Grade 9 Essay: How Does Dickens Portray Scrooge?
This is the feedback from Tilf.io to a grade 9 essay which comes later in this post. You’ll learn a lot by reading Tilf’s feedback first.
Read it to see if you think you could write what Tilf praises. It is very specific, so it will test your knowledge of the novel really well, and the context you need in order to write about Dickens’ ideas.
It will also point out some very useful quotes for your revision and essays.
Paragraphs Feedback
The introduction effectively sets the stage for the essay by clearly stating Dickens' intention to highlight the possibility of change in Scrooge. The use of textual references such as 'squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner' is apt and supports the interpretation of Scrooge as a negative character.
The connection to the seven deadly sins and the critique of Victorian society's upper class is insightful.
The analysis of the weather and its symbolic relationship to Scrooge's character is well-developed. The discussion of 'heat' and 'cold' as metaphors for kindness and unpleasantness is thoughtful.
The mention of fog and its connection to ignorance and the industrial revolution adds depth to the analysis, showing a clear understanding of the context and its implications.
The exploration of Scrooge's transformation through the intervention of the ghosts is compelling. The contrast between 'hard and sharp as a flint' and 'as merry as a schoolboy' is effectively used to illustrate the shift in Scrooge's character.
The religious undertones and the connection to Victorian Christian values are well-articulated, highlighting the spiritual aspect of Scrooge's redemption.
What Went Well
The essay demonstrates a critical and exploratory approach to the task, with judicious use of textual references to support interpretations. The analysis of language, form, and structure is detailed and insightful, with effective use of subject terminology. The essay also shows a clear understanding of the contextual factors and their relationship to the text.
Even Better If
To improve further, the essay could benefit from a more structured argument, with clearer topic sentences and transitions between paragraphs.
Additionally, a deeper exploration of alternative interpretations and deeper meanings would enhance the critical analysis.
More precise references to specific passages and a more detailed examination of the effects of the writer's methods would also strengthen the response.
Overall Feedback
This is a thoughtful and well-developed essay that demonstrates a clear understanding of Dickens' presentation of Scrooge. The analysis is detailed and insightful, with effective use of textual references and subject terminology. The essay also shows a strong understanding of the contextual factors and their relationship to the text. With a more structured argument and deeper exploration of alternative interpretations, this essay could reach the highest level.
Mark Score: 30 Level: 6
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The Student Essay
Dickens thoughtfully crafts the character of Scrooge as a cruel, vindictive individual who miraculously transforms into a selfless, generous man to highlight to his well off readers that change is truly possible and results in a better, fairer society.
This is a good thesis statement because it explains two of Dickens’ ideas in writing the novel.
It also outlines two ideas about Scrooge.
Immediately, we are presented with a harsh strong image of Scrooge as being "squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner" before we even meet him properly. Dickens cleverly does this in order for the readers to immediately recognise his bad nature and creates him as almost an exaggeration of the middle and upper class to highlight that they need to change and reconsider their miserliness.
At this stage, you have already linked the quote to what Dickens is saying about society. This is typical of top grade essays.
You are also moving through the novel chronologically, so you can build an argument, showing how Scrooge develops from the fist page to the last.
Starting with the extract makes building an argument much more difficult.
If you want to read 17 top grade essays written in the exams, you will like my Guide to Writing GCSE Essays on a Christmas Carol - click on the link.
These seven negative adjectives used to describe him mirrors the seven deadly sins which were seen in the bible as the root of all evil. As Victorian society was strongly Christian this would ultimately serve to frighten them and remind them of hell, but also the parallels between sin and Scrooge used by Dickens emphasises that the rich are more sinful than the poor which would have contradicted the popular view that the poor were lazy individuals.
This is a great bit of analysis about the wrong quote! The quote to prove that the rich are sinful, and remind them of hell, is obviously going to be Marley’s warning to Scrooge that his selfish greed will lead to hell: “I am here to-night to warn you that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer.”
The idea that the 7 negative adjectives are like the 7 deadly sins is hilarious - the examiner will probably love this, because they too probably feel it is a sin to grow “old”.
Additionally, these words are semantically linked to hands which shows how tightly he held onto things. Dickens does this to convey Scrooge as a ruthless person to make his transformation and redeemed character appear evermore glorious.
This is a fantastic analysis of the 7 adjective quote. Top grade students often look at the semantic field, and link it to the author’s ideas.
Through the weather we are able to see just how ostracised and miserly Scrooge is and can pinpoint his truly unwelcoming nature. Surprisingly, just when we think his attitudes towards people are the only impact he has, we learn a he has a harsh impact on himself. The "external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge" which demonstrates his successful ostracisation of himself, as even elements of nature, which are typically uncontrollable, cannot affect him.
Here you are using a quote which you have memorised, or which is in the extract, fit the essay, no matter what.
This is a great revision skill.
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Alternatively the 'heat' could be symbolise kindness and love (from others) and 'cold' could be referring to anything unpleasant which suggests that he is blocking all things whether positive or negative.
We often teach students to write more than one interpretation or explanation about the same quote. Often that leads to students writing an interpretation which is a stretch. This one is sound.
Moreover, his surroundings are "foggier"and "colder". The pathetic fallacy of cold weather creates an uninviting atmosphere directly reflecting Scrooge's character. Fog symbolises ignorance, perhaps implying his ignorance to understand what is happening around him and to those he's oppressing - the lower class.
This is a strong interpretation of the symbolism of the fog. Symbolism is always at least grade 7, usually grades 8 and 9.
Additionally, metaphorically the fog is acting as a barrier and dividing the classes and is almost supporting the ignorance of the ruling class who are oblivious to their actions.
This is what I mean by a stretch. The fog is everywhere - it doesn’t divide the classes at all. So this analysis doesn’t work. However …
If we follow the logic of fog symbolising his ignorance, this ignorance damages him as much as those he is oppressing. We can argue that, in saving others, his redemption also saves himself.
To further expand, fog came about as a result of the industrial revolution, so Dickens may be criticising this as many at the time were in awe of England's productions but Dickens was critical of it as it ultimately resulted in neglecting the most vulnerable and overzealousness of money. Dickens constructs an exemplified version of someone who is overzealous of money to make the attitudes of the middle and upper classes visible.
You get away with this link to context. But, it is a massive stretch.
Dickens is interested in the way workers are oppressed by society. But to make that point, a much better reference is to the undertaker’s man, the laundress and the charwoman who have to steal from Scrooge’s corpse in order to make enough money to survive.
Through the intervention of the ghosts, a spark in Scrooge lit as he gains knowledge and heals his inner childhood trauma and abandonment. The stark contrast between 'hard and sharp as a flint' to now 'as merry as a schoolboy', creates an instant shift in tone from melancholy to jubilant as he has now regained his youthful innocence and ability to see the world in an untainted light.
This is a brilliant example of how to link different moments in the text to build an argument.
A shift in tone, and contrast, are excellent methods to spot, and they will be relevant to most texts.
Scrooge's excitement is bulging. It seems like he has only just now realised the greatness and wonders of this world. Dickens establishes that money won't bring happiness, the only thing that will bring true happiness is connection with people, love, support and generosity. As Victorian society was predominantly Christian, the readers would understand this as they would be familiar with many Bible readings signifying this.
Notice how jumping from the beginning of the text, to the ending helps the examiner feel that you have dealt with the whole text.
It is probable that the extract was also from the beginning. I think it might have been this:
Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.
The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas. External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.
Foul weather didn’t know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often “came down” handsomely, and Scrooge never did. 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.
Even the blind men’s dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, “No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!” But what did Scrooge care! It was the very thing he liked.
To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call “nuts” to Scrooge. Once upon a time—of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve—old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them.
The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already—it had not been light all day—and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms.
This jump to the ending always works. Of course, you have been lucky that the extract is also the beginning. The very brief mentions of the ghosts is a way to pretend that you have also dealt with the rest of the novel - cute and effective.
Scrooge's transformation resembles a quite spiritual one and his redeemed character seems to be reconnected to God as he becomes as "happy as an angel". This religious simile highlights how Scrooge feels that redemption has led him back to the path of God and faith. He was previously described as a "sinner" embodying the seven deadly sins, yet his redemption has led to his restoration of religious morals. Additionally, an "angel" is probably the purest, holiest closest thing to God, so by connecting him to that of an angel, it is evident that he has truly transformed. Angels are specially chosen by God and are guaranteed to stay in heaven forever, therefore perhaps hints that Scrooge's transformation has been accepted by God and he has reopened the gates of heaven for him and stopped his intended doom in purgatory.
Another brilliant bit of analysis about the ending, that you link back to the 7 adjective quote at the beginning. This is a sophisticated way to show that you are dealing with the whole novel.
It is why I also stress that you should memorise your analysis of the ending of every text, and practise using it no matter what the question. It always works.
P.S. ‘purgatory’ would link brilliantly to the Marley quote I suggested earlier.
During the Victorian Era, the middle and upper class didn't quite understand their overzealousness and ignorance of the poor and how greatly it affected people as they were so wrapped up in their bubbles, shielded by ignorance. Therefore by Dickens showing the detrimental impacts and the clear consequences of purgatory/hell, he is enlightening his readers and providing them with the correct knowledge so they can avoid doom like Scrooge has.
Always write about the author’s purpose. Nicely done.
Dickens presents the redeemed character of Scrooge in such a positive light and makes his kindness and happiness extremely clear. When Scrooge wakes up in stave 5 the first thing his redeemed self says is "Merry Christmas carol to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!" The fact that Scrooge presents Christmas first is significant as this a direct contrast to "bah humbug!" The exclamation mark show his joy and excitement as he now sees the value in non-monetary things. Also, the plural "everybody" suggests he now cares about and wants to extend his love to everyone which highly mirrors the language used by Tiny Tim. The fact that Dickens uses "Merry Christmas" as he first words pairs Christmas with joy perhaps Dickens is trying to urge us to always keep the Christmas spirit and generosity all year round.
This is an example of how learning your analysis of the ending will pay off with grade 9 analysis you can fit to any essay.
In conclusion, the novel ends with Scrooge’s "splendid laugh" which is the first time in this novella we read of him laughing. Laughing symbolises knowledge in A Christmas Carol which finalises his transformation, and this laugh was described as "the father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs" emphasising that this redeemed character will last.
A conclusion that ends with a quote from the end, and looks to the future is quality.
I’m impressed that you have managed to learn all your quotes from the end and the probably the beginning, and finally - I’m guessing here - almost no others!
If you are lazy or revising last minute - this is a great technique to use.