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I can understand the allusions Dickens makes in his description of Scrooge’s fireplace.

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2023), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Key learning points

Dickens describes Scrooge’s fireplace as very ornate and decorative by comparison to the rest of his lodgings.
Dickens uses the fireplace to allude to various stories from the Scriptures, such as the Queen of Sheba and Belshazzar.
Dickens draws parallels between Marley’s Ghost and the Pharaoh's daughter because they both save a soul.
Dickens highlights Marley’s sins by comparing him to Cain in the Bible.
Dickens uses allusion to draw comparisons between Belshazzar and Scrooge, both of whom worship false idols.

Common misconception

Pupils do not recognise the significance of Dickens' description of Scrooge's fireplace.

The description contains a multitude of allusions that enhance our understanding of the characters Marley's Ghost and Scrooge.

Keywords

Allusion - an indirect reference to something else.
To depict - to show or present something in a certain way.
Ornate - highly decorated.
Draw parallels - to make connections with something else.
Endeavour - to try hard.

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Hello and welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Miss Holiday and it's an absolute pleasure to have you all with me.

Today we're looking at Dickens use of allusions, and that's one of my favourite topics in a Christmas Carol.

So I can't wait to see all of your incredible ideas and suggestions.

Let's get started.

So today's lesson is called \"Scrooge's Fireplace: Dickens' Use of allusions\".

And by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to understand the allusions that Dickens is making in his description of Scrooge's fireplace.

Here are some keywords that you'll need for today's lesson.

We've got allusions, to depict, ornate, to draw parallels, and finally, to endeavour.

Let's have a little look at what these keywords mean.

So first of all, an allusion is an indirect reference to something else.

To depict means to show or to present something in a certain way.

Ornate means highly decorated.

To draw parallels means to make connections with something else.

And finally, to endeavour means to try really hard.

As we progress through today's learning, I'd love you to keep a lookout for these key words and to keep reminding yourself of what they mean.

Here's our lesson outline for today.

We're going to begin by looking at a detailed analysis of an extract.

We're then going to move on to thinking about how we can write up our analysis in a formal response.

But let's start off by looking at the detailed analysis of an extract first.

So let's begin with a discussion as always.

Now we know that an allusion is a subtle reference or a connection that a writer might make to something else.

I'd like you to discuss, well, why would a writer want to make an allusion? What might they be trying to show us? Now you can have this discussion with the people around you, or alternatively, if you are on your own at home, do feel free to just write some ideas down independently.

I'm gonna invite you now to pause the video while you discuss the questions on screen now.

Off you go.

Fantastic discussions and really respectful interactions with one another.

And I heard some really insightful and perceptive ideas there about why a writer might want to make some allusions.

So let's hear from one of our fantastic Oak pupils and see what they think.

So Jacob states, \"Well, the writer might be trying to show us the similarities between two characters or two stories by making allusions.\" And Jacob is absolutely right because when a writer uses an allusion, it gives us a whole new lens through which to view the text because we're able to draw connections or notice similarities between the writer's text and the text that they've made an allusion to.

So showing us through the text through an alternative context in the form of an allusion allows us to have a much richer and deeper understanding of the original text.

So it's a really useful tool that writers can use to add even more depth and layers of meaning to their own text.

So well done if you've got any of those ideas in your discussion, fantastic start to the lesson.

Now we're going to look at Dickens's use of allusions in this particular extract, which describes Scrooge's very ornate fireplace.

As I'm reading, I'd like you to be following along very closely as we're going to be using this extract to have some discussions.

So make sure that you're paying attention and following along.

I'll start reading now.

\"It was a very low fire indeed, nothing on such a bitter night.

He was obliged to sit close to it and brood over it before he could extract the least sensation of warmth from such a handful of fuel.

The fireplace was an old one built by some Dutch merchant long ago and paved all around with quaint Dutch tiles, designed to illustrate the scriptures.

There were Cains and Abels, pharaoh's daughters queens of Sheba, angelic messengers descending through the air on clouds like feather beds, Abraham's, Belshazzars, Apostles putting off to sea butter-boats, 100s of figures to attract his thoughts, and yet that face of Marley seven years dead came like the ancient prophets rod and swallowed up the hole.

If each smooth tile had been a blank at first with power to shape some picture on its surface from the disjointed fragments of his thoughts, there would've been a copy of old Marley's head on every one.\" What a fantastic description from Dickens there.

I just love how detailed it is and I'm really able to picture that fireplace from this description, which is just testimony to Dickens' fantastic writing really isn't it? I can't wait to see you, what you come up with as we start to discuss this extract in more detail.

So I'd like to begin those discussions with this question, so what is your first impression of Scrooge's fireplace? How would you describe it if you were describing it to somebody else? So I'm going to invite you now to pause the video while you turn to the people around you and discuss that question, or while you jot down some answers independently of you are working on your own at home.

Off you go.

Excellent discussions and some very detailed answers, and people using evidence from the text, which is fantastic 'cause that's what we're always aiming to do in English.

So well done.

So let's turn to our Oak pupils once again and see what they came up with for this discussion.

So first of all, Jacob states, \"Scrooge's fireplace is extremely ornate.\" And if you remember, ornate means highly decorated, \"and detailed.

This is in some ways odd because we are told that there was nothing at all particular about Scrooge's knocker and the rest of his house is described as being very plain and minimal.\" So I guess here what Jacob's saying is that it's quite surprising how orate and highly decorated Scrooge's fireplace is given that we know he lives a meagre lifestyle.

So it's really interesting that Dickens makes this fireplace stand out in that sense.

And what I'd like you to think now is, well, why is it interesting that Dickens makes Scrooge's fireplace stand out so much, especially when it's compared to the rest of his lodgings? So I'm going to invite you now to pause the video while you discuss the question on screen again, either with the people around you or jotting the ideas down independently if you are working on your own.

So pause the video and off you go.

And thank you very much, let's come back together.

Some lovely discussions had there, so well done.

Now you might have said that Dickens makes the fireplace stand out perhaps to indicate that it is a significant object in some way.

And actually the allusions that are depicted in the tiles arguably contribute Dickens' characterization of Scrooge and Marley.

I'm going to look at how that works in just a moment.

So well done if you identified that actually this is a very significant object and Dickens draws our attention to that.

So let's have a look at this fireplace in more detail then, 'cause there's lots to unpick here.

So we are told that the fireplace was an old one built by some Dutch merchant long ago, and paved all around with quaint Dutch tiles designed to illustrate the scriptures.

Now the scriptures are Christianity's holy texts, and they include the old and the New Testament, which we obviously know that Dickens was really familiar with.

There were Cains and Abels, Pharaoh's daughters, queens of Sheba, angelic messengers descending through the air on clouds like feather beds, Abraham's, Belshazzars, Apostles putting off to sea in butter-boats.

So there we have a little snippet of the extract that we've just read together.

Now what I'd like you to think is, well, what could be really ironic about Scrooge's very low fire being surrounded by images from biblical stories? So because this is a really hard question, I've given you a little bit of help in the form of a hint, lucky you.

So I'd like you to think, well, what does fire represent in the novella? And then have another think about the question above.

So I'm gonna invite you now to pause the video while you discuss the questions on screen.

As always, either with somebody else or thinking about 'em independently.

Pause the video and off you go.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Some really excellent suggestions there.

And I was so impressed by how detailed and how perceptive many of your answers were.

And I heard one person get this answer, which I was so impressed with.

So we know that in this novella, fire represents generosity, and here we see Scrooge as having a really low fire.

So metaphorically or symbolically, that means that Scrooge is really uncharitable.

Now it's quite ironic that he's surrounded by images from the Bible because it actually shows how much he has turned his back on faith and how he willfully neglects his moral duties to his fellow passengers to the grave.

And now we have that little bit of a quote from Fred from Stave one.

So if you imagine we've got this lack of generosity or this symbol of Scrooge's lack of generosity that is surrounded by biblical allusions.

And obviously we know that Christianity teaches empathy and kindness and charity as core values.

So it's quite ironic that Scrooge's very lack of generosity is actually surrounded by messages of charity and generosity that he's willfully choosing to ignore.

So again, that also shows scrooge's willful ignorance in stave one because he deliberately chooses not to embody these Christian values that he sees every day in the form of his fireplace.

So well done if you got the idea.

I'm really impressed 'cause that was such a hard question and it's a difficult concept.

So what we're gonna do now is we're gonna start to really unpack some of these allusions, starting with the allusion that Dickens makes to Cain and Abel.

So I'd like you to think, \"Well, who were Cain and Abel and how might they link to Scrooge and or Marley?\" And we're also going to look at this allusion of the Pharaoh's daughters because this is likely an allusion to the story in Exodus where the Pharaoh's daughter rescues Moses from the Nile.

And again, I'd like you to think well, in the novella who might be the rescuer in the novella and why and who might they be rescuing? So I'm gonna invite you now to pause the video while you have a go at answering these questions.

And please don't worry if you're struggling with them because they are really hard questions.

Just give them a go and we'll be feeding answers back together anyway.

So don't worry too much if you're struggling, just have a go.

So pause the video and off you go.

Really well done, some great resilience demonstrated there because I could see some of you kind of scratching your heads for a minute and then giving it a really good go.

And I'm delighted to see that actually many of you got some really relevant and valid answers to these questions.

So well done.

Now you might have said that Cain and Abel were the two sons of Adam and Eve, who were the first man and woman that God created if you remember.

Now in a fit of jealous rage, Cain kills his brother Abel and is exiled by God to wander the earth forever as punishment.

When God asks Cain what happened to Abel, he replies, \"Am I my brother's keeper?\" And that suggests that Cain doesn't see his fellow men as his concern.

Now that's very reminiscent of Marley and Scrooge, especially in Stave one over a Christmas carol because neither of them take social responsibility for other people.

So here Dickens is drawing parallels between Kane and Marley and Scrooge to show that they both commit the same sin, and they're both kind of very wicked people and characters.

Now you also might have picked up this allusion to the Pharaoh's daughters could position Marley's ghost as Screeds rescuer or redeemer because if you remember, the Pharaoh's daughter rescues Moses from the Nile.

So in the same way that she does that, you could argue that Marley's ghost arguably rescue Scrooge from his eternal damnation and incessant torture as we know that that is Marley's punishment for avarice and greed in life.

So if you were able to make those connections, I'm really impressed and I'm hoping that you're able to start seeing how much rich kind of additional understanding that these allusions are bringing to the text.

So well done if you've got any of those answers, fantastic work.

So let's check for understanding before we move on, as there's been some really difficult content for you to get your head round.

So let's see how much of it you understand.

In the allusion Dickens makes to the Pharaoh's daughter, who would Moses be in the novella? Would Moses be tiny Tim? Would Moses be Scrooge? Or would Moses be Marley's ghost? And as a little bit of help, remember that the pharaoh's daughter rescues Moses from the Nile.

That's your little hint.

So I'm going to invite you now to pause the video while you have a go answering that question.

And before we share the correct response.

Off you go.

And a massive well done, if you correctly identified that Moses in the novella would be Scrooge as he is the one that is rescued.

So metaphorically, Marley's ghost would be the Pharaoh's daughter as he's come to rescue Scrooge from internal damnation and incessant torture, which would make Scrooge the Moses figure in the novella.

So well done.

Back to unpicking those allusions.

And let's have a look at the Queens of Sheba.

So in the book of Kings, the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon, who's a famous and wise man, and she needs to test his wisdom.

Now in this test, Solomon passes and he is rewarded.

And what I'd like you to think is, well, who might be Solomon in the novella? So who could be said to have been tested in the novella and who would be the queen of Sheba who tests this character? And what is the outcome of the test again in the novella? So again, some really difficult questions there, some very challenging allusions to get your heads round.

But I'm going to invite you now to pause the video while you discuss the questions on screen, either with the people around you or jotting ideas down independently.

So off you go.

Fantastic work.

And I can see many of you really starting to understand how you analyse allusions in a text.

So well done.

So here, Dickens could be drawing parallels or drawing connections between Queen Sheba testing Solomon and the spirit's testing Scrooge.

So arguably, Scrooge is subject to a number of tests in the novella and he ultimately passes his test of moral reawakening, and he's then rewarded the salvation from eternal damnation.

So arguably, Dickens could be suggesting that metaphorically the spirits are representative of the queen and Scrooge is representative of Solomon as he's the one that's being tested.

Now his reward, as we've said, is this escape from incessant torture and damnation in his afterlife.

His reward is actually a prosperous and fulfilling life after the spirits have left.

So well done if you manage to follow that allusion all the way through and decipher which characters in novella correspond to which characters in the allusion.

Fantastic work.

So let's check for understanding.

True or false, Dickens uses allusion to draw parallels between Scrooge and the Queen of Sheba.

Is that A, true or B, false? I'm going to invite you now to pause the video while you have a go at deciding if that's true or false.

Off you go.

Fantastic if you got false, you're absolutely right.

What I'd like you to do now is tell me, well, why is that false? And you're going to justify your answer using one of the answer options below.

So I'd like you now to pause the video while you read both choices and decide which you think is the correct justification for the statement being false.

Off you go.

And well done if you correctly selected B, you are absolutely right.

And this was a sneaky little answer here because actually the parallels are not drawn between Scrooge and the Queen of Sheba, but actually between Scrooge and Solomon.

So well done if you manage to notice that in the answer options and select B as your correct answer.

A huge well done and let's carry on.

So here's our first task of the lesson, and again, we're unpicking Dickens use of allusions, focusing on this allusion of Belshazzar.

So Belshazzar was a ruler who threw a dinner party, and he asked his guests to bring looted gold, so stolen gold and silver cups so that they could drink wine in style.

At the meal, Belshazzar praises the gods of gold and silver.

And at the feast, a hand appears and writes him a message.

And the message reads, \"God has had enough of this tyrant's greed and avarice, his selfishness and pride.\" And Belshazzar is killed the very same night.

Now I'm hoping that many of you are already starting to draw connections between Belshazzar story and Scrooge's story.

But if you are not, here are some questions to help you.

So as we've done before, you're going to just unpick these allusions and decide how they are representative of characters in the novella.

So I'd like you to discuss, well, what is Belshazzar's sin? Who in the novel commits the same sin? And can you link this story to any very specific moments in the novella? So again, a very difficult task there, but I have no doubt whatsoever that you can do it.

So I'm gonna invite you now to pause the video while you discuss with the people around you or bullet point your ideas in response to the three questions on screen now, using the contextual information about Belshazzar.

So off you go, and I can't wait to hear the contents of your discussion.

Excellent work.

And I was really impressed by the depth of explanation and how many of you were flicking through Christmas Carol looking for those specific moments that you could tie this allusion to.

So well done.

So we're gonna turn to our fantastic Oat pupils and see what they came up with in their discussions starting with Aisha.

So Aisha states, \"Belshazzar's sin is worshipping false idols, praising the gods of gold and silver instead of the almighty God.\" And Andeep responds, \"Scrooge commits the same sin in the novella, as does Marley.

Scrooge and Marley are both miserly and prioritise the pursuit of wealth over a moral existence.\" So here we see those really clear links between Scrooge and Marley and Belshazzar and the fact that all three characters really value material possessions over human connections and morality.

And finally, Izzy states, \"Well, this allusion reminds us of the moment where Belle ends her engagement with Scrooge because she's been displaced by another idol.\" And she explicitly states that it is a golden idol.

Okay, so here we really see those links being established between the story of Belshazzar and Scrooge's behaviour in the novella, and the fact that in the same way that kind of Belshazzar is punished for his greed and avarice, so is Marley.

And Scrooge also will be punished if he doesn't change his ways, which of course we know he does, but if he hadn't, he too would've been punished in the same way that Marley was.

So a massive well done foot unpicking that allusion, 'cause that was a really complicated task.

So I'm mega, mega impressed with you and you should be really proud of yourselves.

So now that we've learned all this really interesting knowledge about Dickens' use of allusions in the text, well, how do we use it to write up a response? How do we include it in our answer to show our reader that we really, you know, appreciate Dickens' writing and are able to draw those links between his allusions and the characters that he's created? Well, let's have a look at that now because we're gonna look at how to write up your analysis of Dickens' use of allusions.

So let's begin with giving you a question.

So your question is going to be, well, how does Dickens use allusion in the extract? And here we have the very same extract that we've just analysed together in learning cycle one.

So you should all be really familiar with this extract and feel really confident with it by now.

So I'd like you to think, well, of the allusions that we've been through together, which did you find the most interesting? Now I would really struggle to answer this question because I find them all absolutely fascinating, but I'm really interested to hear which of the allusions you liked the best.

So pause the video now and share that with somebody else or just consider it on your own if you are working independently.

Off you go.

Fantastic discussions and a real variety of preferences there.

And it's amazing to see how enthusiastic so many of you were about Dickens' use of allusions.

I'm glad we're on the same page there.

So when you are explaining allusions, unfortunately you can't give a full plot overview of the story that Dickens is drawing parallels with.

You just don't have time.

And actually that isn't what's important here.

What I'd like to know is, well, what is important then? What information do you really need to convey to your reader? So again, I'm going to invite you now to pause the video while you discuss that with the people around you.

Off you go.

Some fantastic discussions, and well done if you identified that the important part of the allusion to discuss is what it teaches us or what it shows us about Dickens' characters.

Because remember, those allusions are giving us an extra dimension to the character.

We're getting a deeper and richer understanding of the character through the comparisons that Dickens is making to these other characters.

In other words, the important knowledge that we need to convey to our readers is what the similarities between the two stories are.

So I'm now going to show you how to write about Dickens' use of allusions really concisely.

And when I say concisely, I mean, in as few words as possible, but still conveying the very important knowledge that we want our reader to have, and that is obviously the similarities between the two stories or the two characters that parallels have been drawn between.

So for our example, I'm going to discuss the parallels drawn between Marley's ghost and the rich man from the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

So as Jacob rightly points out, with any essay, let alone one about allusions, you have to start with a thesis statement.

So you should be writing a thesis statement which outlines exactly how Dickens is using allusions and why he's using them.

So here's an example of that now.

So in the novella, Dickens uses allusions to draw parallels between his protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge and his miserly deceased business partner, and various sinful characters from the Bible.

Dickens uses these allusions to enrich our understanding of Marley and Scrooge's sin and highlight the consequences of living a life of avarice and greed.

So here we've really clearly stated, yes, Dickens is using allusions, but we've also explained very clearly how and why he's using them, and that's really important in any thesis statement.

So let's check for understanding before we move on.

What does your thesis statement not need to outline? Is it A, how the writer uses the method? B, why the writer uses the method? Or C, what the writer was like? So I'm gonna invite you now to pause the video while you jot down the letter that corresponds to the answer that you want to submit.

Off you go.

And well done if you got C, information about what the writer was like is not always needed.

In some cases it is, but not always.

And if it is needed, it needs to be threaded through your argument.

So well done if you got C.

Now step two in writing about allusions is to anchor the allusion to a moment in the text.

So in this case it will be the fireplace.

So here's an example, I'm going to use the moment where Marley's ghost says, \"Without their visit, you cannot hope to shun the path I tread.\" Because it portrays Marley's ghost as the redeemer figure who like the rich man in the parable of Lazarus, and the rich man can't save himself, but he can save others.

So yes, we are using the allusion that Dickens makes in the fireplace description, but then we need to anchor that allusion to another moment in the novella to prove the connections or the similarities between the two characters or stories that Dickens is drawing parallels between.

So here's an example of how that looks.

In stave one, Dickens uses Marley's ghost to allude to the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

Positioning Marley's ghost as the rich man whose greed and avarice has condemned him to an eternity of divine punishment.

Like the rich man, Marley's ghost cannot save himself.

He is however able to save Scrooge, who without the spirit's visits cannot hope to shun the path he treads.

So there we've explained the similarities between Marley's ghost and the rich man and we've anchored it to a really clear quotation from another part of the novella to show how these characters are similar, and what Dickens is trying to criticise.

And finally the last step is to explain what the allusion shows us about the characters.

Because remember, the important thing that you need to talk through for your reader is what it teaches us about the character or the story.

So here's an example of how we might do that.

\"Dickens' use of allusion here characterises Marley's ghost as repentant.\" So that's what we learn about him, \"and remorseful, for he clearly recognises that the way he behaved in life was deeply selfish and immoral.

Through his own punishment, he has learned that actions have consequences, a lesson he evidently understands Scrooge is unaware of.

In the same way.\" so this is why we're starting to talk about the similarities, \"In the same way that the rich man begs God to let him save his brothers, Marley's ghost is afforded the opportunity to ensure that Scrooge has quote, 'a chance and hope of escaping his fate.

' The fact that Marley's ghost has taken this opportunity and is endeavouring to save Scrooge shows his newfound moral purpose.\" So again, that is what we learn about Marley's ghost.

We see that he's repentant for his actions, \"to help others, something he likely never did in life.

Thus, by characterising Marley's ghost as remorseful and repentant, Dickens gives us hope for Scrooge's transformation, as we recognise that with guidance from the spirits, Scrooge may yet escape the same fate and may be able to carve out a more moral future for himself in the process.\" So here it really clearly outlines what the similarities are between the two characters that are being compared, and therefore what we learn about those characters or how that influences the way we feel about them.

So there's a really concrete example of how you talk about allusions in a really concise and insightful way in your responses.

So answer the last task of the lesson now.

I'd like you to choose one allusion from learning cycle one that you found the most interesting, and write a response to this question, how does Dickens use allusion in the extract? Now remember that you need to write a thesis statement that outlines how Dickens uses the allusions and why.

You need to anchor the allusion to a moment in the text and use a quotation from the text.

And finally, you need to explain what the allusion shows us about the characters.

Here's some useful vocabulary that I think you might want to use in your response to make it really specific and sophisticated.

So we've got draws parallels, allusion, or alludes to, characterises, positions, biblical, sinful and condemned.

Please feel free to use your notes to complete this activity.

I'm not expecting anyone to remember all these allusions off the top of their head, so please make really good use of your notes.

I'm gonna invite you now to pause the video while you have a go at this activity and I can't wait to see all of your incredible answers and see how far you've come in this lesson.

So off you go and enjoy.

A massive well done, fantastic work there, and I'm seeing some really detailed and insightful responses.

I'd like you to undertake the following self-assessment now.

So I'd like you to begin by rereading your work.

Does it make sense? Do you need to make any quick changes to it? You're then gonna check that you have written an insightful thesis statement that outlines exactly how and why Dickens has used allusions.

I'd then like you to highlight the quotation from the text that you have anchored the allusion to.

And I'd like you to label your explanation of the similarities between the allusion and the characters, or the plot of the novella.

I'd like you to ensure that you have not included unnecessary plot detail about the allusion story, and I'd like you to make all of these changes in a different colour so that you can see your improvements.

I'm going to invite you now to pause the video while you undertake that self assessment.

Off you go.

Fantastic work and really well done, some great reflection there.

So to summarise the learning from today, Dickens describes Scrooge's fireplace as very ornate and decorative by comparison to the rest of his lodgings.

Dickens uses the fireplace to allude to various stories from the scriptures such as the Queen of Sheba and Belshazzar.

Dickens draws parallels between Marley's ghost and the Pharaoh's daughter because they both save a soul.

Furthermore, Dickens highlights Marley's sins by comparing him to Cain in the Bible.

Dickens uses allusions to draw comparisons between Belshazzar and Scrooge, both of whom worship false idols.

And finally, remember that when writing about allusions, it's so important to outline what the allusion teaches us about Dickens' characters and not just give a plot summary of the parallel story.

Thank you so much for coming to today's lesson, I've absolutely loved going through these allusions with you and seeing how much your understanding of how Dickens has used them has developed over the course of the lesson.

I'm really looking forward to seeing you next time.

Thank you so much and enjoy the rest of your day.

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