I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. Oh, glorious, glorious! Th onomatopoeia here makes the bells sound particularly noise -and yet Scrooge sees them as 'glorious' which is suggestive of noises from heaven. ", "there's a cold within him" that "froze his old features", sociable- "wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity". The use of light throughout the novel suggests the truth/ the right path which Scrooge at first does not want to see. 'Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and sole mourner'. People can change, but Scrooge has thus far been content with his situation. 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 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. These cover themes like wealth, poverty, Christmas, and kindness. Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. Use if fairy tale convention, shows the story will have a magical ending. The repetitive structure and short exclamations create the sense that he cannot put into words how happy he is. I can't afford to make idle people merry.". So while he did not invent these particular traditions many people credit him with popularizing them. The description of Marley's ghost has his chain wound about him. Who suffers by his ill whims? The problem is internal, within Scrooges heart. The two children are the personification of man's ills - ignorance and want. Check ()(\checkmark)() the blank before each sentence that contains a subordinate clause. Of course, the suggestion that people might be talking about him is beastly to Scrooge. Ultimately he tries to extinguish the ghost's light. Whatever the book. God bless us!, At the time people rid themselves of any guilt by blaming the poor for the fact they were poor. Christmas is now a time for family, friends and feeling good. 1. Spirit! he cried, tight clutching at his robe, hear me! 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. He teaches scrooge to learn from his mistakes of his past. Bob describes his crippled son. The Fezziwigs throw a party and treat everyone the same - no matter their status. ', Stave 1: 'that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. Ghost stories were very popular during the Victorian era. ', 'secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. These morally repugnant, ugly people are simply treating Scrooge the way he treated others and he is horrified. 2. 'This boy is ignorance.most of all beware the boy"-Stave 3-Ghost of Christmas present Metaphor. 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.'. This is another quote where Dickens draws on the semantic field of the cold weather. 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 synonyms 'alone' and 'by himself' emphasise again the loneliness of the life he has chosen. "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. "I wish you could have gone. It is this love that consoles him in stave 4 when Tiny Tim is shown to be dead, a long with the memories of Tiny Tim as a patient and loving boy. Stave 3 - ignorance and want But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and. Dickens uses Tiny Tim to remind his readers of the story of Jesus performing miracles and his teaching of acceptance of all. The workers will be repairing the building. Whereas the line about being solitary as an oyster suggests that Scrooge refuses to let anybody into his life. Hallo!". "Cherry cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears.". 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.'. 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. () *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. 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." Being such a short story there is very little that is extraneous. Stave 1 - description of Scrooge's house International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. The clerks sprinting home juxtaposes Scrooge's dinner in a melancholy tavern. 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. However, inside that shell - like Scrooge - the oyster is soft and vulnerable. Then, choose the verb form that agrees in number with the subject. scientist; is. Scrooge listened to this dialogue in horror he viewed them with a detestation and disgust. Marley 2. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/themes-and-analysis/. Stave 5 - Scrooge walks the streets enjoying the company of others. 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. Here in this quote, one can see Dickens playing with literal and figurative meanings to great effect. 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. Pre-modified adjectives create a sensory description -they remind scrooge of the delights of generosity and how it will create happiness. The repetition of the word 'little' reinforces to the reader how young and innocent and undeserving of death was Tiny Tim. This is one of Freds lines, and it really helps to highlight the difference in viewpoints between Fred and his uncle. When you analyse poverty in A Christmas Carol, you may want to reference the setting as well as using direct quotes from characters. Draw an arrow from each underlined word to the word it modifies. Mr and Mrs Fezziwig ..'.shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.'. ), phrases like holding a candle for someone mean to remember them, while candles are used in c. Scrooge finishes the stave by putting out the candle, which shows him symbolically putting down his past leaving behind the resentment he has harboured at having lost his childhood to neglect. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. 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. Themes= Christmas/greed and generosity/family. You could make a strong argument for this being a tale of redemption. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! Lord bless me!" as if its hold were of uncommon strength." Analysing the evidence "I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. 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. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. 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. ``My little child!''. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. The shortness of the main clause at the end makes the message more shocking. Without the trauma from Scrooges youth and the death of his sister, Fran, its unlikely that he wouldve become the person that he did. The Spirit pointed from the grave to him, and back again. Oh! Fred is unrelenting in his attempts to change his uncles way of thinking. We can infer that the only other person he cared for was Marley and even that wasn't really because of a friendship. In what ways did Louis XV differ from Louis XIV? "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." The verb sparkled has magical and positive connotations, shows Fred is the antithesis of scrooge. This is evident in his early relationship with his nephew Fred. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. Stave 2 - Scrooge's response to the ghost saying that it was only a small thing that Fezziwig did. Stave 4 - in the rag 'n' bone man's shop The childhood innocence has been 'shrivelled' and 'twisted' showing the ill effects of their treatment. The relative clause describing Tiny Tim reinforces the idea that it is Scrooge's actions that caused him to live. The Ghost of Christmas yet to come is symbolic. " Scrooge entered timidly and hung . Stave 2 - Belle breaks off the engagement. the adjective idle reveals scrooge believes the poor are lazy and are to be blamed for their own situation. This is a great description, wanders around holding a candle snuffer that looks like a hat. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with key quotes and analysis relating to the theme of 'Christmas'. However, some of the scenes are to help develop Scrooge's character and add backstory. What I think is really clever is that the story is framed so that when we see the ghost of Christmas past, seeing the things that shaped Scrooge into the man he is at the beginning of the play starts to let us feel sympathy for him so that when he is offered a second chance as a reader, we are glad he gets to redeem himself. Stave 2 - The first of the three spirits The list of adjectives show his wealth but also his warmth and generosity towards others. ", 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. forgiving- "to Mr Scrooge, the founder of the feast.". All rights reserved. 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. 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. Oh! Scrooge's language has been formal and official: here he is informal, natural and joyous. Dickens was openly opposed to this view and challenges it throughout the novella. a squeezing, wrenching . Scrooge will avoid spirits for the rest of his life geddit? The boy is ignorace - the lack of education and the girl is want - the lack of money. 'a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! 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. Whatever the book. Here, readers are exposed to the ghost of Christmas yet to come. The ghost breaks the news to Scrooge that the person whose death has been talked about so callously was his own. This went against what Victorians considered to be a 'good death' where you die surrounded by friends and family and then are mourned afterwards. '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. There is no magic formula to revision but this three-point A happy New Year to all the world! Themes= greed and generosity/time. The noun 'contract' reflects the language of business - reflecting the change that Scrooge has undergone. This is clearly not possible. Stave 2 - the arrival of his sister, Fan () The famous phrase Humbug really means either shame or hoax. Workhouses were a terrible place and menial and dangerous jobs such as sweeping chimneys still existed. All rights reserved. ". The opening line says, ''Marley was dead: to begin with. Stave 1 - Scrooge's response to the gentlemen saying that people would rather die than go to the workhouse. '', Stave 3 - the ghost uses Scrooge's words against him when he asks where there is refuge for the children, ignorance and want. 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. 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. Contrasting similes emphasise his god like figure- he is at once innocent and knowledgeable. But it does share a lot of gothic conventions. Scrooge awakes and finds his room as dark as when he fell asleep at two o'clock. So, therefore, we should take responsibility for being a positive influence. These include Scrooges cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. 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. Representing Victorian society. Below one can explore the themes, symbols, and more that appear throughout the novel. Past: "The curtains of his bed were drawn aside, I tell you, When the Ghost of Christmas Past arrives, the curtains of his bed were drawn aside by a hand. Here, it is clear that it is the ghost who makes the move the ghost actively. 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.". This use of listing to describe everything as 'good' helps to demonstrate the far reaching consequences of Scrooge's redemption. Stave 3 - Scrooge asks if Tiny Tim will live, having been moved by his goodness. He is cheerful and oily where scrooge is cold and sharp. The conditional subordinate clause represents Scrooge's future actions. 2003-2023 Chegg Inc. All rights reserved. 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 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. Marleys chains symbolize the mistakes hes made in life and the greed that controlled him. 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. Active Themes "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.". The declarative 'will' conveys certainty showing how urgent it is that Scrooge change. Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with the 10 key quotes in Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', along with in-depth analysis, to he. Did the Anglo-Saxon period last between 449 and 1066? Describes Fred, who is a symbol of Christmas spirit. No, Spirit! ". I can't afford to make idle people merry. The reader does not know that Tim has died, so Dickens foreshadows his death through the use of the simile. Thus Dickens is ending with the message that we can all change our selfish ways and be a positive influence. 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'
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