It has harsh imagery and the symbolism of cold, shows he is lacking Christmas spirit. A description of the ghost of Christmas past, who symbolises memory and who shows scrooge events from the past. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. "Cherry cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears.". Click the card to flip Flashcards Learn Test Match Created by AIC-CREATOR-TD Terms in this set (36) Bovey, Lee-James "A Christmas Carol Quotes " Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. He spreads joy over all like a force of nature. They were a boy and girl. The use of the word 'alone' is repeated showing again that selfishness will lead to a life of loneliness. However, some of the scenes are to help develop Scrooge's character and add backstory. However, this in itself would probably not have been enough to alter his ways. I can't afford to make idle people merry.". So we have tried where possible to focus on the most vital sections of the novella. They are likely to be of even higher class than Scrooge but are choosing to do good for the poor. "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 entrance of Scrooge 's nephew Fred at the beginning of the story introduces another side to the miser. 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. 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. ", "there's a cold within him" that "froze his old features", sociable- "wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity". In this way, like a patient completing therapy, he has faced his past, but can now move on. 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'. Stave 1 - Marley's ghost is distressed at Scrooge's suggestion that he was a 'good man of business'. A Christmas Carol (Key Answers) Chapter 1 1. A merry Christmas to everybody! The verb sparkled has magical and positive connotations, shows Fred is the antithesis of scrooge. but stopped at the first syllable', Repeated phrase (Juxtaposition and patterning), Stave 5: 'Hear me! Each sentence below contains a verb But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and. Fan is portrayed with affection - and her term of endearment shows that Scrooge has known affection. The verb sparkled has magical and positive connotations, shows Fred is the antithesis of scrooge. ', 'secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. 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. 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. Jacob Marleys demise is possibly part of what shaped Scrooge into the person that he is. 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. 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. A Christmas Carol is rarely classified as a gothic novel. Mr and Mrs Fezziwig ..'.shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.'. He carried his own low temperature always about with him', 'No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him', 'It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal', 'Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. Themes= greed and generosity/Christmas. 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. 'He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. Arguably, this is the most famous quote from A Christmas Carol. Dickens creates sympathy for the poor, through the Crachit's and their tight knit family. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Setting includes not only the physical surroundings, but also the ideas, customs, values, and beliefs of a particular time and place. Does this line support or contradict the speaker's statement in the final stanza, "Nothing really happened"? The simile 'like a tail' is suggestive of a snake, which is symbolic of the devil. The two children are the personification of man's ills - ignorance and want. Who suffers? Themes= time/Christmas, "A solitary child, neglected by his friends.". Whereas the line about being solitary as an oyster suggests that Scrooge refuses to let anybody into his life. With in-depth analysis, this video aims. Then, identify each underlined word by writing above it ADV for adverb or ADJ for adjective. Fred, as Scrooge's foil, is a kind, forgiving character who is determined to give Scrooge the same chance every year. Hes comparing Cratchits actual body temperature to Scrooges personality. The boy is ignorance. 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.'. Oh! Stave 2 - the arrival of his sister, Fan The final ghost appears as a phantom a spectre dressed in black: clearly an image of The Grim Reaper himself. A description of Fezziwig, a rich merchant t whom Scrooge is apprentice. Stave 2 - the spirit takes him to past Christmases including seeing Scrooge alone at school. "Reeked with crime, and filth, and misery". The problem is internal, within Scrooges heart. uses long and short clauses to show how busy they are. Whatever the book. ``My little child!''. He is designed to show that the wealthy can make a significant difference. "I am sorry for him; I couldn't be angry with him if I tried. For each of the following sentences, identify the subject of the verb in parentheses. Refine any search. I am as giddy as a drunken man. She looked at me as if I had insulted her. He teaches scrooge to learn from his mistakes of his past. jovial voice.". Scrooge signed it. ``Are there no workhouses? Draw an arrow from each underlined word to the word it modifies. The spirit of Christmas is personified in his open heart, open hand, and outstretched arm. The Christmas Spirit I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time the only time when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers. The hellish atmosphere is emphasised by the fact that the ghost's clothing and hair appears to move as though in an updraft of heat, suggesting that the ghost is in hell. The ghost of Christmas yet to come is a symbol of the effect that memories have on someone as they age. The girl is want. "Mankind was my business. These include Scrooge's cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Without the ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge wouldve been unlikely to change. Analysing the evidence "I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. 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. Dickens uses Tiny Tim to remind his readers of the story of Jesus performing miracles and his teaching of acceptance of all. Of Mice and Men Section Overview . cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? Charles Dickens only really scratched the surface of this. Recognizing Progressive Forms and Tenses. Scrooge can see the error of his ways and then acts accordingly to become a better person. Dickens was openly opposed to this view and challenges it throughout the novella. Workhouses were a terrible place and menial and dangerous jobs such as sweeping chimneys still existed. the adjective idle reveals scrooge believes the poor are lazy and are to be blamed for their own situation. It was a worthy place. Are there no prisons?'' Whatever the book. They now drag him down in death, and hes forced to wander the earth, unable to undo what he did before. Only financial gain. He listens for the church bell but when it comes, it strikes twelve. His house is dark - which reflects the darkness in his character and also adds to the gothic atmosphere of his house. Shows Bob's place of work, and shows scrooges harsh treatment on him. phrase on the line at the right. The adjective 'common' shows the reader that the poor only want those things which should be normal and available for all - the 'common' things rather than luxuries. You must cook those fresh eggs for that kind of special salad. It is uncared for just as he was uncared for, gasping out his last alone. The noun unanimity suggests that he is happy to be involved. Walled in by houses; overrun by grass and weeds. Stave 2 - Belle's husband tells Belle about seeing Scrooge. "Tonight, if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it.". "It was long and wound about him like a til.". Stave 3 - Christmas at Fred's 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. ", 'A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. Copyright2007 - 2023 Revision World Networks Ltd. cried the gentleman, as if his breath were taken away. Glorious! The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs. Scrooge learns how little generosity creates a lot of happiness. "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.". The repetitive structure and short exclamations create the sense that he cannot put into words how happy he is. This is a great description, wanders around holding a candle snuffer that looks like a hat. "It was a large house but one of broken fortunes.". patience and hope fro them. Dickens, therefore, is attacking the Malthusian capitalist theories. Themes= poverty/family/greed and generosity. I am as giddy as a drunken man., Scrooge was better than his word. The tremors of the great San Francisco earthquake that occurred in 1906 (was, were) estimated to have measured 8.3 on the Richter scale. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse! "I wish you could have gone. ', 'Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts". This is clearly not possible. Stave 5 - pathetic fallacy () The introduction of the portly gentlemen provide an opposition to Scrooge. Home Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol Best Quotes. Any study of the time will tell you about the working conditions for the lower classes. Stave 5 - Scrooge's reaction to discovering it is not too late Bovey, Lee-James "A Christmas Carol Themes and Analysis " Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/themes-and-analysis/. Note the use of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit. Part of the reason that A Christmas Carol is so widely studied is the abundance of different themes that it touches upon. How does the speaker begin and end "Incident"? 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. The Christmas Spirit By Section Stave One: Marley's Ghost Stave Two: The First of the Three Spirits Stave Three: The Second of the Three Spirits Stave Four: The Last of the Spirits Stave Five: The End of It By Character Ebenezer Scrooge Bob Cratchit Fred Jacob Marley The Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Present 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. "The noisy little Cratchit's were as still as status". This went against what Victorians considered to be a 'good death' where you die surrounded by friends and family and then are mourned afterwards. Stave 1 - description of Scrooge's relationship with Marley. "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. sungiemarie. 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.". Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. The adjective dismal connotes a lack of light and hopeless atmosphere. It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. Inclusive now of society - not isolated and solitary. The ribbons are her means of dressing more festively. A happy New Year to all the world. Marleys chains symbolize the mistakes hes made in life and the greed that controlled him. This is another quote where Dickens draws on the semantic field of the cold weather. In many ways the vision works like memory can do: it changes depending on perspectives or moods. said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. ffects the change, pulling the curtains aside with his own hand. By this stage, Scrooge has already begun to see the error of his ways and has realised that he will benefit from the messages he is receiving and so he begins to take agency over the situation. However, inside that shell - like Scrooge - the oyster is soft and vulnerable. This is one of Freds lines, and it really helps to highlight the difference in viewpoints between Fred and his uncle. 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. However, the verb 'profit' still has a hint of selfishness - as well as an implication of individual, even material, gain. Dickens uses Scrooge to show the extent of change that is possible in a small amount of time. Representing Victorian society. A Christmas Carol Quotes 50 of the best book quotes from A Christmas Carol 01 Share "God bless us every one!" Charles Dickens author God person A Christmas Carol book Tiny Tim character christmas blessings concepts 02 Share "Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering." Charles Dickens author This compares directly with the explicit description of Scrooge at the start of the novel where even beggars will not speak to 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. 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. But it does share a lot of gothic conventions. But, they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another and contented with the time. This use of listing to describe everything as 'good' helps to demonstrate the far reaching consequences of Scrooge's redemption. Xmas Present - This makes scrooge realise that he needs to change or Tiny Tim will die young which is the one of the first stages of scrooges change. The repetition of the adjective 'good' reinforces this idea. Invite Scrooge to come for Christmas dinner 4. In Victorian times, most of the readers would have been christian and would therefore heap additional judgement on Scrooge who needs to repent. Themes= greed and generosity/time. 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. Hallo!" Click the card to flip Definition 1 / 5 Themes= greed and generosity/Christmas/poverty. 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. Discuss why you think the poet made these choices. A description of the ghost of Christmas present. 'This boy is ignorance.most of all beware the boy"-Stave 3-Ghost of Christmas present Metaphor. Themes= greed and generosity/ time. He doesn't believe it, but when he goes to the window, the street is deserted and dark as nighttime. Then write the form of that verb Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. This girl is Want. Being such a short story there is very little that is extraneous. The tone is impatient as he does so. 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. All rights reserved. You could make a strong argument for this being a tale of redemption. These cover themes like wealth, poverty, Christmas, and kindness. 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. "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. This brightly\underline{\text{brightly}}brightly lit room will be perfect for my art studio. The chains are a metaphor for his punishment for his greedy life. 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. Themes= family/poverty/greed and generosity. The simile shows Bobs wealth in his family; he values them more than money and so is content with their love. Themes= family/greed and generosity/ time. Compare the different settings in "Grape Sherbet" Describe each setting using details from the poem. The noun 'contract' reflects the language of business - reflecting the change that Scrooge has undergone. ". 'A lonely boy was reading near a feeble fire'. The simile has a snake like connotations, Marley is a symbol of evil. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. 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. 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. A merry Christmas to everybody! Lord bless me!" 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? Did the Anglo-Saxon period last between 449 and 1066? The word 'business' reflects Scrooge's earlier response to the portly gentlemen. He has learned his lesson and been transformed from darkness into light - which is reflected in the world around him. 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. The noun 'father' shows the idea that one laugh leads to another - happiness breeds happiness. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. This is said by criminals who plundered/ stole from scrooge after he died. Active Themes This quote shows Ebenezer Scrooge's miserly, miserable attitude toward Christmas at the opening of the story; he is obsessed with his money and has no time for festivities, family, or joy. 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." In many ways, it is the child who can most tug on Scrooges heartstrings. ', 'I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it! cried Bob. Describes Fred, who is a symbol of Christmas spirit. ". The description of the figure who is both like a child and like an old man, is suggestive of the journey that the ghost takes him on. Partially because of the nature of its main character. 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. 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. The Total Abstinence Principle was a phrase used for teetotallers (people who refrained from drinking). Repetition of 'chuckle' emphasises Scrooge's newfound delight in giving. What is interesting is that a lot of the traditions that Dickens writes about werent quite so commonplace before his novella. Stave 3 - Tiny Tim Tail has connotations of the devil- reinforcing evil image. Stave 2 - Belle breaks off the engagement The style of A Christmas Carol is conversational and direct. However, how the poor were treated was far more extreme in Victorian England. So while he did not invent these particular traditions many people credit him with popularizing them. God bless us!, At the time people rid themselves of any guilt by blaming the poor for the fact they were poor. A description of the school house that Scrooge was left in as a child, by his family. 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. Hallo there! 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. Themes= greed and generosity/ time. Fire symbolizes emotion and warmth. Marley 2. 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. Stave 3 - ignorance and want Oh, glorious, glorious! No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. Her gown is poor but she is 'brave in ribbons'. This is where the clerk lives. The synonyms 'alone' and 'by himself' emphasise again the loneliness of the life he has chosen. The ghost of Christmas future symbolizes death and the mistakes that are sure to haunt him after his death. In what ways did Louis XV differ from Louis XIV? I am as giddy as a drunken man. Stave 5 - description of Scrooge's redemption Foul weather didnt know where to have him. On this page, readers can explore the quotes, they are broadly separated into a few sub-categories. The reader does not know that Tim has died, so Dickens foreshadows his death through the use of the simile. In the first stave of A Christmas Carol, the following quote is really important in characterizing Scrooge:. Dr Aidan, PhD, brings you the second video. Dickens considers ignorance the worst, because it leads to want. Scrooge is particularly affected by the death, and this is a death he is able to reverse in the future when he amends his behaviour. The verb forged shows skill and effort- Marley spent his whole life's time and effort in his greed so is suffering the consequences. in Its progressive form. I should like to have given him something: thats all., About the Fezziwig family: shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas., Scrooge about Mr Fezziwig: The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it costs a fortune., Belle to Scrooge: Another idol has displaced me., Belle about Scrooge: I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master passion, Gain, engrosses you., Belles husband to Belle about Scrooge: Quite alone in the world, I do believe., There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad., About the Ghost of Christmas Present: Sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch., About the Cratchits goose: a feathered phenomenon., There never was such a goose.