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. 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.'. This is evident in his early relationship with his nephew Fred. Home Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol Themes and Analysis. Hallo there! Scrooge learns how little generosity creates a lot of happiness. 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 always did!". The innocence of the 'angel' and the 'schoolboy' contrast with the hellish image of Marley's ghost, showing the reader that he will be saved. ', Stave 5: 'No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold;', Stave 5: '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.'. 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. The Victorian's would have seen this as fitting. 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. 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." Bob describes his crippled son. 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. ', People with lots of money already are more likely to be greedy for more, not thinking about sharing that money with others effectively. Mrs Cratchit, although poor, represents the family's will to make the best of things - to celebrate in spite of their poverty. Arguably, this is the most famous quote from A Christmas Carol. Themes= greed and generosity/Christmas. Scrooge's sympathy for himself leads to sympathy for the carol singer from the night before. 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. 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. The adjective dismal connotes a lack of light and hopeless atmosphere. The reader does not know that Tim has died, so Dickens foreshadows his death through the use of the simile. A merry Christmas to everybody! Themes= family/greed and generosity/ time. Stave 4 - the final ghost Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with the 10 key quotes in Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', along with in-depth analysis, to he. This is fitting because it is traditionally colder at Christmas but also because the cold is an apt metaphor for Scrooges personality. Description of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Stave 2, the holly symbolises Christmas. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash! The Total Abstinence Principle was a phrase used for teetotallers (people who refrained from drinking). 'He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. 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. The use of light throughout the novel suggests the truth/ the right path which Scrooge at first does not want to see. Himself. 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. I am not the man I was. "Quite alone in the world, I do believe.". The word 'business' reflects Scrooge's earlier response to the portly gentlemen. As a result of this he was damned to walk as a ghost chained with money boxes surrounding him. Stave 5 - The response of the portly gentleman to the money Scrooge wants to give him: Scrooge was better than his word. The boy is ignorance. however, her reference to their father suggests that he had not been kind in the past, thus reinforcing our sympathy. The list of adjectives show his wealth but also his warmth and generosity towards others. The tone is impatient as he does so. sungiemarie. Im sure you will all e familiar with the one percent statistic. 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. In this quote, Dickens describes London as a dark and dangerous place. 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. They are likely to be of even higher class than Scrooge but are choosing to do good for the poor. Accessed 4 March 2023. In many ways, it is the child who can most tug on Scrooges heartstrings. 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. 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' It is really in this Stave that Dickens brings to life the Christmas that we all know and love today: the food, the presents, the games, the snow, and good feeling, the parties and generosity. Stave 2 - Belle's husband tells Belle about seeing Scrooge. There is a very real suggestion that Scrooge knows that the people are describing him. 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. However, some of the scenes are to help develop Scrooge's character and add backstory. Invite Scrooge to come for Christmas dinner 4. but stopped at the first syllable', Repeated phrase (Juxtaposition and patterning), Stave 5: 'Hear me! Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. Everyone is entitled to be a little happier on Christmas, and the Ghost of Christmas Present helps them to be so. This shows that scrooge is only hurting himself by being so money orientated it doesnt affect his family but does 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? The noun cell has connotations of Bob being imprisoned by scrooge. "The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it costs a fortune.". Dickens was openly opposed to this view and challenges it throughout the novella. Fezziwg really represents what Scrooge has and what he could (and eventually does) become. ", cynical- "what's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money", Isolated- "secret and self-contained, and solitary like an oyster. This is where the clerk lives. This phrase is repeated to describe both Mrs Crarchit and her daughter. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. Whatever the book. 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." The noun unanimity suggests that he is happy to be involved. The portly gentlemen are also instrumental in delivering Dickens' message. 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. Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. It is uncared for just as he was uncared for, gasping out his last alone. Check ()(\checkmark)() the blank before each sentence that contains a subordinate clause. 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. All rights reserved. Like an oyster, he keeps himself to himself, hidden beneath a hard shell that he uses to protect himself from the world. Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell! 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 entrance of Scrooge 's nephew Fred at the beginning of the story introduces another side to the miser. He is cheerful and oily where scrooge is cold and sharp. Stave 3 - Scrooge's willingness to learn The use of the word 'alone' is repeated showing again that selfishness will lead to a life of loneliness. A Christmas Carol (Key Answers) Chapter 1 1. The ghost of Christmas presents it sitting on a throne of food. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with key quotes and analysis relating to the theme of 'Christmas'. Without the ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge wouldve been unlikely to change. I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. Scrooge awakes and finds his room as dark as when he fell asleep at two o'clock. It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. 'It was a strange figurelike a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man'. "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." Stave 3 - Christmas at Fred's Draw one line under each main verb and two lines under each auxiliary verb. Stave 3 - Scrooge asks if Tiny Tim will live, having been moved by his goodness. Stave 3 - Tiny Tim Stave 3 - description of Mrs Cratchit Oh! Perfect for those studying the book at school (particularly GCSE students) or simply those wanting to learn more about it.For more in Dr Aidan's 'A Christmas Carol' series:The 10 Most Important Quotes in A Christmas Carol - https://youtu.be/8wpegV4ueYYPicture credits: Grim Reaper: openclipart.comCornucopia: openclipart.com 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. 'A lonely boy was reading near a feeble fire'. Fred represents the spirit of Christmas and carries Dickens' message about collective responsibility and how we should treat one another. The childhood innocence has been 'shrivelled' and 'twisted' showing the ill effects of their treatment. Being such a short story there is very little that is extraneous. I can't afford to make idle people merry.". Stave 4 - in the rag 'n' bone man's shop 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. This mirrors the Victorian rich's attitude to the poor. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. "It was a large house but one of broken fortunes.". 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.
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