Readers Guide for A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

1. What do you think of Ebenezer Scrooge? Do you know anyone in real life who reminds you of him?

2. At its heart, A Christmas Carol is about family. How did Ebenezer’s family life shape him into the man he became? What do you think of the Cratchits as a family?

3. It is an act of great generosity by Scrooge to give his clerk a goose for Christmas dinner. How has Christmas dinner changed since Dickens wrote the story in 1843?

4. Which of the three ghosts—Christmas Past, Christmas Present or Christmas Future—is most important to the story? Why do you think they helped reform Mr. Scrooge?

5. What do you think is the main theme of A Christmas Carol? That it’s never too late to change or that it’s important to give back to the community?

6. The disparity of wealth is a common theme in Dickens’s work. How did he view the wealthy? What contribution to society do you believe his work made, and why has it lasted over time?