A Christmas Carol: Model answers

 Stave 1: Explore how Dickens presents Scrooge in stave one (20 marks)

Charles Dickens presents Scrooge in this extract as being a rich and wealthy man but also one who is both very cruel and alone. Dickens shows us that Scrooge is a respected man in society by telling us he had his own office and by saying that the men collecting for the poor 'bowed to him'. The verb 'bowed' showed that he must be rich and well-known, but also helps us understand why he has come to feel so self-important. Dickens then shows us that Scrooge may have once been a friendly person by describing Scrooge and Marley as 'two kindred spirits'. Dickens shows us that these two characters were once very close and almost like family by using the adjective 'kindred'. It also tells us that Scrooge is capable of such a friendship and therefore its his choice to be horrible and not make more friends. This leads the reader to question the motivation behind his behaviour, perhaps making the assumption that it is a negative reaction to Marley's death. The next thing Dickens shows us about Scrooge is that he has a cruel side. When asked to give to the poor he replies with 'Are there no prisions?' implying that this is where he thinks they should be. This reveals his uncaring nature. By using a rhetorical question, it suggests that he knows that there are prisions but is just saying it to deliberately show how cold he is and to make it obvious to the men that he does not want to give them any money. Sadly, this is reflective of the attitude of many Victorians towards the poor and needy, which was exactly why Dickens draws attention to it - to force people to realise that this is an issue which needs addressing. After Scrooge is…