The Children Under the Robe
📖 The Children Under the Robe
Dickens opens his argument on poverty in Stave 1 by putting the ideology of the ruling class directly into Scrooge's mouth. When the charity collectors ask for money for those in want of "common necessaries," Scrooge dismisses them with a question: "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" This is not personal c
Earn the mark scheme marks
🧠 Remember the Trajectory: EXPOSED → VISIBLE → ANSWERED
EXPOSED — Stave 1, Scrooge names the ideology: "surplus population," "prisons," "workhouses." Dickens exposes the thinking, not just the man.
VISIBLE — Stave 3, the Cratchits and Ignorance and Want. Dickens makes the human cost visible: warmth despite poverty (Cratchits), the grotesque without warmth (the children). Two images, one argument.
ANSWERED — Stave 5, the salary raised and the promise made. Dickens answers ideology with action — individual, limited, but real.
Anchor your essay paragraphs to these three stages: what Dickens exposes → what he makes visible → what he proposes as an answer. Each paragraph earns AO2 if you tie the textual technique to that stage's argument.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 10
In Stave 3, the Ghost of Christmas Present reveals two allegorical children beneath his robe. What are their names?
Tap an answer to check it