The simile shows Bobs wealth in his family; he values them more than money and so is content with their love. They are mans. 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. ', 'I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it! Fezziwigs character is an understated part of the story of A Christmas Carol. This shows scrooges selfishness and his addiction to money with belle feeling replace with money she feels like she doesnt matter to him and that all he cares about is money. If he had been, he'd have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself.'. The simile 'like a tail' is suggestive of a snake, which is symbolic of the devil. The image of the oyster is almost perfect for Scrooge at this stage in the book. The repetition of the adjective 'good' reinforces this idea. The verb 'shrouded' makes explicit reference to death which is reinforced by the 'deep black' of its clothes. A merry Christmas to everybody! Themes= greed and generosity of the poor. When he sees Tiny Tim and his jubilance despite his disadvantages, Scrooge cannot help but feel compassion and by association guilt, as he has seen from the effect Fezziwg had on his staff that he could have a similar influence on Tiny Tim. Stave 1 - why the portly gentlemen are collecting for the poor Are there no prisons?'' Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words and was overcome with penitence and grief. Ultimately he tries to extinguish the ghost's light. Discuss why you think the poet made these choices. () 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. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. However, this in itself would probably not have been enough to alter his ways. Without the trauma from Scrooges youth and the death of his sister, Fran, its unlikely that he wouldve become the person that he did. Whatever the book. Fan is portrayed with affection - and her term of endearment shows that Scrooge has known affection. Stave 2 - Belle's husband tells Belle about seeing Scrooge. * The use of pathetic fallacy shows that he is in direct opposition to anyone who tries to help him. He greets Scrooge with a drink that makes him feel good: the milk of human kindness though one could be forgiven for seeing an alcoholic connection and then takes him on a tour of Christmases around the country. I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Timshall weor this first parting that there was among us? When it was made you were another man. It was a worthy place. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. Charles Dickens only really scratched the surface of this. His description of the setting suggests that poverty has bred crime and deep unhappiness. Ignorance could represent the wealthy upper classes who are ignorant of what they must do to help. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish. His narrator describes events as they happened and doesnt spend a great deal of time on extraneous details. Description of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Stave 2, the holly symbolises Christmas. Themes= greed and generosity/ time. The conditional subordinate clause represents Scrooge's future actions. These include Scrooge's cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. Themes= family/greed and generosity/ time. Here are some of the best 'A Christmas Carol' Scrooge quotes for this holiday season that will melt your heart. 1. The silent. Mr and Mrs Fezziwig ..'.shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.'. ', "Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.". Stave 4 - in the rag 'n' bone man's shop This reminds us of Freds line during the beginning of the book a phrase that Dickens later called The Carol Philosophy: It is only during Christmas that we open our shut up hearts and think of each other as being fellow passengers to the grave and not other beings on some other journey. During this section, Scrooge is reminded that we all die in the end, it is the only sure thing in life, and that all we have to work with is the short time that we have down here. This went against what Victorians considered to be a 'good death' where you die surrounded by friends and family and then are mourned afterwards. It is uncared for just as he was uncared for, gasping out his last alone. A happy New Year to all the world! It also explains why he becomes hard and sharp like a flint, later on. Scrooge will avoid spirits for the rest of his life geddit? This shows scrooges lack of empathy for the poor people around christmas time not regarding their life or family, this is used to show a change later on in the book with him not donating to the 2 gentleman at the start but him donating to them at the end of the play- Scrooge to the two gentleman, Marley during his life was a harsh businessman similar to scrooge and he was also very uptight not giving money to charity or other good causes. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. This is said by criminals who plundered/ stole from scrooge after he died. Spirit! he cried, tight clutching at his robe, hear me! Stave 4 - the final ghost Dickens was familiar with the terrible working conditions of the poor and campaigned for education of children. However, how the poor were treated was far more extreme in Victorian England. 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. cried the gentleman, as if his breath were taken away. With key quotes \u0026 analysis, this video provides an ideal format to gain a greater understanding of this novella in a matter of minutes. The final ghost appears as a phantom a spectre dressed in black: clearly an image of The Grim Reaper himself. Of Mice and Men Section Overview . sungiemarie. Seven Years 3. "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. Scrooge has undergone a metamorphoses - he has literally been reborn as a new man. 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.". Although their behaviour is callous and cruel, the italicised personal pronoun he reminds us that scrooge (and the rich) are partly to blame fro the behaviour of the poor. Im sure you will all e familiar with the one percent statistic. Losing a business partner around Christmas time could not have been easy. Stave 5 - Scrooge walks the streets enjoying the company of others. He always did!". Scrooge makes explicit reference to the Malthusian idea that the population must decrease in order to create better conditions. Each sentence below contains a verb forgiving- "to Mr Scrooge, the founder of the feast.". Studying 'A Christmas Carol'? In the first stave of A Christmas Carol, the following quote is really important in characterizing Scrooge:. Themes= greed and generosity/ time. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse! God bless us!, At the time people rid themselves of any guilt by blaming the poor for the fact they were poor. This symbolises his generosity and air of festivity. These words are then used against him by the ghost of the Christmas present. The noun cell has connotations of Bob being imprisoned by scrooge. Bob describes his crippled son. No, Spirit! Like an oyster, he keeps himself to himself, hidden beneath a hard shell that he uses to protect himself from the world. Stave 1 - Marley's ghost is distressed at Scrooge's suggestion that he was a 'good man of business'. as if its hold were of uncommon strength." I can't afford to make idle people merry. 'The Ghosts' in A Christmas Carol (Key Quotes & Analysis) Dr Aidan 22.1K subscribers Subscribe 47K views 3 years ago Studying A Christmas Carol? "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. To Kill a Mockingbird -Analysis of Major Characters. I am not the man I was. Whatever the genre. Whatever the book. Flint is a type of ground that makes it difficult for life to grow kind of like how scrooges character allows no imaginations to grow. Marley haunts scrooge- a description of his chains. Bob Crachit and the Cratchit Family Quotes, A Christmas Carol- The Ghost of Christmas Pre, 'An Inspector Calls' Key Quotations Analysis, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, Grade 7, myPerspectives: Grade 10, Volume 2 California Edition, myPerspectives, English Language Arts, Grade 8, California My Perspectives English Language Arts, Grade 9, Volume Two. Here, Scrooge is talking about Fezziwig and how he uses his wealth to lift others up. scientist; is. Dickens' use of the word 'good' repetitively to demonstrate the juxtaposition between Scrooge at the beginning of the novel, where Dickens describes Scrooge as a 'covetous old sinner'. 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. Scrooge listened to this dialogue in horror he viewed them with a detestation and disgust. Glorious! Stave 4 - Bob's reaction to Tiny Tim's death The entrance of Scrooge 's nephew Fred at the beginning of the story introduces another side to the miser. 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? These morally repugnant, ugly people are simply treating Scrooge the way he treated others and he is horrified. Dickens uses Tiny Tim to remind his readers of the story of Jesus performing miracles and his teaching of acceptance of all. Scrooge learns how little generosity creates a lot of happiness. Their terrible behaviour is a consequence of the ignorance and want that Dickens personified in stave 3. Recognizing Progressive Forms and Tenses. "I am sorry for him; I couldn't be angry with him if I tried. This use of listing to describe everything as 'good' helps to demonstrate the far reaching consequences of Scrooge's redemption. This quote is trying to say that Marley should've cared more about the people rather than his business - Marley, This opposes to the way that he conveyed his feelings to everyone at the start of the novel this shows his change and how he improved by the end, Therefore I am about to raise your salary, This shows a strong change in scrooges character as at the start of the novel with the 2 gentleman he was not willing to donate any money to them and now he is raising Bob Cratchits salary, This shows Tiny Tim's appreciation of Scrooge even when his mother doesnt think that scrooge deserves the praise, Another idol has displaced me a golden one. Pre-modified adjectives create a sensory description -they remind scrooge of the delights of generosity and how it will create happiness. A Christmas Carol: Key Moments Being such a short story there is very little that is extraneous. Workhouses were a terrible place and menial and dangerous jobs such as sweeping chimneys still existed. The final ghost is by far the most scary of the three it remains silent throughout their time together, only standing by as a guide, and leaving Scrooge and the reader to work out the story himself. The idea that anybody would be so callous about the dead is quite jarring and would have been especially impactful with a conservative Victorian readership. The spirit of Christmas is personified in his open heart, open hand, and outstretched arm. He is designed to show that the wealthy can make a significant difference. The multiple similes emphasise Scrooge's joy and elation at his second chance. Stave 5 - pathetic fallacy "Reeked with crime, and filth, and misery". Hes comparing Cratchits actual body temperature to Scrooges personality. Themes= family/poverty/greed and generosity. I am as giddy as a drunken man. I defy himif he finds me going there, in good temper, year after year, and saying, Uncle Scrooge, how are you? If it only puts him in the vein to leave his poor clerk fifty pounds, thats something. The workers will be repairing the building. Analysis. "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. The use of nature with a type of plant typically seen around christmas time makes scrooges comment even more menacing saying that they should kill him with the very thing that is giving him happiness in that certain period.- Scrooge If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. Thus Dickens is ending with the message that we can all change our selfish ways and be a positive influence. This phrase is repeated to describe both Mrs Crarchit and her daughter. There is no doubt . It is too much linked to his miserly ways thus suggesting that the learning is not finished yet. Oh! Inclusive now of society - not isolated and solitary. Tiny Tim's comment is generous in spirit, seeing his disability positively as it will remind others of the true meaning of Christmas by allowing them to think of Jesus on Christmas day. Hallo there! Walled in by houses; overrun by grass and weeds. Scrooge is presented as a miserly character - his money does not even bring him any happiness. "The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it costs a fortune.". Of course, the suggestion that people might be talking about him is beastly to Scrooge. The repetitive structure and short exclamations create the sense that he cannot put into words how happy he is. Home Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol Best Quotes. A solitary child, neglected by his friends is left there still - Scrooge sobbed, This shows scrooges lack of companionship and support even since a child this could show why scrooge became so money obsessed, I have always thought of Christmas a good time. ', '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. In many ways the vision works like memory can do: it changes depending on perspectives or moods. Whoop! Belle "Our contract is an old one. My life tends that way, now., Bob Cratchit about Tiny Tims grave: I wish you could have gone. Pathetic fallacy - Scrooge can see now clearly - reinforced by the adjectives juxtaposing the foggy, misty scenes of earlier chapters when Scrooge could not see the error of his ways. 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. 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. The noun 'idol' shows that Belle believes Scrooge is so enamoured of money that he worships it. Accessed 4 March 2023. 'It was a strange figurelike a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man'. As it is used in line 32 , the word reticent means the opposite of. The tone is impatient as he does so. As readers, Dickens is allowing us to reflect on how far Scrooge has come in learning the lesson - and perhaps asking us to reflect on our own learning. Marleys ghost is the one that kicks everything off but also acts as a mirror to Scrooge to show him the error of his ways. However, some of the scenes are to help develop Scrooges character and add backstory. It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. Representing Victorian society. It could also show that, as it has been so long since he was happy, he finds it difficult to describe. The ghost is dressed in green reminiscent both of the Green Man from Pagan mythology, and also the traditional character of St Nicholas or Father Christmas, who has more recently come to symbolise the holiday period. Scrooge's grave, by comparison to Tiny Tim's is 'overrun by weeds'. Draw an arrow from each underlined word to the word it modifies. Both have religious connotations and suggest a true depth of despair at his previous notions. Then, choose the verb form that agrees in number with the subject. 'a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Stave 1 - description of Marley's ghost Themes= family/time/poverty. This shows that scrooge is only hurting himself by being so money orientated it doesnt affect his family but does himself. Himself. Does this line support or contradict the speaker's statement in the final stanza, "Nothing really happened"? A merry Christmas to you.". Being such a short story there is very little that is extraneous. Did the Anglo-Saxon period last between 449 and 1066? Then, identify each underlined word by writing above it ADV for adverb or ADJ for adjective. 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. A happy New Year to all the world. 'Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and sole mourner'. This compares directly with the explicit description of Scrooge at the start of the novel where even beggars will not speak to him. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Then write the form of that verb They often came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did. "I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. Stave 3 - Scrooge's willingness to learn said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. The ghost of christmas present is showing the two children that hide in his cloak and he says that the problems these children portray are the problems of mankind. The use of light throughout the novel suggests the truth/ the right path which Scrooge at first does not want to see. The list of verbs, gives the spirit a threatening air- this is compounded by the fact that he does not speak to scrooge at all. jovial voice.". Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell! The ribbon for the bookmark should be seven (inches, in) long. The noun 'father' shows the idea that one laugh leads to another - happiness breeds happiness. - 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. Ideas about purgatory and hell would have been recognisable to the mainly Christian readership at the time - and would have made the allegory more frightening. The reader does not know that Tim has died, so Dickens foreshadows his death through the use of the simile. Dickens wished to educate people about the personal consequences of maintaining such an attitude, Scrooge's former staff can be seen selling of his old things as they were not paid sufficiently when he was alive, Stave 1/3: 'If he be like to die, he better do it and decrease the surplus population', Stave 3: 'wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable', Stave 3: 'The girl is ignorance, the boy is want', 'it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Bovey, Lee-James "A Christmas Carol Quotes " Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. Stave 2 - the Fezziwig's party "The noisy little Cratchit's were as still as status". Whoop! This may be a way of showing what Dickens thinks should be happening. Draw one line under each main verb and two lines under each auxiliary verb. the adjective idle reveals scrooge believes the poor are lazy and are to be blamed for their own situation. We are reminded of the contrast between the rendered status. Any study of the time will tell you about the working conditions for the lower classes. Christmas is now a time for family, friends and feeling good. Below one can explore the themes, symbols, and more that appear throughout the novel. 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. Scrooges offences carry their own punishments. With in-depth analysis, this video aims to help you gain a greater understanding of the novella in a matter of minutes. The verb forged shows skill and effort- Marley spent his whole life's time and effort in his greed so is suffering the consequences. A Christmas Carol is a well-loved and commonly read novel that focuses on themes of Christmas and poverty. 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. I think he wanted to make it accessible to all classes so he could better spread his message. I am as giddy as a drunken man. Key quotes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. However, these are two children that he has no control over. Ghost of Christmas Present, Stave 3, he warns that if Scrooge doesn't change himself that "doom" will be in his future. 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. ``Are there no workhouses? Oh, glorious. Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents. "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." I am as giddy as a drunken man., Scrooge was better than his word. In what ways did Louis XV differ from Louis XIV? () *The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. With the title of the book being A Christmas Carol you would expect Christmas to feature prominently throughout the novel. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. Active Themes "Mankind was my business. 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. 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. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? In this quote, Dickens describes London as a dark and dangerous place. So we have tried where possible to focus on the most vital sections of the novella. 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. External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. 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. 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. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! We see when Scrooge is presented with the poor children (Want and Ignorance) how instinctively and perhaps despite his character that he is compelled to want to help. Fred represents the spirit of Christmas and carries Dickens' message about collective responsibility and how we should treat one another. 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. 'A Christmas Carol' is a widely studied book filled with memorable quotes. This is fitting because it is traditionally colder at Christmas but also because the cold is an apt metaphor for Scrooges personality. Themes= Christmas/greed and generosity/family. " The adjective solitary and neglected highlight his feelings of loneliness and isolation, creating sympathy for him. A Christmas Carol - Quotes and Analysis Stave 1 Stave 2 Stave 3 Stave 4 Stave 5 ( ) The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker and the chief mourner.