Video: Scrooge: A new life

﻿Hi, how are you doing? I hope you're well. Welcome to Lesson 18 in English. I am Mr.Mba and we're going to continue our study in "A Christmas Carol." I'll give you a quick heads up about what we're doing this lesson and then we'll get started. How does Dickens show the benefits of Scrooge's redemption in Stave 5? In this lesson you'll need something to write in or on, something to write with, and an active mind. You might also find it helpful to have a copy of "A Christmas Carol" with you. Don't worry if you don't have one. I'll include all the extracts in this video. So we'll begin with the key vocabulary before looking at the context and background. We'll then look at the reading itself and answer some questions before applying our learning and then finishing with a quiz. So, let's look at our key vocabulary. The first word we're learning this lesson is rebirth. And the word rebirth means a new birth to be revived or reinvigorated. One example of this is, "His rebirth was remarkable. His outlook on life was completely different." Another example of this would be, "The introduction of a new filter on the social media platform saw the rebirth of the once popular dance move." The second word we'll be learning this lesson is allegory. And the word allegory is a symbolic representation which can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, usually a moral or political one. One example of this, is "The Hare and the Tortoise," which is an allegory that uses the animals to teach the lesson that slow and steady will win the race. Another example of an allegory would be "The Hunger Games," which serves as an allegory to symbolise the obsession modern audiences have with television and how it can desensitise viewers. On your screen are two sentences that use the word rebirth. Select the one that is using the word rebirth correctly. Pause the video to complete your task. And the correct answer is the second sentence. "The influencer posted one video and it led to the rebirth of a trend." We have seen the climax of the novella and so we are now seeing the fall in action before the final resolution. Scrooge is thankful for an opportunity to write some of the wrongs of his life. Dickens conveys one of his key messages. Everybody is capable of redemption. Dickens presents Scrooge has being completely transformed. Dickens loosely connects this to the Christian idea of rebirth. Scrooge is aware of his sin and is eager to turn away from his former life. Dickens revisits the theme of time through Scrooge's urgent desire to correct his errors. Let's read this extract together. "Yes, and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own. The room was his own. Best and happiness of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in! 'I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future!' Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob; on my knees!' He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would scarcely answer to his call." Answer the questions below in full sentences. Pause the video to answer the questions. Okay, let's look at some answers. Question 1. The phrase his own is repeated a number of times in the opening line of Stave 5. Question 2. Scrooge would use his time to make amends in. Question 3. The verb scrambled shows Scrooge's urgency in beginning his new life. Question 4. Scrooge is described as glowing with his good intentions. Scrooge is overwhelmed with joy at still having time. He knows what it feels like to be out of time and so Scrooge is determined to make the best use of the time he has left. Let's read our extract. As we listen to this extract, you might find it helpful to make notes on Scrooges actions, Scrooges dialogue and patterns of speech, the description of the weather and Scrooges response to others. Our extract will begin now.

He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the spirit and his face was wet with tears.

They are not torn down.

Cried Scrooge, folding one of his bed curtains in his arms.

They are not torn down, rings and all. They are here. I'm here. The shadows of the things that would have been maybe dispelled. They will be. I know they will.

His hands were busy with his garments all this time, turning them inside out, putting them on upside down, tearing them, mislaying them, making them parties to every kind of extravagance. I don't know to do,

Cried Scrooge laughing and crying in the same breath and making a perfect Laocoon on himself with his stockings.

I must light as a feather. I'm as happy as an angel. I'm as marry as a schoolboy. I'm as giddy as a drunken man. Merry Christmas to everybody. A Happy New Year to all the world. Hallo here. Whoop! Hallo.

He had frisked into the sitting room and was now sitting there: perfectly winded.

There's the saucepan that the gruel was in.

Cried Scrooge, starting off again and going around the fireplace.

There's the door by which the ghost of Jacob Marley entered. There's the corner where the ghost of Christmas present sat. There's the window when I saw the wandering spirits. It's all right. It's all true. It all happened.

Really, for a matter of being out of practise for so many years, It was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs.

I don't know what day of the month it is.

said Scrooge.

I don't know how long I've been among the spirits. I don't know anything. I'm quite a baby. Never mind. I don't care. I'd rather be a baby. Hello. Hello here.

He was checked in his transports by the churches bringing out the lustiest peals he had ever heard. Clash, clang, hammer. Ding dong bell. Bell dong, ding. Hammer, clash, clang. Oh, glorious, glorious. Running to the window he opened it and put out his head. No fog, no mist, clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious! Glorious!

"What's to-day!"

cried Scrooge calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

"EH?"

returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

"What's today, my fine fellow?"

said Scrooge.

"Today!"

replied the boy.

"Why, Christmas Day."

"It's Christmas Day!"

said Scrooge to himself.

"I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!"

"Hallo!"

returned the boy.

"Do you know the Poulterers, in the next street but one, at the corner?"

Scrooge inquired.

"I should hope I did,"

replied the lad.

"An intelligent boy!"

said Scrooge.

"A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there? Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?"

"What, the one as big as me?"

returned the boy.

"What a delightful boy!"

said Scrooge.

"It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck!"

"It's hanging there now,"

replied the boy.

"Is it?"

said Scrooge.

"Go and buy it."

"Walk-ER!"

exclaimed the boy.

"No, no,"

said Scrooge,

"I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell them to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I'll give you half-a-crown!"

The boy was off like a shot. He must have had a steady hand at a trigger who could have got a shot off half so fast.

On your screen are a number of statements. Some of them are true. Some of them are false. You need to work out which ones are true and which ones are false. Pause the video now to complete the task. Right, lets look at some answers. Scrooge notices his bed curtains are not torn down. That is true. Scrooge says he is as happy as a drunk angel. That is false. He does say he is happy as an angel, but the angel is not drunk. Scrooge laughs for the first time in a long time. That is true. The weather is glorious, cold with golden sunlight. That is true. Our extract will continue now.

"I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's!"

whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh.

"He shan't know who sends it. It's twice the size of Tiny Tim. Joe Miller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob's will be!"

The hand in which he wrote the address was not a steady one, but write it he did, somehow, and went down-stairs to open the street door, ready for the coming of the poulterer's man. As he stood there, waiting his arrival, the knocker caught his eye.

"I shall love it, as long as I live!"

cried Scrooge, patting it with his hand.

"I scarcely ever looked at it before. What an honest expression it has in its face! It's a wonderful knocker! Oh, here's the Turkey! Hallo! Whoop! How are you! Merry Christmas!"

It was a Turkey! He never could have stood upon his legs, that bird. He would have snapped them short off in a minute, like sticks of sealing-wax.

"Why, it's impossible to carry that to Camden Town,"

said Scrooge.

"You must have a cab."

The chuckle with which he said this, and the chuckle with which he paid for the Turkey, and the chuckle with which he paid for the cab, and the chuckle with which he recompensed the boy, were only to be exceeded by the chuckle with which he sat down breathless in his chair again, and chuckled till he cried. Shaving was not an easy task, for his hand continued to shake very much; and shaving requires attention, even when you don't dance while you are at it. But if he had cut the end of his nose off, he would have put a piece of sticking-plaster over it, and been quite satisfied. He dressed himself "all in his best," and at last got out into the streets. The people were by this time pouring forth, as he had seen them with the Ghost of Christmas Present; and walking with his hands behind him, Scrooge regarded every one with a delighted smile. He looked so irresistibly pleasant, in a word, that three or four good-humored fellows said, "Good morning, sir! A merry Christmas to you!" And Scrooge said often afterwards, that of all the blithe sounds he had ever heard, those were the blithest in his ears.

Answer the questions below, full sentences. Pause the video to answer the questions. Okay, lets look at some answers. Question 1. Scrooge asks the boy to go and buy the prize turkey. Questions 2. After Scrooge pays for everything and sits down, he 'chuckled till he cried'. Question 3. Scrooge Gives a smile to every person he sees. Question 4. Scrooge is described as looking irresistibly pleasant. Instantly, Scrooge begins to see the world differently. He no longer is burdened by the darkness of his former misanthropic life. He's experiencing the benefit of redemption. Let's apply our learning. So our key question is how does Dickens show the benefits of Scrooge's redemption in Stave 5? Write a short response to the question above. Spend at least 15 minutes writing. You may wish to mention Scrooge's actions, Scrooge's dialogue and patterns of speech, the description of the weather, and Scrooge's response to others. Words to include are rebirth, redemption, transformation and allegory. Pause the video now to complete your task. Okay, let's take a look at some example responses. Dickens present Scrooge as beginning to enjoy the benefits of redemption. His rebirth begins with him crying like a newborn baby. He describes himself as being 'light as a feather' and 'happy as an angel'. Dickens connects Scrooge's transformation with light, similar to other characters in the novella who represent moral goodness like Fred and the ghost of Christmas past. Dickens uses the novella as an allegory to teach that, like Scrooge, his readers would experience the joy by shining selfish greed and thinking about others. Scrooge immediately begins to think of ways he can demonstrate kindness. He begins to except social responsibility and it changes how others treat and see him. Let's look at a slightly more developed response. Dickens shows Scrooge experiencing the early benefits of redemption. He has a renewed energy and sense of purpose. He 'scrambles' out of bed, thankful that he has time to make amends. Dickens loosely basis Scrooges transformation on Christian principles; Scrooge experiences a type of rebirth. Like a newborn baby, Scrooge cry several times, 'sobbing violently'. His clothes are symbolic of his change: 'inside out' and 'upside down'. Scrooge 'glows' with good intention, dispelling the darkness of his former life. His 'splendid life' and his glow are similar to Fred's at the start of the Novella. The Novella is an allegory to teach that selfish greed robs a person of true happiness for themselves and others.

Yes, and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own. The room was his own. Best and happiest of all, a time before him was his own, to make amends in. "I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!" Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. "The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees!" He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would scarcely answer to his call. He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the Spirit, and his face was wet with tears. "They are not torn down," cried Scrooge, folding one of his bed curtains in his arms, "they are not torn down, rings and all. They are here. I am here. The shadows of the things that would have been, may be dispelled. They will be. I know they will!" "I don't know what to do!" cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocoön of himself with his stockings. "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world. Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!" What simple things in life make you happy? Why do you think this is? Why are holidays like Christmas and New Year so important to some people? Why do some people feel it is important to have a positive attitude to life? Do you agree?

Next lesson, we look at Dickens' message about an individuals role in society, but for now you have a quiz to complete. Make sure you absolutely smash it and I look forward to seeing you next time. Take care. Bye-bye.

Exit Quiz: Scrooge: A new life

Completed: Scrooge: A new life

In this lesson, we will explore how Dickens shows the benefits of Scrooge's redemption in the final chapter of the novella.

English

Scrooge: A new life

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Final Quiz

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