A Christmas Carol — Stave Four: The Last of the Three Spirits
In this episode, we explore Stave Four of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We follow Scrooge’s encounter with the silent and terrifying Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who reveals a bleak and lonely future if Scrooge does not change. From the callous treatment of a dead man’s possessions to the tragic death of Tiny Tim, this stave confronts Scrooge — and readers — with the consequences of a life without compassion. This episode will strengthen your understanding of tension, symbolism, and Dickens’ powerful message about personal responsibility and moral choice.
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6:34
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6:34
A Christmas Carol — Stave Three: The Second of the Three Spirits
In this episode, we explore Stave Three of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We follow Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who reveals scenes of warmth, hardship, and generosity — from the Cratchit family’s humble feast to Fred’s festive party. We also unpack the significance of Tiny Tim and Dickens’ use of Ignorance and Want to criticise social neglect. This episode will strengthen your understanding of character development, symbolism, and Dickens’ powerful messages about compassion, poverty and the consequences of indifference.
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7:34
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7:34
A Christmas Carol — Stave Two: The First of the Three Spirits
In this episode, we explore Stave Two of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We follow Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Past, who guides him through painful and joyful memories — from his lonely schooldays to his lost love, Belle. We explain how Dickens uses these scenes to reveal the roots of Scrooge’s misanthropy and hint at his potential for change. Perfect for strengthening your understanding of character development, memory, and the theme of redemption in Dickens’ powerful Christmas tale.
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5:42
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5:42
A Christmas Carol - Stave One: Introducing Scrooge
In this episode, we explore Stave One of A Christmas Carol to support Year 9 students reading the novella independently. We unpack Dickens’ powerful introduction of Scrooge as a cold-hearted misanthrope, highlight his harsh attitudes to poverty, and examine his chilling encounter with Marley’s ghost. Perfect for helping you build confidence in understanding the opening of the novella and clarifying key moments as you read a stave per week.
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6:23
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6:23
Redemption and Responsibility: The Characters and Themes of A Christmas Carol
In this second episode supporting your independent reading of A Christmas Carol, we take a close look at the key characters and the novella's essential themes: social responsibility, inequality and the possibility of redemption. Make sure you listen to the historical context episode before moving onto this one!
Welcome to our new STG English Literature revision podcast! Hosted by Mr Baugh, each week we'll tackle some of the trickiest aspects of our English Lit set texts, including Lord of the Flies, A Christmas Carol, Macbeth and the poetry anthology.
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