Structure & Time
English Lit: AQA GCSE A Christmas Carol, topic 5.1.1
Novella
A novella is a story which is longer than a short story but not as long as a novel.
Plot
- It can have a complicated plot, but does not have as many complications as a novel.
Characters
- Although novellas may have a range of characters, the limited word count means that they cannot explore many of the characters in great depth; instead, they tend to have one or two characters that readers really get to know, and then several other smaller roles.
Short reading time
- Because it is a shorter story, it also means that the story can be read out loud in a short space of time – this (along with the subject matter) makes it an ideal form of entertainment at Christmas.
Simple Structure: Five Staves
In keeping with the idea behind the title (A Christmas Carol), the story is structured in five distinctive sections, reflecting the structure of a carol itself (five staves, rather than chapters).
Meaning of stave
- Musicians use staves. Staves are made up of five parallel lines. A musician writes musical notes onto or between these lines.
- A stave is also a verse of a poem or song.
- Each stave of A Christmas Carol is a short story with its own mood and atmosphere.
Stave 1 story
- Scrooge is unkind, unsympathetic and selfish: “it’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s”.
Staves 2-4 stories
- We learn about Scrooge’s childhood and the sadness he felt, how he lost people he loved (Fan and Belle), and ended up alone.
- We also learn about the consequences of his actions if he continues to behave in this way: “lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself” (Stave 4).
Stave 5 story
- Scrooge’s redemption. After realising the mistakes he has made in life, he vows to change and become a better person: “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!”
Effect of combining the staves
- Like a carol, the staves make sense on their own, but joining them together gives a fuller picture.
- When all five staves are joined together, they form a whole picture of Scrooge’s life. The reader learns how and why he is miserable and alone, and then they learn how and why he changes.
Circular structure
- The novella has a cyclical or circular structure because elements of the first stave (like the charity collectors and Scrooge's office) return in the final stave.
- This structure helps to emphasise Scrooge's transformation.
Test yourself on Structure & Time
How many characters do readers of novellas usually really get to know?
How many staves does A Christmas Carol have?
Elements of the first stave return in the final stave.
What kind of structure does this give the novella?