Name: _______________________________

GCSE English Literature Revision There are two exams for GCSE English Literature: Unit 1 (2 hours): 35% of total grade 

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Section A: ‘Of Mice and Men’ - 1 extract question (10 marks - 20 mins) - 1 essay (20 marks - 40 mins) ‘Section B: Unseen poetry comparsion - Comparison question (20 marks)

Unit 2 (2 hours): 40% of total grade 

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Section A: ‘Blood Brothers’ - 1 extract question (10 marks - 20 mins) - 1 essay (20 marks - 40 mins) Section B ‘A Christmas Carol’ - 1 extract question (10 marks - 20 mins) - 1 essay (20 marks - 40 mins)

The remaining 25% of your GCSE English Literature grade will be made up by your Shakespeare/poetry controlled assessment. This four hour essay will completed in school and is marked out of 40.

Revising for the Exams You must revise thoroughly for both Unit 1 & 2 exams as you need to know all about the plot, characters and themes of the three texts. Use the resources from school as well as your exercise books, past papers and resources from the web to make thorough notes on all areas of the texts. Whilst you don’t have to know hundreds of quotes from each text you study, it would be wise to learn a few for main characters (e.g. Mrs Johnstone, Scrooge etc) and each main theme from a text (e.g. Of Mice and Men – Hopes and dreams, violence, role of women etc) Some useful websites: -

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/

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http://www.wjec.co.uk/students/past-papers/

Unit 1: Section A – ‘Of Mice and Men’ The first section of Unit 1 is all about ‘Of Mice and Men’. You will have two tasks:  

1 extract question (10 marks - 20 mins) 1 essay question – choice of two questions (20 marks - 40 mins)

You should know a lot about this novel as you will have read it at least once in class and probably written at least two controlled assessments on it for your GCSE English Language. There are lots of really useful notes on the novel on the website www.sparknotes.com. Use this website to make careful notes on characters and themes. You should also read the book again and may find the ‘York Notes’ study guide useful as well, available from Amazon or Waterstones. In your USB stick from you will also find study guides on ‘Of Mice and Men’ – make revision notes and learn key quotes for each character and theme. If you’d like some extract questions to practise then ask your teacher to copy you a past paper. Here are some practice essay questions – remember you only have to answer one essay question on ‘Of Mice and Men’ and will have a choice of two possible questions – theme OR character: Character:   

How does Steinbeck present the character of Curley? How is Crooks important to the novel as a whole? Imagine you are Candy at the end of the story. Write a diary entry looking back events since George and Lennie arrived on the ranch

Theme:  How does Steinbeck present the idea of hopes and dreams within the novel?  How is the role of women presented within ‘Of Mice and Men’?  ‘‘Of Mice and Men’ shows the harshness and violence of ranches in the American West’ – how far do you agree with this statement?

How to plan a good essay In 40 minutes you should be aiming to write 2-3 sides of A4 but don’t just start writing straight away. The key to writing a good essay is to plan for a few minutes first. Underline the key words in the question then write a brief plan, it will keep your essay focused. If you go for a character essay then you should think about four or five key events for that character e.g. How does Steinbeck present the character of Slim in ‘Of Mice and Men’?

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Introduction about the character, brief 2-3 sentence summary of how they’re involved in the story First important event e.g. Slim’s influential role on the ranch e.g. “prince of the ranch” Second important event e.g. Drowns four puppies, gives one to Lennie – shows harsh nature of American West, kinder side to Slim but pragmatic Third important event e.g. George confides in Slim – reveals Weed incident, Slim shows understanding Fourth important event e.g. blackmails Curley into staying quiet about ‘the fight’ – shows power on ranch Final important event e.g. Comforts George after killing of Lennie – “I swear you had to” Conclusion – Sum up your personal opinion and what you have learnt through the character

Your main paragraphs should be structured around evidence from the text  Make a statement about the character/theme  Include some EVIDENCE (if you can’t remember a QUOTE then use describe closely what happened)  Explain what this shows us about the character or theme  Try to comment what we learn through this character or theme

Approaching the WJEC Unseen Poetry Exam Top Tips!  You will not have seen the poems before (unseen poetry) but will have your WJEC poetry collection so can practise the skills needed for success  You have one hour to read both poems and write around three sides of analysis  Before writing, stop and read the first poem THREE TIMES. Your ideas may change as you read it more.  Take note of the title, it usually gives a useful lead.  Track through the poem in order, reading it in units of sense, not line by line, it is usually best to read from punctuation mark to punctuation mark.  NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE END OF A POEM! This is often where the key message is so it’s important to be thorough.  Is there a specific voice? If so whose? What is the effect of the voice?  Is it addressed to someone? If so, what is the effect of this?  What is the aim of the poem? Does it tell a story? Describe an experience? Protest about something? Describe a place? Think about why the poet wrote it.  What is the mood and atmosphere of the poem? Pinpoint words that you think create it. Does it change at all? If so, how do you know?  Focus closely on words used and their effects.  Is there any distinctive imagery? If so, what are the effects of this?  NEVER ‘SPOT’ TECHNIQUES! E.g. “There is a simile in the second stanza” It’s much more important to understand the effects of the actual words and phrases used.  be able to use the comment-and-evidence (or evidence-and–comment as appropriate) and understand the use of “stretchy comment” – being brief when required, and giving a more expanded exploration if there is something worth exploring  be able to use the expressions “[word] suggests…” or “This implies…” or similar to focus on the connotations of specific word choices and draw inferences  Think about the way the poem is put together and organised: the length of the lines; significant pauses; the use of stanzas; distinctive rhythm or rhyme. DON’T SPOT IT THOUGH! Think about how it fits with the overall meaning of the poem.  What do you think about it? Does the poem connect with any of your own experiences or anything else you’ve seen or read?  Repeat the process for the second poem but this time make COMPARSIONS with content from the first poem  Ensure you reflect on both poems through a detailed conclusion

Unit 2: Section A - ‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy Russell Unfortunately there isn’t a BBC Bitesize section on ‘Blood Brothers’ or any York Notes so in this booklet there are some notes on the text – highlight and use them and your exercise books to make good notes. The structure of the ‘Blood Brothers’ section is exactly the same as your ‘Of Mice and Men’ exam – one 10 mark extract question, followed by a choice of two 20 mark essay questions. If you’d like some extract questions to practice then ask your teacher to copy you a past paper. Here are some practice essay questions – remember you only have to answer one essay question on Blood Brothers. Character:   

How does Willy Russell present the character of Mickey Johnstone? Mrs Johnstone is a victim in the play. How far would you agree with this statement? Imagine you are Mrs Lyons at the end of the play. Write a diary entry looking back at your life since you became mother of Edward.

Theme:  Which character do you feel is most to blame for the tragic deaths of the twins?  How does Russell present the theme of family in Blood Brothers?  ‘Blood Brothers’ shows the importance of class in our society - how far do you agree with this statement?

How to plan a good essay In 40 minutes you should be aiming to write 2-3 sides of A4 but don’t just start writing straight away. The key to writing a good essay is to plan for a few minutes first. Underline the key words in the question then write a brief plan, it will keep your essay focused. If you go for a character essay then you should think about four key events for that character e.g. How does Willy Russell present the character of Mickey Johnstone?  

Introduction about the character, brief 2-3 sentence summary of how they’re involved in the story First important event e.g. A young Mickey provides much needed humour to the play e.g. “I wish I was our Sammy...”

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Second important event e.g. Mickey and Eddie become blood brothers/best friends twice (aged 7 and 14) e.g. “I wish I was like that guy...” Third important event e.g. Mickey gets Linda pregnant and then is sent to prison following the robbery with Sammy e.g. “The jury found him guilty, sent him down for seven years” Final important event e.g. Mickey accidently shoots Eddie after Mrs Johnstone reveals they are twins e.g. “Why didn’t you give me away?” Conclusion – Sum up your personal opinion and what you have learnt through the character

If you go for a theme essay then you should think about four characters or events which the theme applies to e.g. How does Willy Russell present the theme of family?  

  

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Introduction about the theme, brief two sentence summary of how the theme is important to the play First character/event to represent theme e.g. Mrs Johnstone is a hard working single mother of a family of seven at start of play “I love the bones of every one of them” Second character/event to represent theme e.g. Mrs Lyons is an affluent but lonely housewife who craves a family “I dream of all the places I’d take him” Third character/event to represent theme e.g. Eddie doesn’t seem particularly close to his ‘mother’ Mrs Lyons proving money doesn’t make a happy family Final character/event to represent theme e.g. Mickey and Linda struggle as a new family once Mickey is sent to prison and becomes addicted to anti-depressants e.g. “Give them to me Linda!” Conclusion – Sum up your personal opinion and what you have learnt about the theme

Your main paragraphs should be structured around evidence from the text  Make a statement about the character/theme  Include some EVIDENCE (if you can’t remember a QUOTE then use describe closely what happened)  Explain what this shows us about the character or theme  Try to comment what we learn through this character or theme

BLOOD BROTHERS - REVISION NOTES 1. Plot As a basic starting point, you need to know the play inside out ie. You need to know what happens, to whom, and when. Act 1 In the production you see what happens at the end at the beginning, so you know what's coming. The musical opens with two stretchers laid out on the floor with bodies on. As they are carried off a few bars of the haunting 'Tell Me It’s Not True' are sung. The narrator then speaks to the audience 'So, did you hear the story of the Johnstone twins, as like each other as two new pins, of one womb born, on the self same day, how one was kept and one given away…..’ Mrs Johnstone is the main character. She married young, and by the time her husband leaves her she already has seven children and is pregnant again. She works as a cleaner for a wealthy lady, Mrs Lyons. When Mrs Johnstone learns that she is pregnant with twins she is distraught, knowing that she only earns enough to cope with one. When Mrs Lyons hears this she begs Mrs Johnstone to give one of the twins to her, as she and her husband cannot have children. This is agreed on the condition that Mrs Johnstone will still be able to see the baby when she is at work. However, it soon becomes clear that Mrs Lyons is afraid of being found out and wants the twin that she has chosen all to herself. She fires Mrs Johnstone and tells her that the twins must never learn that they are brothers, because people say that if twins who are separated learn this, they will both die straight away. Seven years pass and we meet Mickey, the twin Mrs Johnstone has kept. He then meets Edward Lyons or Eddie as Mickey calls him. They become firm friends, and find out that they were born on the same day. Mickey invites Eddie to become his 'blood brother' which Eddie agrees to readily. Although both are told by their mothers to keep away from each other, the friends stick together. Mrs Lyons realises this, and persuades her husband to move away. Soon after, and without knowing that the Lyons are already there, the Johnstones are re-housed in the country. Act 2 The boys meet again when they 14 and they have both been excluded from school for being rude to their teachers. They both fall in love with the same girl, Linda. Eddie almost tells her that he loves her but doesn't want to hurt Mickey and so helps them get together. By the time Eddie returns from his first term at University, Linda and Mickey are married and expecting a baby. Mickey loses his job so no longer wants to be friends with Eddie, who he thinks hasn't grown up. As Mickey is now unemployed, he acts as a look-out for Sammy during a robbery, but when it goes wrong he ends up in jail. He becomes very depressed and even when he gets out he continues to take anti-depressants. Linda tires of Mickey taking the tablets and runs to Eddie. When Mrs Lyons tells Mickey about their relationship, he takes Sammy’s gun and goes to the council chamber where Eddie is giving a speech. . Mrs Johnstone finds them and tells them that they are brothers. Mickey can't believe that he could have had the privileged upbringing that Eddie had, saying “I could have been him.” He shoots Eddie and is then shot by the police.

2. Themes Clearly your study of the play must go beyond this basic level. You need to track key themes throughout the play, identifying where they appear and what they reveal about characters. The main themes are outlined below: Friendship/Family

The friendship between Eddie and Mickey happens instantly, but is tested throughout the play because of their different backgrounds. Throughout the play Russell explores the importance of family and parenthood illustrating that money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness.

Social class

The play highlights the differences between the life experiences of working class and middle class families and the way they are treated by society, such as the policeman acting differently around Mrs Johnstone and Mr Lyons when the children are in trouble.

Violence

Runs throughout the play, from Sammy and the other children playing with guns as children to the robbery and violent deaths at the end.

Childhood

The play explores the issue of childhood and the different ways the twins are brought up, for example Edward learns from Mickey as his upbringing makes him more like an adult than a child. Their childhood innocence in Act 1 is soon destroyed as they grow up in Act 2.

Nature/nurture

When Mickey says “I could have been him” he implies that his life would have turned out differently had he been brought up by Mrs Lyons. Is this true – do we behave in a certain way because of our upbringing (nurture) or is our behaviour down to the personalities that we are born with (nature)?

Superstition

Mrs Johnstone believes in lots of superstitions. Her beliefs are used by Mrs Lyons to trap Mrs Johnstone into silence – she tells her that if the boys discover they are twins they will both die.

3. Characters There are a lot of characters in the play, some serve a major role and some a minor one. Each of them, however, serves a purpose in the play and is there to move the plot along or reveal something about another character. Major characters are: Mrs Johnstone, Mrs Lyons, Mickey, Edward, Linda, and Narrator. Minor characters are: Mr Lyons, Sammy THE NARRATOR What purpose does the narrator serve? On stage he appears dressed in a black suit – this gives him a neutral, anonymous status but also makes him look as though he’s dressed for a funeral. He is given a ghostlike quality because the other characters ignore him. His main role is to act as a constant reminder to us of the brothers’ tragic fate – exemplified in the song ‘Shoes upon the table’ which is repeated throughout the play.

LINDA She is Mickey’s best friend when they are children, and defends him against the taunts of the other children when he swears during a game. This close relationship continues into Act 2 as she often declares her love for him patiently waits for him to ask her out. Her role as protector is clear when she tries to get Mickey to come off the pills, but she eventually turns to Edward for comfort when Mickey becomes a changed man, yet it is his jealousy of this relationship which leads to the deaths of the twins.

EDWARD He is in awe of Mickey when they first meet and begins to take on some of Mickey’s traits, much to the distress of his mother. His bonds of friendship with Mickey are shown when he is excluded from school for refusing to remove a locket from round his neck with a picture of Mickey in it. He has better prospects: a superior education, including going to university. He becomes more of a role model in Act 2 as he holds a good job and is considerate of Linda when Mickey turns away from her; Edward’s life prospers as Mickey’s goes into decline.

MICKEY Mickey plays the role of a childhood ringleader when the audience first sees him aged 7. He becomes a hero-figure for Edward because of his energy and all the things he knows. Mickey loses his role model status later on in the play as he is made redundant and cannot provide for his family, turning to crime and then pills to help him cope with his problems. It is clear at the end of the play that he blames Mrs Johnstone for giving Edward away and not him, thinking that he would have had a very different life if he had been in Edward’s shoes.

MRS LYONS She is conscious of her social position as a

MRS JOHNSTONE Are we led to think of Mrs Johnstone as ‘the

middle class woman and tries to use money to

mother, so cruel’ that she is described as?

solve the ‘problem’ of Mrs Johnstone. She is

She is the more down-to-earth and

portrayed as a very cold woman who doesn’t

approachable mother of the two, for example

show any emotion. She is over-protective of

letting them go and watch a porn film.

Edward and fears his bond with the

Rather than viewing her as a cruel character,

Johnstones. Later in the play her fear

we tend to sympathise with her problem.

becomes clear and she becomes an obsessive

Despite her lack of money, she refuses to

character who loses control – this is evident

take money from the desperate Mrs Lyons.

when she attempts to attack Mrs Johnstone

The audience tends to side with Mrs

with a kitchen knife and why she tells Mickey

Johnstone as the working-class mother.

about Linda’s relationship with Edward.

5. USEFUL QUOTES TO LEARN TO HELP YOU IN THE EXAM Narrator Narrator: “And did you ever hear of a mother, so cruel, There’s a stone in place of her heart, Then bring her on and come and judge for yourselves How she came to play this part.” Narrator: “But a debt is a debt and it must be paid” Narrator: “You know the devil’s got your number” Narrator: “You ‘re innocent, immortal, you’re just fifteen” Narrator: “He’s old before his time, But still too young to know” Linda Linda to teacher: “Oh, leave him alone you. Y’ big worm!” Linda to Mickey:” You better hadn’t do anything soft, like him” Linda to Mickey: “I get depressed but I don’t take those. You don’t need those, Mickey.” Linda to Eddie: “I suppose I always…loved you, in a way.” Mrs Johnstone Mrs Johnstone to Mrs Lyons: “Oh God, Mrs Lyons, never put new shoes on a table…You never know what’ll happen” Mrs Johnstone to kids: “I’ll have a look in the catalogue next week. We’ll see what the bikes are like in there.” Mrs Johnstone to kids: “He’s gone, he’s gone up to heaven,love.” Mrs Johnstone: “Y’gonna be late Mick. I don’t want you getting the sack and spendin’ your days idling around like our Sammy” Mrs Johnstone to Mrs Lyons: “I’d spend it. I’d buy more junk and trash; that’s all. I don’t want your money.” Mrs Johnstone: “Mickey. Don’t shoot Eddie. He’s your brother. You had a twin brother. I couldn’t afford to keep both of you.” Mrs Lyons Mrs Lyons: “Each day I look out from this window, I see him with his friends, I hear him call” Mrs Lyons: “Mrs Johnstone, nobody must ever know. Therefore we have to make an agreement.” Mrs Lyons: “You gave your baby away, don’t you realise what a crime that is? You’ll be locked up.” Mrs Lyons to Mrs J: “Wherever I go you’ll be behind me. I know that now…always and forever like, like a shadow.” Mickey Mickey’s Monologue: “I wish I was our Sammy, our Sammy’s nearly ten!” Mickey to Eddie: “Eh, we were born on the same day...” Mickey/Edward: “If I was the guy, if I Was in his shoes” Narrator about Mickey: “He’s old before his time, But still too young to know” Mickey: “I could have been…I could have been him” Edward Edward (greatly impressed) to Mickey: “Do you… do you really? Goodness that’s fantastic.” Edward to Mrs J: “I thought you didn’t like me. I thought you weren’t very nice. But I think you’re smashing.” Edward to Mrs Lyons: “Don’t Mummy, don’t look. It’s a magpie, never look at one magpie. It’s one for sorrow…” Edward to Mrs Lyons: “It’s just a secret, everybody has secrets, don’t you have secrets?” Edward to Linda: “I’ve always loved you, you must have known that.”

Section B – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens There are lots of really useful notes on the novel on the website www.sparknotes.com. Use this website to make careful notes on characters and themes. You can even read the whole book again for free on the internet! http://charlesdickenspage.com/carol.html The structure of the ‘A Christmas Carol’ section is exactly the same as your ‘Blood Brothers’ section – one 10 mark extract question, followed by a choice of two 20 mark essay questions. If you’d like some extract questions to practice then ask your teacher to copy you a past paper. Here are some practice essay questions – remember you only have to answer one essay question on A Christmas Carol Character:   

How does Dickens present the character of Scrooge? How are the Cratchit family important to the novel as a whole? Imagine you are Scrooge at the end of the story. Write a diary entry looking back events since Christmas Eve.

Theme:  How does Dickens present the theme of the supernatural in A Christmas Carol?  How does Dickens present the theme of family in A Christmas Carol?  ‘A Christmas Carol’ shows the importance of class in Victorian London - how far do you agree with this statement? How to plan a good essay: In 40 minutes you should be aiming to write 2-3 sides of A4 but don’t just start writing straight away. The key to writing a good essay is to plan for a few minutes first. Underline the key words in the question then write a brief plan, it will keep your essay focused. If you go for a character essay then you should think about four key events for that character e.g. How does Dickens present the character of Scrooge?      

Introduction about the character, brief two sentence summary of how they’re involved in the story First important event e.g. Marley’s visit – “There's more of gravy than of grave about you” Second important event e.g. The Ghost of Christmas Past – “Scrooge pressed it down on the extinguisher cap with all his force...” Third important event e.g. The Ghost of Christmas Present – “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both” Final important event e.g. Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come – “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future” Conclusion – Sum up your personal opinion and what you have learnt through the character

If you go for a theme essay then you should think about four characters or events which the theme applies to e.g. How does Dickens present the theme of family? 

Introduction about the theme, brief two sentence summary of how the theme is important to the play

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 

First character/event to represent theme e.g. The Cratchit family, loving nature of Bob and Tiny Tim’s relationship, everyone helps out with dinner Second character/event to represent theme e.g. Scrooge’s nephew kind and generous nature e.g. “A Merry Christmas to you uncle” Third character/event to represent theme e.g. Scrooge’s attitude to family – hostile at first but by the end of the novel completely changes “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future” Final character/event to represent theme e.g. The Ghost of Christmas Present – society as a family? “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both” Conclusion – Sum up your personal opinion and what you have learnt about the theme

Your main paragraphs should be structured around evidence from the text    

Make a statement about the character/theme Include some EVIDENCE (if you can’t remember a QUOTE then use describe closely what happened) Explain what this shows us about the character or theme Try to comment what we learn through this character or theme

Characters Ebenezer Scrooge - The miserly owner of a London counting-house, a nineteenth century term for an accountant's office. The three spirits of Christmas visit the stodgy bean-counter in hopes of reversing Scrooge's greedy, cold-hearted approach to life. Quotes: Stave One    

“He was as tight-fisted as a grindstone” “Bah! Humbug!” “Are there no prisons, no workhouses for the poor?” “Then the poor should die and decrease the surplus population”

Stave Two  

“A lonely boy was sat reading near a feeble fire” “Scrooge seized the extinguisher-cap and pressed it down upon its head”

Stave Three  

To the Ghost of Christmas Present: “Tell me Tiny Tim will live...” To the Ghost of Christmas Present: “Here’s a new game, one half hour Spirit, one more!”

Stave Four  

To the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “Tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!” To the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try keep it the whole year round”

Stave Five 

“I’ll raise your salary Bob and endeavour to assist your struggling family”

Bob Cratchit - Scrooge's clerk, a kind, mild, and very poor man with a large family. Though treated harshly by his boss, Cratchit remains a humble and dedicated employee.  

“Tiny Time rode upon his shoulder” About Scrooge: “I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the founder of the feast”

Tiny Tim - Bob Cratchit's young son, crippled from birth. Tiny Tim is a highly sentimentalized character who Dickens uses to highlight the tribulations of England's poor and to elicit sympathy from his middle and upper class readership. 

“God bless us every one!”

Jacob Marley - In the living world, Ebenezer Scrooge's equally greedy partner. Marley died seven years before the narrative opens. He appears to Scrooge as a ghost condemned to wander the world bound in heavy chains. Marley hopes to save his old partner from suff ering a similar fate. Quotes:  

“Marley was dead... There was no doubt about that” “I wear the chain I forged in life”

The Ghost of Christmas Past - The first spirit to visit Scrooge, a curiously childlike apparition with a glowing head. He takes Scrooge on a tour of Christmases in his past. The spirit uses a cap to dampen the light emanating from his head.    

“Out of its head sprang bright clear jet of light” To Scrooge: “These are the shadows of the things that have been. Do not blame me!” “My life upon this globe is very brief” “Scrooge seized the extinguisher-cap and pressed it down upon its head”

The Ghost of Christmas Present - The second spirit to visit Scrooge, a majestic giant clad in a green robe. His lifespan is restricted to Christmas Day. He escorts Scrooge on a tour of his contemporaries' Holiday celebrations.   

“More than eighteen hundred brothers I have” “Are there no prisons, no workshouses?” “The boy is ignorance, the girl is want. Beware them both!”

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - The third and final spirit to visit Scrooge, a silent phantom clad in a hooded black robe. He presents Scrooge with an ominous view of his lonely death.  

“The face was shrouded in a deep black garment” Scrooge about the Ghost – “I fear you more than any spectre I have seen”

Fred - Scrooge's nephew, a genial man who loves Christmas. He invites Scrooge to his Christmas party each and every year, only to be refused by his grumpy uncle.   

“Come and dine with us tomorrow” “So A Merry Christmas Uncle!” “He’s a comical old fellow but I have nothing to say against him”

Fezziwig - The jovial merchant with whom the young Scrooge apprenticed. Fezziwig was renowned for his wonderful Christmas parties.

Belle - A beautiful woman who Scrooge loved deeply when he was a young man. Belle broke off their engagement after Scrooge became consumed with greed and the lust for wealth. She later married another man. Peter Cratchit - Bob's oldest son, who inherits his father's stiff-collared shirt for Christmas. Martha Cratchit - Bob's oldest daughter, who works in a milliner's shop. (A milliner is a person who designs, produces, and sells hats.) Fan - Scrooge's sister; Fred's mother. In Scrooge's vision of Christmases past, he remembers Fan picking him up from school and walking him home. The Portly Gentlemen - Two gentlemen who visit Scrooge at the beginning of the tale seeking charitable contributions. Scrooge promptly throws them out of his office. Upon meeting one of them on the street after his visitations, he promises to make lavish donations to help the poor. Mrs. Cratchit - Bob's wife, a kind and loving woman.