christmas carol key quotes and analysis

Like an oyster, he keeps himself to himself, hidden beneath a hard shell that he uses to protect himself from the world. Themes= time/Christmas, "A solitary child, neglected by his friends.". It acts as a mirror for Scrooges wealth and position but also as a stark contrast in approach. The opening line says, ''Marley was dead: to begin with. Describes Fred, who is a symbol of Christmas spirit. The repetition of the word 'little' reinforces to the reader how young and innocent and undeserving of death was Tiny Tim. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs. sungiemarie. 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. Both have religious connotations and suggest a true depth of despair at his previous notions. 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. How to revise from this guide You should be spending at least 30-60 minutes a week revising for English Literature from this point onwards, aiming to learn 5-7 key quotes for each character. "It was long and wound about him like a til.". 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. Whoop! Dickens uses Scrooge to show the extent of change that is possible in a small amount of time. This girl is Want. 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. The onomatopoetic verb 'gasping' makes the reader explicitly imagine the death, suggesting struggle and pain. "His eyes sparkled and his breath smocked.". 5. 'A lonely boy was reading near a feeble fire'. Stave 1 - why the portly gentlemen are collecting for the poor Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. If they would rather die, 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. cried the gentleman, as if his breath were taken away. 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. The image of the 'lonely boy near a feeble fire' reflects very closely the older Scrooge we have seen, alone eating gruel. 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. 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. The ribbons are her means of dressing more festively. () *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. The spirit of Christmas is personified in his open heart, open hand, and outstretched arm. 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. Without the ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge wouldve been unlikely to change. "I wish you could have gone. These compare with the bells at the start of the novel, signifying the hellish arrival of Marley's ghost. The chains are a metaphor for his punishment for his greedy life. "Tonight, if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it.". Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents. A Christmas Carol Key Quotes Major Themes Major characters How to revise effectively Isolation and loneliness Ebenezer Scrooge One mistake people often make is to try to revise EVERYTHING. Stave 2 - the arrival of his sister, Fan This phrase is repeated to describe both Mrs Crarchit and her daughter. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish. A merry Christmas to you.". Himself, always. This has a double meaning both as a sympathetic term of endearment and also the fact that thanks to Scrooge the man is literally poor. Themes= family/greed and generosity/ time. For a start, there is the use of ghosts throughout. Scrooge is not unfortunate in the way of relatives - he has a family awaiting his . ', Where the portly gentlemen explain to Scrooge about the plight of the poor and the responsibility of the rich to deal with it, In Stave 5, Scrooge begins to redeem himself for all the terrible things he did in the past, Victorian society was still extremely religious at this point and they believed strongly in the impact of sin upon the treatment of one in the afterlife, The way that Scrooge worships money would have been considered as sinful at the time as it is in a way idolising something that is not the holy lord, Stave 5: 'that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge', Stave 1: 'A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping clutching, covetous old sinner! These include Scrooges cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. The shortness of the main clause at the end makes the message more shocking. ', '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. So while he did not invent these particular traditions many people credit him with popularizing them. 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. He teaches scrooge to learn from his mistakes of his past. Marley tells scrooge he is responsible fro his punishment- he is suffering the consequences for his actions. 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. Workhouses were a terrible place and menial and dangerous jobs such as sweeping chimneys still existed. Such as the graveyard at the end. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. Scrooge signed it. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them. "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.". Stave 3 - the Cratchits Scrooge awakes and finds his room as dark as when he fell asleep at two o'clock. The verb sparkled has magical and positive connotations, shows Fred is the antithesis of scrooge. Refine any search. With the title of the book being A Christmas Carol you would expect Christmas to feature prominently throughout the novel. These morally repugnant, ugly people are simply treating Scrooge the way he treated others and he is horrified. Partially because of the nature of its main character. "Reeked with crime, and filth, and misery". A description of the ghost of Christmas present. The fog has lifted and Scrooge can 'see' the truth. Themes= greed and generosity/time. 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. Stave 2 - Scrooge becomes distressed by what he is seeing. 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. Oh! This may be a way of showing what Dickens thinks should be happening. Oh, glorious. Scrooge listened to this dialogue in horror he viewed them with a detestation and disgust. A description of the school house that Scrooge was left in as a child, by his family. 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. Fred represents the spirit of Christmas and carries Dickens' message about collective responsibility and how we should treat one another. But, they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another and contented with the time. 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. - Scrooge, Ever idiot who goes around with merry xmas on his lips should be buried with a stake of holly through his heart, 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. ', People with lots of money already are more likely to be greedy for more, not thinking about sharing that money with others effectively. Glorious!'. A happy New Year to all the world! He always did.". "Crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light." Description of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Stave 2, this ghost is much less scary than Marley which symbolises the innocence of childhood. 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. 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. Themes= greed and generosity/ time. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. Oh, glorious! The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune. said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Stave 1 - description of Marley's ghost 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. Stave 3 - Christmas at Fred's Imagery of warmth has symbolism of generosity, compassion and forgiveness- Fred always makes a effort with scrooge. I am as giddy as a drunken man., Scrooge was better than his word. 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 girl is want. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash! However, the verb 'profit' still has a hint of selfishness - as well as an implication of individual, even material, gain. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse! The portly gentlemen are also instrumental in delivering Dickens' message. Draw one line under each main verb and two lines under each auxiliary verb. Marleys chains symbolize the mistakes hes made in life and the greed that controlled him. Invite Scrooge to come for Christmas dinner 4. This again leads back to Dickens' idea of collective responsibility - that everything that we do influences others. Dr Aidan, PhD, brings you the second video in his 'A Christmas Carol' series, looking here at the role and importance of the ghosts in this story. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. Stave 3 - Scrooge's willingness to learn This symbolises his generosity and air of festivity. His selfish ways have left him this way. 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. 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. Who suffers? The use of the word 'alone' is repeated showing again that selfishness will lead to a life of loneliness. 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 Jacob Marleys demise is possibly part of what shaped Scrooge into the person that he is. 'The Ghosts' in A Christmas Carol (Key Quotes & Analysis) Dr Aidan 22.1K subscribers Subscribe 47K views 3 years ago Studying A Christmas Carol? Hallo there! They are mans. Glorious! Th onomatopoeia here makes the bells sound particularly noise -and yet Scrooge sees them as 'glorious' which is suggestive of noises from heaven. Dickens believed in collective responsibility - that the wealthy should take responsibility for helping the poor, specifically through the provision of education and support for children. The conditional subordinate clause represents Scrooge's future actions. Does this line support or contradict the speaker's statement in the final stanza, "Nothing really happened"? Analysing the evidence "I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. 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.". External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. "I am sorry for him; I couldn't be angry with him if I tried. Bovey, Lee-James "A Christmas Carol Themes and Analysis " Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/themes-and-analysis/. but stopped at the first syllable', Repeated phrase (Juxtaposition and patterning), Stave 5: 'Hear me! 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. Key quotes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Stave 5 - description of Scrooge's redemption Thus Dickens is ending with the message that we can all change our selfish ways and be a positive influence. Arguably, this is the most famous quote from A Christmas Carol. Stave 3 - ignorance and want 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. 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. Themes= Christmas/greed and generosity/family. With key quotes \u0026 analysis, this video provides an ideal format to gain a greater understanding of this novella in a matter of minutes. Scrooge. Here, we get the image of a country that is united during this time of year; a place where Christmas and Britishness are inextricably linked, which would have been incredibly popular for a Victorian audience who were in the throws of empire building. But it does share a lot of gothic conventions. Stave 1 - Scrooge's response to the gentlemen saying that people would rather die than go to the workhouse. Only financial gain. The two children Ignorance and Want represents the attitudes of the rich to the poor in Victorian society. 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. Underline the word or symbol in parentheses that best completes each sentence. The problem is internal, within Scrooges heart. ", 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. The adjective dismal connotes a lack of light and hopeless atmosphere. 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. Ghost stories were very popular during the Victorian era. Losing a business partner around Christmas time could not have been easy. Scrooges changing attitude is never better highlighted than in his initial responses to the three ghosts. 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." "Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?". Scrooge is presented as a miserly character - his money does not even bring him any happiness. cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. A merry Christmas to everybody! Whereas the line about being solitary as an oyster suggests that Scrooge refuses to let anybody into his life. I can't afford to make idle people merry. 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. Key quotes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. 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. 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. scientist; is. Themes= poverty/family/greed and generosity. Bitter- "no wind that blew was bitterer than he. When you analyse poverty in A Christmas Carol, you may want to reference the setting as well as using direct quotes from characters. I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Timshall weor this first parting that there was among us? 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. Stave 3 - Scrooge asks if Tiny Tim will live, having been moved by his goodness. The image of the oyster is almost perfect for Scrooge at this stage in the book. Stave 5 - pathetic fallacy Stave 2 - Scrooge's response to the ghost saying that it was only a small thing that Fezziwig did. A description of the ghost of Christmas past, who symbolises memory and who shows scrooge events from the past. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Stave 4 - About Scrooge's grave: The Total Abstinence Principle was a phrase used for teetotallers (people who refrained from drinking). 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.

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