their writing upon the reader)
PEEL (Paragraphs 2-4)
'EVIDENCE' short and embedded
As the novella develops, Dickens uses the characters of
'POINT' sentence uses key words from question and
Ignorance and Want in Stave Three to illustrate the suffering of signposts both where in the text the views are expressed
society's most vulnerable-namely, children. Their presentation and the 'EVIDENCE' is taken from
as 'Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish' not only conveys
how underdeveloped and malnourished they are, but also -
through the adjective 'scowling" - indicates how their harsh
upbringing has resulted in the youthful exuberance of childhood.
being replaced by a hardened aggression towards the world.
Furthermore, the use of a list enables Dickens to convey the
wide range of issues facing poor people in Victorian Britain.
The anger of these children is arguably a reflection of Dickens'
own vexation towards the mistreatment of poor, vulnerable
children of the time. Having experienced a challenging
upbringing, he was well placed to promote the idea that all
adults had a responsibility to nurture and develop young
people.
'EXPLANATION' detailed via 'not only', 'but also' and
close word / device analysis (adjective and list)
'LINK' sentence ends paragraph - this further reinforces
main argument of paragraph and demonstrates whole
text understanding
Conclusion (Paragraph 5)
Overall, having experienced suffering during his childhood,
Dickens leaves the reader with the impression that those with
wealth, status and authority should be doing more to support
society's most vulnerable. As someone who supported the
ragged schools of Victorian Britain, Dickens was a keen
advocate for the development of a more supportive and
understanding society.
'Apply' task: Re-write the following paragraph using the provided guidance:
Short paragraph / sentence which revisits the question
and- for purposes of cohesion and security of argument
-repeats key phrases from Introduction
(1) Scrooge does nothing to alleviate the suffering of the poor when he states 'decrease the surplus population'. (2) This
shows how he has little interest in helping others. (3)
(1) Start 'POINT' by signposting quote - say where in the text it is taken from (In Stave 1, Dickens immediately
establishes Scrooge as someone who ...)
(2) Offer a more detailed 'EXPLANATION' (As well as highlighting how Scrooge feels..., the imperative verb 'decrease'
conveys his belief that..., whilst the use of the adjective 'surplus' suggests the poor are ...)
(3) Add a 'LINK' sentence (Here, Malthusian attitudes of the time are evident because ...)
Try to use as much of the following vocabulary in your Green Pen work:
Tentative language = arguably, possibly, could, might
Authorial intent (presenting ideas) = express, convey, present, outline
Authorial intent (positive) = celebrate, praise, showcase, promote, encourage, stimulate
Authorial intent (negative) = criticise, warn, highlight, challenge, dispute, lambast