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A Christmas Carol is a novel about greed
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
‘A Christmas Carol is a novel about greed.’ How far do you agree with this view? Explore at least two moments from the novel to support your ideas.
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Study the marking See what earns credit and compare it with a full-mark answer.
Marking points
- 1 Evaluate how far greed is central to A Christmas Carol, using at least two moments.
- 2 Analyse Dickens’ methods, including symbolism, mirroring, character contrast and language.
- 3 Use relevant context about poverty, social criticism and Christian values.
- 4 May balance greed against redemption, forgiveness, family and Christmas, while staying focused on greed.
Full-mark answer
A strong answer would treat greed as a central flaw in Scrooge and a social problem in the novella, while evaluating other themes such as redemption, family and Christmas. It could analyse Scrooge’s refusal to help the poor, Belle’s 'golden idol', Marley’s chain, the thieves around Scrooge’s imagined death, and the later reversal through generosity. It would explore Dickens’ use of fire, mirroring and contrast, supported by context about poverty, Christianity and social responsibility.
Why this answer loses marks
Dismisses greed and writes mainly about redemption or Christmas without staying focused on the task.
The examiner report says this approach should be avoided because it can lead to an answer that does not focus on the set question.