My little, little child!'' It acts as a mirror for Scrooges wealth and position but also as a stark contrast in approach. Stave 4 - in the rag 'n' bone man's shop This again leads back to Dickens' idea of collective responsibility - that everything that we do influences others. Towards the end of the book, Scrooge has clearly learnt that fact and decides to spend his remaining days sharing his time, his wealth, and enjoying the fruits of his fellow men. uses long and short clauses to show how busy they are. Ghost stories were very popular during the Victorian era. He has learned his lesson and been transformed from darkness into light - which is reflected in the world around him. How to revise from this guide You should be spending at least 30-60 minutes a week revising for English Literature from this point onwards, aiming to learn 5-7 key quotes for each character. I am not the man I was. The adjective 'common' shows the reader that the poor only want those things which should be normal and available for all - the 'common' things rather than luxuries. He did it all and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father., He knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the Knowledge.. jovial voice.". Without the ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge wouldve been unlikely to change. - Scrooge, Is scrooges staple opinion to christmas at the start of stave one, showing off his negative opinions to begin with, this is used to emphasise the change in scrooges character from the beginning to the end. Themes= greed and generosity/Christmas. The fog has lifted and Scrooge can 'see' the truth. Then, identify each underlined word by writing above it ADV for adverb or ADJ for adjective. A happy New Year to all the world. "I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. It has harsh imagery and the symbolism of cold, shows he is lacking Christmas spirit. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didnt thaw it one degree at Christmas. 2. ", 'A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He looked so irresistibly pleasant, in a word, that three or four good-humoured fellows said, "Good morning, sir. Stave 2 - Scrooge becomes distressed by what he is seeing. This brightly\underline{\text{brightly}}brightly lit room will be perfect for my art studio. Dickens uses these characters to challenge popular preconceptions that the wealthy had about the poor - preconceptions which led to support for the poor law and the workhouses. Of course, Dickens does use his trademark lengthy descriptions but nearly everything has a point. You are changed. In the first stave of A Christmas Carol, the following quote is really important in characterizing Scrooge:. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and, If that spirit goes not forth in life, it is, them both, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is, squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner." God bless us!, At the time people rid themselves of any guilt by blaming the poor for the fact they were poor. Like an oyster, he keeps himself to himself, hidden beneath a hard shell that he uses to protect himself from the world. "Its genial face, its sparking eye, its open hand. In many ways, it is the child who can most tug on Scrooges heartstrings. The noun unanimity suggests that he is happy to be involved. Stave 1 - Marley's ghost is distressed at Scrooge's suggestion that he was a 'good man of business'. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and. Stave 2 - The first of the three spirits For example, the first ghost is a metaphor for how memories and the past shape ones experience, while the last ghost is a metaphor for death and ones legacy. The most clearly religious image though is how it wears a tunic of purest white, as though it is a pure, innocent Angel sent to guide him. The noun phantom has negatives connotations in contrast to the more positive spirits - once again, warning scrooge of his fate if he doesn't change his ways. 'A lonely boy was reading near a feeble fire'. Whereas the line about being solitary as an oyster suggests that Scrooge refuses to let anybody into his life. Scrooge will avoid spirits for the rest of his life geddit? "The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it costs a fortune.". The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Bitter- "no wind that blew was bitterer than he. Themes= greed and generosity/time. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. "It was long and wound about him like a til.". This quote shows Ebenezer Scrooge's miserly, miserable attitude toward Christmas at the opening of the story; he is obsessed with his money and has no time for festivities, family, or joy. Dickens uses him to enable the reader to see that this is unfair, perhaps looking to make his readers reflect on the high mortality rate amongst poor children. He is cheerful and oily where scrooge is cold and sharp. He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge. Himself, always. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish. Marley 2. Perhaps Dickens is using him to represent the idea of childhood innocence and how close children were to God in order to reinforce his message that the wealthy need to do more to mitigate childhood poverty. cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. However, this in itself would probably not have been enough to alter his ways. His narrator describes events as they happened and doesnt spend a great deal of time on extraneous details. The ribbon for the bookmark should be seven (inches, in) long. Partially because of the nature of its main character. The ribbons are her means of dressing more festively. The adjectives: genial show his joy/ cheer, sparkling presents tense- has connotations of light and magic and open emphasises his generosity.Themes= greed and generosity/Christmas. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The verb sparkled has magical and positive connotations, shows Fred is the antithesis of scrooge. The key theme for Dickens is that money does not lead to happiness, Greed is the single factor that is responsible for the breakup of Scrooge's marriage, 'Another idol has displaced me a golden one', Stave 2: 'The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune', The Cratchit family are used as a depiction of a family in poverty, More than any other time in history there was a huge divide between classes, the lower classes lived in deperate poverty and were in want while the upper classes enjoyed a life of luxury, Stave 1: 'Many thousands are in want of common necessities, sir and many hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts', Scrooge's staff selling off his old goods, Victorian aristocracy were very keen to remain ignorant about the sufferings of the poor. Fred represents the spirit of Christmas and carries Dickens' message about collective responsibility and how we should treat one another. Stave 2 - the Fezziwig's party "It was a large house but one of broken fortunes.". Total Abstinence Principle more hilarious punning from Dickens. I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. 'A Christmas Carol' Key Quotations Stave 5 Analysis Term 1 / 5 "I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. The idea that we are all 'fellow passengers' serves to emphasise the idea of the transience of life - we are all going to die some day so we are more similar than we are different. They are mans. "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.". The speaker is clearly fed up with Scrooges behaviour and wants him to get to the end of his journey and realize his mistakes as soon as possible. Themes= family/poverty/greed and generosity. The description of the children is designed to shock the reader. Dickens uses Scrooge to show the extent of change that is possible in a small amount of time. If you watch any of the adaptations of A Christmas Carol Tiny Tim is almost always one of the loveable characters and with good reason. Of course, there is still a massive equality gap between the rich and the poor. Charles Dickens only really scratched the surface of this. The idea that they shake hands with each person 'individually' shows the humanity with which they treat everyone - they do not see the poor as 'creatures' 'This boy is ignorance.most of all beware the boy"-Stave 3-Ghost of Christmas present Metaphor. Themes= family/time/poverty. The synonyms 'alone' and 'by himself' emphasise again the loneliness of the life he has chosen. Stave 5 - Scrooge's reaction to discovering it is not too late It would have done you good to see how green a place it is., Bob Cratchit about Freds kindness: It really seemed as if he had known our Tiny Tim, and felt with us., About Scrooges grave: overrun by grass and weeds., Scrooge on what he has learnt: I will not shut out the lessons that they teach., Scrooge: The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me., Scrooge: I am as light as a feather, I am a happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. Bob said he didnt believe there ever was such a goose cooked., About Tiny Tim: If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die., Bob Cratchit: Ill give you Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast., About Ignorance and Want: This boy is Ignorance. 'He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. Accessed 4 March 2023. Fire symbolizes emotion and warmth. Exhausted- "i cannot rest,i cannot stay, i cannot linger anywhere.". In Victorian times, the deceased were usually dressed in their best clothes for burial but here, Scrooge's clothes after death have been removed and sold for money. This went against what Victorians considered to be a 'good death' where you die surrounded by friends and family and then are mourned afterwards. Scrooges changing attitude is never better highlighted than in his initial responses to the three ghosts. He carried his own low temperature always about with him', 'No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him', 'It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal', 'Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. Whatever the genre. These cover themes like wealth, poverty, Christmas, and kindness. How does the speaker begin and end "Incident"? He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. It also explains why he becomes hard and sharp like a flint, later on. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. The ghost of Christmas presents it sitting on a throne of food. The problem is internal, within Scrooges heart. The adjective monstrous, creates a negative impression of the man, almost evil, and reinforces Dickens message that it was the ignorance of the rich that created many society's problems. "I wish you could have gone. 'Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and sole mourner'. The repetition of the adjective 'good' reinforces this idea. It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Version 1 December 2016 . For each of the following sentences, identify the subject of the verb in parentheses. 'Long and wound about him like a tail made of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds and heavy purses.'. as if its hold were of uncommon strength." Stave 5 - description of Scrooge's redemption This phrase is repeated to describe both Mrs Crarchit and her daughter. The clerks sprinting home juxtaposes Scrooge's dinner in a melancholy tavern. Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words and was overcome with penitence and grief. Are there no prisons?'' Money 5. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. Stave 1 - Scrooge's rponse to being asked to give money to charity, "If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.". However, the verb 'profit' still has a hint of selfishness - as well as an implication of individual, even material, gain. Hallo!". But it does share a lot of gothic conventions. Stave 1 - Scrooge's view of the plight of the poor No Way- he tells them that the poor should go and die then there would be less people in the world. The adjectives squeezing and wrenching, etc., relate to how one should imagine him with money, refusing to let go of his wealth. Compare the different settings in "Grape Sherbet" Describe each setting using details from the poem. A Christmas Carol: Key Moments Being such a short story there is very little that is extraneous. People can change, but Scrooge has thus far been content with his situation. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? Ultimately he tries to extinguish the ghost's light. "His eyes sparkled and his breath smocked.". Bob describes his crippled son. The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune. GCSE (9-1): Literature: A Christmas Carol: Key Quotes: Key Quotes with Analysis 4.7 (15 reviews) Term 1 / 36 'Sole' (stave 1) Click the card to flip Definition 1 / 36 repetition - Isolated, lonely. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. ". 'No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Stave 4 - About Scrooge's grave: Their terrible behaviour is a consequence of the ignorance and want that Dickens personified in stave 3. My life tends that way, now., Bob Cratchit about Tiny Tims grave: I wish you could have gone. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. The book also explores what you might call the true meaning of Christmas and while this might not be true from a Christian standpoint, from a morality/spiritual view, you could claim that it really does help to make that point. The use of light throughout the novel suggests the truth/ the right path which Scrooge at first does not want to see. These include Scrooge's cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. They are likely to be of even higher class than Scrooge but are choosing to do good for the poor. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. Imagery of warmth has symbolism of generosity, compassion and forgiveness- Fred always makes a effort with scrooge. And perhaps its because we know the story so well, or maybe because it is pretty obvious, most readers will probably understand that they are in fact commenting on Scrooge. In Victorian times, most of the readers would have been christian and would therefore heap additional judgement on Scrooge who needs to repent. If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. Fezziwg really represents what Scrooge has and what he could (and eventually does) become. Scrooges offences carry their own punishments. A description of scrooge as a young boy, he was left alone at school as others enjoyed their holidays. Fezziwig's office has a large fire which adds to the welcoming atmosphere, offering the reader an additional opportunity to compare it to Scrooge's cold office with the meagre fire. Accessed 4 March 2023. The conditional subordinate clause represents Scrooge's future actions. Oh! Scrooge has undergone a metamorphoses - he has literally been reborn as a new man. The multiple similes emphasise Scrooge's joy and elation at his second chance. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/themes-and-analysis/. Dickens clearly uses them to represent what employment should be like. "He hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple and it might be pleasant for them to remember on Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.". Where graceful youth should have filled their features out a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them. Recognizing Progressive Forms and Tenses. The boy is ignorance. () At the time, Camden town would have been a crowded suburb. Stave 4 - Bob's reaction to Tiny Tim's death sungiemarie. Th onomatopoeia here makes the bells sound particularly noise -and yet Scrooge sees them as 'glorious' which is suggestive of noises from heaven. Only financial gain. Shows Bob's place of work, and shows scrooges harsh treatment on him. The workers will be repairing the building. Here, Scrooge is talking about Fezziwig and how he uses his wealth to lift others up. Scrooge's sympathy for himself leads to sympathy for the carol singer from the night before. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with key quotes and analysis relating to the theme of 'Christmas'. The tone is impatient as he does so. There is a very real suggestion that Scrooge knows that the people are describing him. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with the 10 key quotes in Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', along with in-depth analysis, to he. Given an unexpected opportunity to communicateperhaps as a Christmas miracleMarley feels determined to help Scrooge and he warns him here. He teaches scrooge to learn from his mistakes of his past. A merry Christmas to you.". Themes= time/Christmas/generosity and forgiveness. The adjective 'brave' suggests that the Cratchit's approach to life is noble and admirable - but not easy. () The famous phrase Humbug really means either shame or hoax. Stave 4 - Tiny Tim's burial place is eden like - as, despite his poverty and place in life, he was good and will be welcomed by god. This shows that scrooge is only hurting himself by being so money orientated it doesnt affect his family but does himself. As a result of this he was damned to walk as a ghost chained with money boxes surrounding him. 'It was a strange figurelike a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man'. The Cratchits are generous and loving in very difficult circumstances. Here in this quote, one can see Dickens playing with literal and figurative meanings to great effect. This compares directly with the explicit description of Scrooge at the start of the novel where even beggars will not speak to him. Click the card to flip Flashcards Learn Test Match Created by AIC-CREATOR-TD Terms in this set (36) Any study of the time will tell you about the working conditions for the lower classes. Summary. These words are then used against him by the ghost of the Christmas present. In defending Fezziwig, he is taught a lesson and makes him think about how he treats his clerk, leading to his second moment of regret in which he'd like to 'say a word to two' to Bob. The opening line says, ''Marley was dead: to begin with. The shortness of the main clause at the end makes the message more shocking. "The noisy little Cratchit's were as still as status". "the phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached", A description of the ghost of Christmas future; he is the darkest of the spirits, a reminder to scrooge of his terrible fate if he fails to learn his lesson. The tremors of the great San Francisco earthquake that occurred in 1906 (was, were) estimated to have measured 8.3 on the Richter scale. The words of the charwoman, who disgusts Scrooge, in the rag 'n' bone man's shop reflect the views to which Scrooge subscribed at the start of the novella when he declared that the poor were not his 'business' implying that his only business was himself. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear your company and do it with a thankful heart', Stave 1: 'He tried to say 'Humbug!' ', 'He was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked', Christmas is a time when people 'Think of the people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. Himself. ". I am not the man I was', When Scrooge sees the name on the gravestone, he realises that time for change is limited, The ghost of Christmas past shows Scrooge some memories that may have been lost to time, Stave 2: 'each one connected with a thousand thoughts, and hopes, and joys, and cares long forgotten', Stave 4: 'Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only? Tail has connotations of the devil- reinforcing evil image. This compounds our sympathy for the Cratchit's as Tim was a symbol of innocence. This almost prompts a realization in Scrooge as he catches on to the fact that his wealth provides him (and indeed Fezziwig) with the power to make people happy. ". Stave 5 - The response of the portly gentleman to the money Scrooge wants to give him: Scrooge was better than his word. His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. So, therefore, we should take responsibility for being a positive influence. a squeezing, wrenching . Losing a business partner around Christmas time could not have been easy. Setting includes not only the physical surroundings, but also the ideas, customs, values, and beliefs of a particular time and place. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! Draw an arrow from each underlined word to the word it modifies. "[He called out in a] comfortable,oily, rich. A Christmas Carol Key Quotes and Analysis.
Peter Griffin Afk Job Solo,
Ross Rifle M10 Value,
Articles C