Edwin Diaz- Grade 7
Edwin Diaz- Grade 7
Dear Ms. Faheem,
I read three versions of A Christmas Carol. They were dialogue only, stage directions only, and a version with both stage directions and dialogue. The mood of A Christmas Carol is creepy, for a ghost visits Scrooge. The theme is that bad choices have consequences. I think that the version of A Christmas Carol with both stage directions and dialogue best communicates the theme because that version has twice the details of dialogue only or stage directions only.
The stage directions supply the reader with the information of the theme with symbols of the setting. For example, the texts says Marley, “is horrible to look at: pigtail, vest as usual, but he drags an enormous chain now, which is fastened to cash boxes.” Those are clues that his consequence of being greedy is to carry chains around. Meanwhile, the dialogue only supplies information about what the characters say. For example, Marley says, “I made it link by link and yard by yard.” Marley is referring to the fact that his bad choices led to that, supporting the theme that bad choices have consequences.
If the dialogue was missing, then it would be more difficult for readers to find the theme. The dialogue is helpful to understand, but even more so with the company of the stage directions. That is why I think the stage directions and dialogue best help communicates the theme that bad choices have consequences.
Sincerely,
Edwin Diaz
Teacher’s Note: In the second quarter, students read the drama, Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. The students analyzed the structure of dramas and the rhetoric of theatre as they read and even acted out the play. As a part of their study, students read sections of A Christmas Carol and used it to explain the importance of various aspects of drama. Using direct quotes, Rocio compared the impact of both stage directions and dialogue in a key scene in the form of a letter to a teacher. Rocio’s piece was selected for its detail and support.Dear Senorita Merritt,
In language arts class, we read three versions of A Christmas Carol. We read the dialogue-only version, stage directions-only version, and the version with both dialogue and stage directions. The mood of the scene we analyzed in a A Christmas Carol was frightening because a ghost who did everything he could to scare Scrooge. He even took off his head. The theme of A Christmas Carol is that bad choices have consequences. The version with both stage directions and dialogue together best communicate the theme of the story.
Both the stage directions and dialogue best communicate the theme because the dialogue tells you exactly what the characters say. For example, in the dialogue version, Jacob Marley says, “I made it link by link and yard by yard.” This is when Jacob Marley comes back from the dead wearing the chains of his mistakes. The stage directions show what the character is doing as he speaking. At this part of the scene, when Marley comes back, the stage directions version says that, “He drags enormous chains now, to which are fastened cash boxes.” This shows the theme because it was his greed and making bad choices that led him to be a ghost with long chains around him. As you can see, the stage directions and dialogue work together to display the theme the best. I hope this is the version you choose for your students.
Sincerely,
Rocio Rivera