Symbolism: Using symbols to represent ideas or qualities. In "A Christmas Carol," the chains Marley wears symbolize the consequences of a life spent in greed.

Stave: A term for a chapter in "A Christmas Carol," reflecting the musical structure of the story, as a stave is a set of lines in a musical staff.

Cyclical Structure: A narrative that ends where it began. "A Christmas Carol" starts and ends with Scrooge, showing his transformation from miser to a generous man.

Moral: The lesson of the story. The moral of "A Christmas Carol" is the importance of compassion and generosity.

Authorial Voice: The unique style of the author. Charles Dickens' authorial voice in "A Christmas Carol" is warm, engaging, and often directly addresses the reader.

Narrator: The person telling the story. In "A Christmas Carol," the narrator is omniscient, knowing all the characters' thoughts and feelings.

Novella: A short novel. "A Christmas Carol" is a novella because it is longer than a short story but shorter than a full-length novel.

Antithesis: Contrasting ideas placed close together. In "A Christmas Carol," Scrooge's cold-heartedness is the antithesis of Fred's warmth and generosity.

Imagery: Descriptive language that creates vivid pictures. Dickens uses imagery to describe the bleakness of Scrooge's life and the warmth of the Cratchit family.

Subverting Convention: Challenging traditional norms. "A Christmas Carol" subverts the convention of ghost stories by using ghosts to deliver a moral lesson rather than just to scare.

A Christmas Carol

Form, Style and Structure