“A Christmas Carol” – Example PEACEL Paragraph
Firstly, in this extract Dickens presents the Ghost of Christmas Present as
important because he shows Scrooge the horrifying effects that his behaviour has on
poor children.
The ghost reveals the two figures of Ignorance and Want which Dickens describes as
“Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish…”
This long list of adjectives emphasises how horrifying and scary the children seem to
Scrooge.
In particular, the use of the colour “Yellow” by Dickens has connotations of something
decaying and sickly, which suggests how neglected and abandoned children like this
were.
Furthermore, Dickens uses the adjective “wolfish” which implies that the children are
not just hungry, but vicious and animalistic. In addition, the word has a sense of a
fairy-tale villain like “The Big Bad Wolf”, suggesting how monstrous and terrifying
these children are to Scrooge.
Through this use of language Dickens is showing how the neglectful treatment of
children in the Victorian era by rich men like Scrooge, and by society as a whole, was
creating such horrifying and monstrous effects. Children as young as seven were
having to work fourteen hour days for very little money and many received no
education and were often ill or malnourished and the Ghost is highlighting the terrible
effects of this to Scrooge through these children.
Finally, Dickens uses similar fearful and terrifying language to show the important way
that the ghosts scare Scrooge when he describes how Scrooge “could not hide the
light” of the Ghost of Christmas Past. This quote from earlier in the novel shows how
Scrooge was afraid to face the truth of how he treated people, whereas in this extract
the Ghost of Christmas Present is important because he is forcing Scrooge to see the
impact of his greed and selfishness on other people.
Firstly, in this extract Dickens presents the Ghost of Christmas Present as
important because he shows Scrooge the horrifying effects that his behaviour has on
poor children.
The ghost reveals the two figures of Ignorance and Want which Dickens describes as
“Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish…”
This long list of adjectives emphasises how horrifying and scary the children seem to
Scrooge.
In particular, the use of the colour “Yellow” by Dickens has connotations of something
decaying and sickly, which suggests how neglected and abandoned children like this
were.
Furthermore, Dickens uses the adjective “wolfish” which implies that the children are
not just hungry, but vicious and animalistic. In addition, the word has a sense of a
fairy-tale villain like “The Big Bad Wolf”, suggesting how monstrous and terrifying
these children are to Scrooge.
Through this use of language Dickens is showing how the neglectful treatment of
children in the Victorian era by rich men like Scrooge, and by society as a whole, was
creating such horrifying and monstrous effects. Children as young as seven were
having to work fourteen hour days for very little money and many received no
education and were often ill or malnourished and the Ghost is highlighting the terrible
effects of this to Scrooge through these children.
Finally, Dickens uses similar fearful and terrifying language to show the important way
that the ghosts scare Scrooge when he describes how Scrooge “could not hide the
light” of the Ghost of Christmas Past. This quote from earlier in the novel shows how
Scrooge was afraid to face the truth of how he treated people, whereas in this extract
the Ghost of Christmas Present is important because he is forcing Scrooge to see the
impact of his greed and selfishness on other people.
