'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ critique of Victorian institutions
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore how Dickens critiques Victorian institutions and laws in ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Key learning points
- There was no state support available for poor Victorians; they were forced to rely on charities and philanthropy.
- The Poor Laws made it legal for those in debt to be sent to prison or forced to live in squalid workhouses.
- Scrooge’s dialogue with the charity men critiques the Victorian belief that the poor were lazy or morally inferior.
- Dickens later shows Scrooge’s transformation towards redemption when he is introduced to Ignorance and Want.
- They symbolise a lack of awareness of poor's struggles and warn of the consequences of ongoing social inequality.
Keywords
Philanthropy - the act of donating money or resources to help others, especially the poor
Workhouse - an institution where the poor worked in exchange for basic shelter and food under harsh conditions
Connotations - the ideas or feelings a word invokes in addition to its literal meaning
Symbolise - to represent or stand for something, especially a larger concept or idea
Redemption - the act of being saved from sin, error, or evil; moral or spiritual recovery
Common misconception
Workhouses were a positive form of social reform; instead of being sent to prison, poor people were offered the chance to work off any debts they had.
Workhouses were an alternative to debtor's prison but they were not positive places; inmates were separated from their families, lived in squalid conditions and forced to do hard labour for 10-12 hours a day.
Teacher tip
During the second learning cycle, pupils are encouraged to consider how Ignorance and Want are depicted. Consider showing pupils the illustration of Ignorance and Want first and encouraging them to use their own words to describe these characters before displaying how Dickens describes them.
Equipment
You will need access to two specific extracts from 'A Christmas Carol'. These can be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Starting with the first, put the ghosts' visits in 'A Christmas Carol' in chronological order.
Q2.How does Dickens depict Scrooge at the beginning of 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q3.What lesson does Scrooge learn from the Ghost of Christmas Past in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q4.In 'A Christmas Carol', what does the Ghost of Christmas Present reveal to Scrooge about the conditions of the poor?
Q5.What is the central theme of 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q6.What does it mean to critique something?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who was allowed to vote in early Victorian times?
Q2.What do Ignorance and Want symbolise in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Q3.Philanthropy is best defined as ...
Q4.What did the Poor Laws in the Victorian era aim to do?
Q5.What impact did charities have in Victorian times?
Q6.How does the Ghost of Christmas Present respond to Scrooge's request to help Ignorance and Want in 'A Christmas Carol'?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ critique of Victorian institutions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens’ critique of Victorian institutions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the ‘A Christmas Carol’: a critique of Victorian values unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.