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. "Are there no prisons?" The description of the children is designed to shock the reader. Of course, the suggestion that people might be talking about him is beastly to Scrooge. Of course, these changes seldom happen so quickly in reality and perhaps thats part of the reason that A Christmas Carol does not receive the critical acclaim that you could argue it deserves. "[He called out in a] comfortable,oily, rich. ", "there's a cold within him" that "froze his old features", sociable- "wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity". Whatever the book. Stave 1 - why the portly gentlemen are collecting for the poor He is designed to show that the wealthy can make a significant difference. Scrooge becomes part of two families: Dickens reveals that we are part of not only our blood relatives but also a wider family that of society. 'The Ghosts' in A Christmas Carol (Key Quotes & Analysis) Dr Aidan 22.1K subscribers Subscribe 47K views 3 years ago Studying A Christmas Carol? Scrooge will avoid spirits for the rest of his life geddit? Stave 1 - description of Scrooge's house Charles Dickens only really scratched the surface of this. () The famous phrase Humbug really means either shame or hoax. However, this in itself would probably not have been enough to alter his ways. The boy is ignorace - the lack of education and the girl is want - the lack of money. that this creature, who appears to be both young and old, is an image of Jesus who was a baby at Christmas and yet who, as the son of God, represents the divine wisdom that Christians worship. His selfish ways have left him this way. Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. But it does share a lot of gothic conventions. ', "Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.". () A famous geographer Thomas Malthus came up with the theory that the poor were just surplus population and thus should be left to their own devices - even if this meant letting them die. The simile has connotations of stillness and endings. Hallo there! sungiemarie. The two children Ignorance and Want represents the attitudes of the rich to the poor in Victorian society. The simile 'like a tail' is suggestive of a snake, which is symbolic of the devil. The noun cell has connotations of Bob being imprisoned by scrooge. This phrase is repeated to describe both Mrs Crarchit and her daughter. Stave 5 - the bells ring He also argues that Time is precious to me. This is most telling of all: whereas the old Scrooge saw little of value beyond his money hole, now he sees the truth that Time itself is precious; and it is, in fact, the most precious thing we. The word 'business' reflects Scrooge's earlier response to the portly gentlemen. It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them. For characters like Fred and Bob Cratchit, Christmas represents the Christian ideal of goodness and moral prosperity, but Scrooge is at his most miserly when Christmas is mentioned. Without the ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge wouldve been unlikely to change. The tremors of the great San Francisco earthquake that occurred in 1906 (was, were) estimated to have measured 8.3 on the Richter scale. 'Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and sole mourner'. Scrooge realises that his love with money is the reason he pushed everyone away. Analysis. Marley haunts scrooge- a description of his chains. He always did.". It is uncared for just as he was uncared for, gasping out his last alone. We are reminded of the contrast between the rendered status. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with key quotes and analysis relating to the theme of 'Christmas'. Along with the words, 'sole' and 'solitary' used throughout the novel to suggest that each individual must take responsibility for his own choices - just as Marley is paying for his individual sins. Losing a business partner around Christmas time could not have been easy. 'Dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons'. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. All rights reserved. Whoop! By the time he reaches the third ghost The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come he orders the ghost, using the imperative phrase Lead on! He is in control now, and wants the change desperately enough to be forceful about it. Stave 2 - Scrooge becomes distressed by what he is seeing. 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. Lord bless me!" No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Dickens uses the scene to allow the reader to feel sorry for the child 'Scrooge' whose loneliness was not by choice - although the adult Scrooge's is. Then, choose the verb form that agrees in number with the subject. The image of the oyster is almost perfect for Scrooge at this stage in the book. This poignant moment arrives when Scrooge is looking at Christmas yet to come. It is a dark, sad moment but Bob Cratchit handles the situation with grace and dignity. This is said by criminals who plundered/ stole from scrooge after he died. A Christmas Carol is a well-loved and commonly read novel that focuses on themes of Christmas and poverty. Gone are the puritanical values that banned Christmas, and, also, to a large degree, gone as well are the memories of Christmas as a serious and religious celebration of the birth of Christ. All rights reserved. Each sentence below contains a verb This went against what Victorians considered to be a 'good death' where you die surrounded by friends and family and then are mourned afterwards. "The cold within him froze his old features", Early description of scrooge. Christmas is now a time for family, friends and feeling good. His house is dark - which reflects the darkness in his character and also adds to the gothic atmosphere of his house. These cover themes like wealth, poverty, Christmas, and kindness. Stave 5 - Scrooge's reaction to discovering it is not too late No Way- he tells them that the poor should go and die then there would be less people in the world. God save you! QUOTES THAT SHOW POVERTY IN A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Macbeth quotes, Key quotes from Macbeth, Macb, 2019 GCSE AQA Triple Higher Biology Paper 2 (, Paper 2 Chemistry Topics 6-10 TRIPLE AQA GCSE, Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar Grade 8, Grammar Exercise Workbook, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, California (Grade 9, Volume 1), myPerspectives: American Literature, California Volume 2, Holt McDougal Literature: American Literature Grade 11, Texas Edition. a squeezing, wrenching . A Christmas Carol (Key Answers) Chapter 1 1. However, how the poor were treated was far more extreme in Victorian England. 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. 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. Scrooge is presented as a miserly character - his money does not even bring him any happiness. Stave one About Scrooge: "As solitary as an oyster." "External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge." "If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." "Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it." This scene is very clever as well because not only does seeing the Fezziwigs party give Scrooges character the chance to see how much power he wields and how that influence could be used but it also offers us the opportunity to see some of the aspects that shaped Scrooge into the person that he was. Whatever the book. "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. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The noun 'idol' shows that Belle believes Scrooge is so enamoured of money that he worships it. Marleys chains symbolize the mistakes hes made in life and the greed that controlled him. These include Scrooge's cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. He listens for the church bell but when it comes, it strikes twelve. 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. This is where the clerk lives. Stave 4 - Bob's reaction to Tiny Tim's death Of Mice and Men Section Overview . Whatever the genre. God bless us!, At the time people rid themselves of any guilt by blaming the poor for the fact they were poor. On this page, readers can explore the quotes, they are broadly separated into a few sub-categories. The ghost of Christmas yet to come is a symbol of the effect that memories have on someone as they age. () The introduction of the portly gentlemen provide an opposition to Scrooge. She looked at me as if I had insulted her. Stave 1 - Marley's ghost is distressed at Scrooge's suggestion that he was a 'good man of business'. Check ()(\checkmark)() the blank before each sentence that contains a subordinate clause. In this way, like a patient completing therapy, he has faced his past, but can now move on. Inclusive now of society - not isolated and solitary. "It was a large house but one of broken fortunes.". Representing Victorian society. Seven Years 3. One interesting feature of this stave relates to the fact that two people die in it: Scrooge and Tiny Tim: the richest and the poorest people in the book. These cover themes like wealth, poverty, Christmas, and kindness. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with key quotes and analysis relating to the theme of 'Christmas'. Stave 4 - in the rag 'n' bone man's shop When it was made you were another man. () At the time, Camden town would have been a crowded suburb. The metaphor shows he is rigid in his unfeeling behaviour to others. Dickens clearly uses them to represent what employment should be like. Scrooge's grave, by comparison to Tiny Tim's is 'overrun by weeds'. You could make a strong argument for this being a tale of redemption. Dickens creates sympathy for the poor, through the Crachit's and their tight knit family. 'Long and wound about him like a tail made of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds and heavy purses.'. Fred is unrelenting in his attempts to change his uncles way of thinking. They now drag him down in death, and hes forced to wander the earth, unable to undo what he did before. "Business!" The metaphor shows the are poor but make the best of a bad situation, always smiling and showing they are grateful for what little they have. Scrooge's assertion that 'it is not my business' is challenged quickly by Marley's ghost whose view is that 'mankind' should have been his 'business. 'It was a strange figurelike a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man'. 2003-2023 Chegg Inc. All rights reserved. Scrooge. However, some of the scenes are to help develop Scrooges character and add backstory. Stave 2 - the arrival of his sister, Fan "Cherry cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears.". Fire symbolizes emotion and warmth. 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. The boy is ignorance. I can't afford to make idle people merry. Ignorance could represent the wealthy upper classes who are ignorant of what they must do to help. The childhood innocence has been 'shrivelled' and 'twisted' showing the ill effects of their treatment. People can change, but Scrooge has thus far been content with his situation. Repetition of 'chuckle' emphasises Scrooge's newfound delight in giving. Here, we get the image of a country that is united during this time of year; a place where Christmas and Britishness are inextricably linked, which would have been incredibly popular for a Victorian audience who were in the throws of empire building. Imagery of warmth has symbolism of generosity, compassion and forgiveness- Fred always makes a effort with scrooge. Summary. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. But, they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another and contented with the time. I am not the man I was. The gothic was a popular genre in the Victorian age and would have seemed fitting for a ghost story to Victorian readers. The clerks sprinting home juxtaposes Scrooge's dinner in a melancholy tavern. The repetition of the word 'little' reinforces to the reader how young and innocent and undeserving of death was Tiny Tim. Tail has connotations of the devil- reinforcing evil image. At this point, Scrooges character has become fairly well established but the reason that this particular meeting is of such importance is that it highlights Scrooges outlook towards the poor as well as provides his comments about how the poor should be treated. Dickens is very clever in his use of dialogue in this section of the story as the Ghost of Future Yet To Come shows Scrooge the people that are talking about his death. Scrooges words to the charity collectors as he refuses to give charity. Scrooge learns how little generosity creates a lot of happiness. No, Spirit! Themes= Christmas/greed and generosity/family. " This has a double meaning both as a sympathetic term of endearment and also the fact that thanks to Scrooge the man is literally poor. This is to illustrate to the rich that they can be part of the solution, Dickens was of the belief that things in society could change and this was something he wished to portray to people to ensure they didn't lose hope, Stave 2: 'I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now', Stave 4: 'Fear you more than any other spectre I have seen.