Grade 9 A Christmas Carol Model Answer (WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature)

Grade 9 A Christmas Carol Model Answer

Paper 2, Section B of your Eduqas GCSE exam asks you to write about a 19th-century prose work. You will produce an essay based on the extract printed on your exam paper. These notes focus on showing you how to write a Grade 9 answer for this essay question. 

What does the A Christmas Carol essay question look like?

The extract-based question provides you with a printed extract that you can use as a starting point for your essay on A Christmas Carol. The extract will be around 40 lines long and the question asks you to link it with other events in the novella that address the same theme or idea.

How is the essay assessed?

You will have an hour to answer the extract question, and your essay will be awarded a maximum of 40 marks. Marks are divided equally between three assessment objectives (AOs), which are shown in the table below: 

How long do I spend annotating the extract?

You will have an hour to plan, write and check your essay, so the best strategy is to annotate the extract while you are planning your answer. That way, you can relate the specific evidence in the extract to other events, characters or contexts. Aim to spend 10 to 15 minutes on your essay plan. That sounds like a long time, but it will ensure your argument has a strong structure that focuses on the question throughout. Take a look at our How to Write a Grade 9 A Christmas Carol Essay page for more suggestions on planning your answer.

Grade 9 A Christmas Carol model answer

Below is an example answer for your Eduqas GCSE extract question on A Christmas Carol. The annotations show how the assessment objectives above have been met. Here is the question:

At the beginning of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge says, "I wish to be left alone". Write about some of the events in the novel which cause Scrooge to change his mind and how they are presented.

In your response you should:

• Refer to the extract and novel as a whole

• Show your understanding of characters and events in the novel

• Refer to the contexts of the novel

[40]

Annotated Grade 9 Essay

Through a series of scenes that Scrooge is shown by the spirits who visit him, Dickens portrays his gradual transformation (AO1) from someone who wishes only “to be left alone” at Christmas into a kind, generous man who rejoices in the company of his family and friends (AO1). While it could be argued that Scrooge’s change of mind is prompted by selfish feelings, there is strong evidence that, conversely, his experiences connect him with the joys and suffering of other people (AO1). 

Dickens focuses on the theme of memory as an important aspect of Scrooge’s transformation (AO1). When the Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge a scene from his childhood in Stave 2, he weeps when he sees the “lonely boy” he used to be. The “bare, melancholy” school room with its “plain” desks and “feeble” fire echoes Scrooge’s dark, gloomy lodgings, emphasising his social isolation (AO1). The memory of his school days has a “softening influence” on him, as empathy for the “poor boy” he used to be connects him with his emotions. Although Scrooge’s response could be seen as the result of self-pity, the memory begins to open up his sympathy for others (AO1); this is demonstrated in his wish that he had given something to the carol singer instead of chasing him off. The scene also evokes the memory of the joy he once found in his books and his imagination, which filled his lonely childhood with colour and excitement. The stories of Ali Baba and Robinson Crusoe stimulate Scrooge’s imagination, encouraging a process of change that enables him to imagine the feelings of other people, such as the carol singer (AO1).

Another memory that has a “softening influence” on Scrooge is a joyful Christmas party from his time as Fezziwig’s apprentice. Dickens emphasises the sensory qualities of this memory, as a “thousand odours” connect Scrooge with a “thousand thoughts, and hopes, and joys, and cares long, long forgotten!” The appeal to the senses has an immediacy that opens Scrooge up to his past feelings of joy and companionship. When the Ghost of Christmas Past suggests that it doesn’t mean much for Fezziwig to make people happy with a cheap party, Scrooge argues that the power to give happiness is worth “a fortune”. Scrooge’s response illustrates his realisation that the important things in life are not based on their monetary value, an important theme in the novella (AO2). Scrooge’s happy memories also make him reflect on how he treats other people, and he wishes he could say “a word or two” to his clerk, Bob Cratchit, to make up for his unkindness towards him on Christmas Eve. Thus, Dickens shows how memory plays an important role in connecting Scrooge to the person he once was and, in doing so, starts to change his mind about wishing to remain alone (AO1). 

In Stave 3, Scrooge’s feelings change even further when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows him the Cratchit family’s Christmas celebrations (AO1). The Cratchits illustrate Dickens’ sympathy for the plight of the London poor, who suffered high infant mortality rates and a lack of social support systems (AO3). However, despite their poverty (for which Bob’s low wages as Scrooge’s clerk are largely responsible) the Cratchits’ joy and togetherness as a family make Scrooge feel “an interest he had never felt before”. When the Ghost tells him that Tiny Tim will die if the Cratchits’ situation does not improve, Scrooge is appalled. The Ghost quotes Scrooge’s own harsh words about decreasing “the surplus population”, making him feel “overcome with penitence and grief”. Scrooge’s feelings of “penitence” (AO1) are further evidence of his change of heart and, structurally, represent a turning point in the novella (AO2). 

The final event that changes Scrooge’s mind is the vision of the future shown to him by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come in Stave 4. Dickens demonstrates a direct link between Scrooge’s actions in life and their potential consequences after his death, when his belongings are stolen and sold for profit. Profit, the main motivation of Scrooge’s previous life, is shown to be meaningless (AO2). Horrified by witnessing his lonely death and unvisited grave, Scrooge protests: “I am not the man I was.” His subsequent actions demonstrate his complete transformation as a person. His acts of generosity and goodwill, such as raising Bob’s salary and celebrating Christmas with his nephew’s family, are reinforced by the genuine pleasure they give him. 

In conclusion, Dickens shows that the character who, at the beginning of A Christmas Carol, was “as solitary as an oyster”, has been opened up by memory, imagination and empathy to reveal a pearl of human love, kindness and companionship (AO1).

Sources

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, Penguin, 2003