.
o Scrooge’s business is called ‘Scrooge and Marley’.
o Scrooge’s dog, Marley, has a dark eye.
o Scrooge’s clerk wears a white great coat.
o Scrooge’s clerk is very cold at work because he is only allowed
one coal.
o According to Scrooge’s nephew, Scrooge is miserable.
o Scrooge’s clerk is called Fred.
o In Stave One, Scrooge does not address his nephew by his
first name.
o Scrooge’s nephew is a politician.
o Scrooge’s nephew married for money.
o Scrooge’s nephew looks forward to Christmas.
Silver Challenge
Look at this drawing by the novel
illustrator Arthur Rackham. What do
you think the artist was trying to
convey about Scrooge?
The image portrays people
seeming anxious and afraid in
Scrooge’s presence. The artist
Rackham appears to have had
the following passage in mind:
‘Nobody ever stopped him in the
street to say, with gladsome looks,
"My dear Scrooge, how are
you? When will you come to see
me?" No beggars implored him to
bestow a trifle, no children asked him
what it was o'clock, no man or woman
ever once in all his life inquired the
way to such and such a place, of
Scrooge.’
Gold Challenge
Read the following quotation from Stave One:
‘If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the
surplus population.’
1. What does this quotation reveal about Scrooge’s attitude
towards the poor in Stave One?
2. Which influential economist coined the term ‘surplus
population’ and how did Dickens feel about it?
1. Scrooge’s comment suggests that he sees the poor as a burden on
society. In essence, he is condemning the poor to an early death, simply
because they cannot afford to provide for themselves. Dickens’ use of
the adjective ‘surplus’, borrowed from the 18th Century economist
Thomas Malthus, highlights that Scrooge has little concept of the
human reality of poverty.
2. The term ‘surplus population’ was coined by the 18th Century
economist Thomas Malthus, who advised against giving financial relief to
the poor as he felt that it would lead to the development of an
unsustainable population size. Dickens strongly disapproved of Malthus’
theory as he felt that it reduced people to simple numbers in an
equation.
STAVE ONE
Read from…
‘Scrooge took his
melancholy dinner in
his usual melancholy
tavern…’
Down to…
‘…I won’t believe it.’
In this passage, Dickens
presents Scrooge’s
unwillingness to accept that
Marley’s Ghost is real. As we
read, you should consider:
• The different signs that
suggest that Marley’s
Ghost has come to visit
Scrooge (there are five).
• How Scrooge responds to
these signs.
• How Dickens presents
Scrooge’s response to the
approach of Marley’s Ghost.
The different signs that suggest that Marley’s Ghost has come to
visit Scrooge:
Marley’s face appears in Scrooge’s front door-knocker.
Scrooge thinks he sees a ‘locomotive hearse’ on the staircase.
Scrooge imagines Marley’s face in the tiles on his fireplace.
All the bells in Scrooge’s home begin to ring.
There is the sound of clanking chains coming from the cellar.
How Scrooge responds to these signs:
Scrooge is understandably startled by the sight of Marley’s face in the door-knocker,
but it is not long before he tries to convince himself that what is happening is not real.
He dismisses what he has seen with a simple ‘Pooh! Pooh!’ and then goes to great lengths
to prove that he is not being haunted. Scrooge remains determined to believe that
everything is fine even though he can hear Marley dragging his chain up the stairs.
How Dickens presents Scrooge’s response to the approach of Marley’s Ghost:
Dickens uses irony to highlight Scrooge’s conflict with reality. Throughout the passage,
Scrooge’s behaviour seems to contradict the narrator’s representation of him as being
largely unaffected by the sight of Marley’s ghostly face. For example, we learn that
Scrooge likes the darkness because it is ‘cheap’, yet he trims his candle wick to obtain
more light. Furthermore, the phrase ‘just enough’ portrays Scrooge’s recollection of
Marley’s face as only vague and imprecise. Despite this, Scrooge is somehow compelled to
walk through his entire home to check for signs of Marley’s Ghost.
For the next
activity, learners
will need a copy
of Scrooge’s
‘Vinstagram’
feed. Select level
of difficulty (H,
M or L).
Guidance
Who might
Scrooge be
interested in
following,
according to
‘Vinstagram’s’
algorithms?
The boxes on
the left are
for Scrooge’s
‘photos’.
What might
be Scrooge’s
Vinstagram
username?
The boxes on
the right are
for Scrooge’s
comments.
If the Victorians had Social Media…
• If the Victorians had social
media, what would
Scrooge’s Instagram feed
look like for this passage?
• Ensure you have a blank
copy of the Vinstagram
(Victorian Instagram)
template.
• Your task is to use the
ideas contained in the
passage we have just read
to create Scrooge’s
Vinstagram feed.
You will have to:
• Write from Scrooge’s
point of view
• Focus on each sign of
the impending arrival
of Marley’s Ghost
• Integrate quotations
from the passage into
your comments.
If the Victorians had Social Media…
By the end of this task, your Vinstagram feed should
contain, in order of importance:
1. Scrooge’s comments on the five signs of Marley’s
impending arrival.
2. Integrated and relevant quotations from the passage.
You can highlight these afterwards but you do not
need quotation marks on this occasion.
3. A hand-drawn image for each of the five signs.
4. Scrooge’s username and a list of updated stories from
relevant people. For example, you could use:
1.
2.
3.
King George III
Thomas Malthus
William Pitt the Younger (Prime
Minister at the beginning of the 19th
Century)
4.
5.
6.
Scrooge’s nephew, Fred
Bob Cratchit
Fellow business owners that
Scrooge may know
Insert screenshot
of chosen template
and take feedback.
And to conclude…
“They were succeeded by a clanking noise, deep
down below; as if some person were dragging a
heavy chain over the casks in the wine
merchant's cellar.”
What could be the significance of Marley’s
‘heavy chain’?
The chain may be punitive (a form of
punishment).
It may be symbolic.
References
Image for Do Now Task:
• https://pixabay.com/illustrations/vintage-arthur-rackham-christmas1705165/
Other images:
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Robert_Malthus.jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fran%C3%A7ois_G%C3%A9ra
rd_-_Napol%C3%A9on_Bonaparte_Premier_Consul__Google_Art_Project.jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_George_III_of_Great_Br
itain.jpg
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Pitt_the_Younger.jpg
• https://pixabay.com/
www.Teacher-of-English.com
Copyright 2019 Online Teaching Resources Ltd
www.Teacher-of-English.com
To explore Dickens’ presentation
of Marley’s Ghost
Copyright 2019 Online Teaching Resources Ltd
Exploring ‘A Christmas Carol’
The Torment of Marley’s Ghost
Look at the image provided. It is a flow chart
representing the pathway of souls after
death, according to Catholic teaching.
Bronze Challenge: According to this
flowchart, do you think Scrooge would be able
to get into Heaven? Why?
Silver Challenge: What does this flowchart
suggest about the purpose of Purgatory?
Gold Challenge: Based on this flowchart,
what do you think is the difference between
mortal and venial sin?
Flowchart Representing the Pathway of Souls after Death, according to Catholic Teaching
Heaven
souls without sin
souls without sin
Souls with unatoned venial sin
Earth
Purgatory
mortal sinners
Hell
Flowchart Representing the Pathway of Souls after Death, according to Catholic Teaching
This flowchart suggests
that the purpose of
Purgatory is to cleanse souls
of their venial sin, making
them fit for Heaven.
According to this
flowchart, Scrooge would
not be able to enter
Heaven as he is a ‘covetous
old sinner’.
Heaven
souls without sin
souls without sin
Souls with unatoned venial sin
Earth
Purgatory
Mortal sin condemns the
soul to Hell, from which
there is no hope of
escape. Venial sin, on the
other hand, does not
mean that one is barred
from Heaven indefinitely.
mortal sinners
Hell
What does this imply
about the seriousness of
Venial
sinsmortal
are less
venial and
sin?
serious than mortal sins.
STAVE ONE
Read from…
‘His colour changed,
though…’
Down to…
‘…the comprehensive
ocean of my
business!’
In this passage, Dickens
conveys the torment that
Marley has endured since his
death seven years ago. As we
read, you should think about:
• Why Marley is suffering
and how this is relevant to
Scrooge
• How Marley’s suffering is
both physical and
psychological
• The moral lesson in
Marley’s suffering.
Why Marley is suffering and how this is relevant to Scrooge:
• Dickens portrays Marley as being in Purgatory for the greed
and selfishness he was guilty of in life.
• Dickens presents the purgatorial realm as co-existing in the
same space as the physical world: Marley Ghost is ‘doomed to
wander through the world’ witnessing the poverty and
hardships that he ‘could have turned to happiness’ but has since
lost the power to change.
• Marley’s suffering in Purgatory is a direct consequence of his
unchristian behaviour in life: in focusing entirely on the ‘moneychanging hole’ he shared with Scrooge, he overlooked his basic
social responsibilities. He now understands that ‘the common
welfare’ should have been his true purpose.
• Scrooge is exhibiting the same behaviours and attitudes that
condemned his former business partner to Purgatory. If he
does not change his ways, he too will find himself in a similar
situation after death.
How Marley’s suffering is both physical and psychological:
• Marley’s Ghost carries a ‘heavy chain’ made up of ‘cash-boxes, keys,
padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel’.
• These items are representative of Scrooge and Marley’s business
and therefore symbolise his greed. They act as a constant reminder
of his misplaced priorities.
• Marley’s torment, however, is also psychological: he appears to find
the ‘incessant torture of remorse’ more unbearable than the weight
of his ‘heavy chain’.
The moral lesson in Marley’s suffering:
• Dickens’ presentation of Marley’s suffering highlights how important
it is for us to not lose sight of our basic social responsibilities.
• In life, Marley prioritised the acquisition of wealth, just as Scrooge
does now.
• Seven years in Purgatory, however, have forced Marley to realise that
his priorities in life were wrong: he should have focused on ‘charity,
mercy, forbearance, and benevolence’ and ‘the common welfare’.
• Marley’s suffering serves as a warning to both Scrooge and the
reader that one should never place profit before people.
Now look at the flowchart again
(next slide).
• Where would you place Marley’s
Ghost and why?
• What is likely to be Scrooge’s
pathway?
• What does this flowchart suggest
about how a Catholic would view
Scrooge and Marley’s behaviour?
Marley’s Ghost is in
Purgatory, being cleansed
of his earthly sins. He will
eventually be able to enter
Heaven, but it is not clear
how long this will take.
Marley’s
Ghost
Scrooge, guilty of the same
behaviours and attitudes
that condemned Marley to
Purgatory, will follow the
same pathway after he
dies.
Heaven
souls without sin
souls without sin
Souls with unatoned venial sin
Earth
Purgatory
In Purgatory, Marley is being
both cleansed of and
punished for the venial sins
he committed in life,
primarily greed and
selfishness. Once he has
atoned (made up) for his
venial sins, he will be granted
entrance into Heaven.
mortal sinners
Hell
Scrooge
Was Dickens Catholic?
• Dickens was not a Catholic, although he
was born into a Christian family.
• However, in his characterisation of
Marley’s Ghost, Dickens draws on
Catholic ideas about the destination of
the soul after death.
• The concept of Purgatory as a third
realm or potential destination for the
soul after death is essentially a Catholic
view.
• Protestants (non-Catholics) tend to
believe that the soul either goes to
Heaven or Hell.
• Dickens, it is thought, did not agree with
the idea of eternal punishment in Hell
with no possibility of redemption of the
soul.
Learners will
now need a
copy of this
worksheet. If
possible,
photocopy this
onto A3.
Let’s look in more detail at Dickens’ presentation
of Marley’s suffering.
• Work in pairs to complete the table provided.
• For each quotation, you should consider:
• What it means
• What can be inferred from the quotation
• What techniques Dickens has used and how
they are effective. Hint: look at the words
and phrases in bold.
• You could also use the flowchart to help you.
Quotation
‘The chain he
drew was
clasped about
his middle.’
‘it was made…of
cash-boxes,
keys, padlocks,
ledgers, deeds,
and heavy
purses wrought
in steel.’
‘for though the
Ghost sat perfectly
motionless, its
hair, and skirts,
and tassels, were
still agitated as by
the hot vapour
from an oven.’
Bronze Challenge
What does this mean?
Silver Challenge
What can be inferred?
Gold Challenge
Dickens’ techniques as a writer
Quotation
‘I wear the
chain I forged
in life…I made
it link by link,
and yard by
yard; I girded it
on of my own
free will, and
of my own free
will I wore it.’
‘No rest, no
peace.
Incessant
torture of
remorse.’
Bronze Challenge
What does this mean?
Silver Challenge
What can be inferred?
Gold Challenge
Dickens’ techniques as a writer
Review Learning
Summarise the
events of this
passage in no more
than:
20 words
15 words
10 words
Marley has spent the last seven years in Purgatory,
being punished for and cleansed of his venial sins.
Marley’s venial sins have led to both physical and
psychological torment in Purgatory.
Marley’s many venial sins have condemned him to
Purgatory.
References
Images used in the resource:
• www.pixabay.com
Further Reading:
•
•
•
•
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venial_sin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purgatory
https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory
https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2015/12/holy-ghostsand-the-spirit-of-christmas-dickens-a-christmas-carol.html
• https://dickens.ucsc.edu/resources/faq/religion.html
• https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/681/bookings/noscrooge-he
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/dickens-andreligion-a-tale-of-twoviews/2012/02/07/gIQAYfq1wQ_story.html?noredirect=on