In this quote, Dickens describes London as a dark and dangerous place. Themes= family/time/poverty. 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 opening line says, ''Marley was dead: to begin with. "Its genial face, its sparking eye, its open hand. 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. Fire symbolizes emotion and warmth. Mr and Mrs Fezziwig ..'.shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.'. ". He begins with no compassion for others but eventually learns a better way to live. A merry Christmas to you.". I think he wanted to make it accessible to all classes so he could better spread his message. Stave 1 - Marley's ghost is distressed at Scrooge's suggestion that he was a 'good man of business'. 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. Stave 2 - Scrooge becomes distressed by what he is seeing. This is where the clerk lives. "Are there no prisons?" cried the gentleman, as if his breath were taken away. The Fezziwigs throw a party and treat everyone the same - no matter their status. In the first stave of A Christmas Carol, the following quote is really important in characterizing Scrooge:. Example: The scientist, along with her two assistants, (is, are) working on a computer simulation of earthquake activity. The metaphor shows he is rigid in his unfeeling behaviour to others. This girl is Want. 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'. scientist; is. phrase on the line at the right. Stave 1 - why the portly gentlemen are collecting for the poor In this case, Ebeneezer and Fezziwig are both business owners with employees, but where they diverge is in their treatment of others and in their outlook on life. Stave 5 - description of Scrooge's redemption Studying A Christmas Carol? With in-depth analysis, this video aims. Stave 3 - Scrooge's willingness to learn A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Version 1 December 2016 . Lord bless me!" as if its hold were of uncommon strength." He is cheerful and oily where scrooge is cold and sharp. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. This is fitting because it is traditionally colder at Christmas but also because the cold is an apt metaphor for Scrooges personality. 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. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A happy New Year to all the world! These compare with the bells at the start of the novel, signifying the hellish arrival of Marley's ghost. Of course, there is still a massive equality gap between the rich and the poor. ``Are there no workhouses? "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 Ghost of Christmas yet to come is symbolic. Repetition of 'chuckle' emphasises Scrooge's newfound delight in giving. It also explains why he becomes hard and sharp like a flint, later on. However, how the poor were treated was far more extreme in Victorian England. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Given an unexpected opportunity to communicateperhaps as a Christmas miracleMarley feels determined to help Scrooge and he warns him here. Active Themes I am as giddy as a drunken man. Key quotes from a Christmas Carol- Stave 2, A Christmas Carol Vocabulary, A Christmas Car, myPerspectives, English Language Arts, Grade 8, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, California (Grade 9, Volume 1), myPerspectives: English Language Arts, Grade 7, myPerspectives: Grade 10, Volume 2 California Edition, A Christmas Carol - quotation analysis-Stave. "[He called out in a] comfortable,oily, rich. 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. Bovey, Lee-James "A Christmas Carol Quotes " Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. Belle "Our contract is an old one. "Quite alone in the world, I do believe.". Stave 1 - description of Scrooge's house cried Bob. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/themes-and-analysis/. A Christmas Carol is a widely studied book filled with memorable quotes. Everyone is entitled to be a little happier on Christmas, and the Ghost of Christmas Present helps them to be so. There is no magic formula to revision but this three-point We are reminded of the contrast between the rendered status. 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. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He has learned his lesson and been transformed from darkness into light - which is reflected in the world around him. Only financial gain. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. He must have slept through a whole day and half a night. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Such as the graveyard at the end. He teaches scrooge to learn from his mistakes of his past. Fezziwg really represents what Scrooge has and what he could (and eventually does) become. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs. Jacob Marleys demise is possibly part of what shaped Scrooge into the person that he is. "I wish you could have gone. ". Marley haunts scrooge- a description of his chains. Themes= greed and generosity/Christmas/poverty. 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.'. Bob describes his crippled son. Stave 5 - Scrooge's reaction to discovering it is not too late 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. Stave 2 - Belle's husband tells Belle about seeing Scrooge. Themes= time/Christmas, "A solitary child, neglected by his friends.". Contrasting similes emphasise his god like figure- he is at once innocent and knowledgeable. The repetition of the word 'little' reinforces to the reader how young and innocent and undeserving of death was Tiny Tim. "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. The shortness of the main clause at the end makes the message more shocking. Spirit! he cried, tight clutching at his robe, hear me! Thus Dickens is ending with the message that we can all change our selfish ways and be a positive influence. Scrooges offences carry their own punishments. Description of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Stave 2, the holly symbolises Christmas. Of course, Dickens does use his trademark lengthy descriptions but nearly everything has a point. Themes= family/poverty/greed and generosity. The verb 'shrouded' makes explicit reference to death which is reinforced by the 'deep black' of its clothes. 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. It is too much linked to his miserly ways thus suggesting that the learning is not finished yet. Stave 2 - Scrooge's response to the ghost saying that it was only a small thing that Fezziwig did. It was a worthy place. Who suffers by his ill whims? His selfish ways have left him this way. The metaphor shows that the school didn't help any student achieve their dreams, instead it destroyed their lives as they could not fulfil their potential. Accessed 4 March 2023. Oh, glorious, glorious! 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. This again leads back to Dickens' idea of collective responsibility - that everything that we do influences others. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and. The portly gentlemen are also instrumental in delivering Dickens' message. "The cold within him froze his old features", Early description of scrooge. 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. However, it could also be argued that ignorance reflects the lack of education of the poor. Glorious! Hes comparing Cratchits actual body temperature to Scrooges personality. The fog has lifted and Scrooge can 'see' the truth. Note the use of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit. Ghost of Christmas Present, Stave 3, he warns that if Scrooge doesn't change himself that "doom" will be in his future. The Spirit pointed from the grave to him, and back again. Themes= greed and generosity/time. The ribbons are her means of dressing more festively. 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. In what ways does the text indicate lbn Batutta's social status? 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. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. 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. however, her reference to their father suggests that he had not been kind in the past, thus reinforcing our sympathy. 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. Any study of the time will tell you about the working conditions for the lower classes. in Its progressive form. The adjective dismal connotes a lack of light and hopeless atmosphere. ', 'secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Like an oyster, he keeps himself to himself, hidden beneath a hard shell that he uses to protect himself from the world. Arguably, this is the most famous quote from A Christmas Carol. "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.". uses long and short clauses to show how busy they are. These include Scrooges cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. Family Theme Analysis. Instead, once you know and understand the plot, a great idea is to pick three or four major themes, and three or four major characters, and revise them in great detail. Whatever the genre. Workhouses were a terrible place and menial and dangerous jobs such as sweeping chimneys still existed. Draw one line under each main verb and two lines under each auxiliary verb. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? ', 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. Here are some of the best 'A Christmas Carol' Scrooge quotes for this holiday season that will melt your heart. Dickens creates sympathy for the poor, through the Crachit's and their tight knit family.