Christmas Carol quotes

a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner

Long list of VERBS: emphasise the EXTENT OF HIS GREED;

* ‘sinner’: Dickens makes it clear how MORALLY CORRUPT he is; ‘sin’ specifically is a challenge to Christian values and meaning of Christmas.

“the cold within him froze” “carried his own low temperature” “frosty rime”

Extended Metaphor – COLD: emphasises how COLD-HEARTED SC is; emotionally isolated from others; unfeeling. Motif of cold reflects how hes emotionally frozen - refusal to change and accept Christian values/moral values of charity and goodwill

solitary as an oyster

Simile – oyster: hard exterior – links with stone imagery; SHUT OFF FROM SOCIETY; ISOLATED;

* Harsh sibilants: suggest THREAT.

“solitary” connotes with prison, he is trapped in his greed/avarice

oysters have pearls in them, hints at something valuable within him

No wind that blew was bitterer than he

Sc COMPARED TO THE WINTER WEATHER: portrayed as more unpleasant than the actual winter;

* ALLITERATION – PLOSIVES: stress how HARSH / SHARP he is with others.  

“Nobody” “no beggars” “no man or woman”

REPETITION: shows the extent of SC’s ISOLATION FROM ALL CLASSES OF SOCIETY, rejection of social responsibility and his ignorance of the poor

“To edge his way along the crowded paths of life”

METAPHOR – ‘edge…paths’: path = society; re-enforces how SC REJECTS SOCIETY; anti-social; DELIBERATELY AVOIDS THE COMPANY OF OTHERS; ISOLATES HIMSELF. 

“a dismal little cell” “a sort of tank”

oMETAPHOR: ‘cell’ – reflects how BC is trapped in his job by his poverty;

oSIMILE: ‘tank’ – suggests BC is TREATED LIKE AN ANIMAL / DEHUMANISED by SC.

“you’'ll keep your Christmas by losing your situation”

oHighlights how SC has complete POWER over BC – threatens to sack him;

oSC’s LACK OF COMPASSION / IGNORANCE of B’s poverty

“Christmas time” “a time for finding yourself a year older but not an hour richer”

oSC’s NARROW VIEW: BLINDED BY HIS OBSESSION WITH MONEY, rejection of Christian values of goodwill and charity

“Many thousands are in want” “Hundreds and thousands are in want”

oREPETITION + use of NUMBERS: emphasises the SERIOUSNESS OF POVERTY in Victorian England.

“Are there no prisons?” “And the Union workhouses?” “The Treadmill and Poor Law are in full vigour then?”

oREPEATED QUESTIONING: reflect SC’s AGGRESSION towards the charity gentlemen;

oShows how SC SUPPORTS THE HARSH MEASURES TAKEN AGAINST THE POOR at the time.

“idle people”

oSc shares the Victorian STEREOTYPE of the POOR as lazy; shows their IGNORANCE.

oDickens uses Sc to EXPOSE and ATTACK how the poor are STEREOTYPED as criminals, lazy, or DEHUMANISED as unnecessary to society.

“decrease the surplus population”

o‘surplus population’: DEHUMANISING TERM for the poor; reflects SC’s LACK OF HUMANITY;

oCompares with Bob’s ‘tank’.

“It is enough for a man to understand his own business and not interfere with other people’s”

oSc’s self-centred INDIVIDUALISM – REJECTS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.oDickens uses SC to CRITIQUE SELF-CENTRED INDIVIDUALISM in Victorian society;

oContrast to his nephew and Marley’s Ghost who promote social responsibility.

“gloomy suite of rooms” “Darkness is cheap and Scrooge liked it”

oImagery of DARKNESS: reflects SC’s MORAL DARKNESS; also how stingy he is.

PARSIMONIOUS ATTITUDES

“The fog and the frost”

oPathetic Fallacy: ‘fog’ – suggests SC’s MORAL BLINDNESS; ‘frost’ – his emotional coldness / distance from others.

“nobody lived in it but Scrooge”

oEmptiness of the building: illustrates SC’s isolation from others; also his INNER EMPTINESS.

“The chain” “It was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash boxes, keys, padlocks…”

metaphor: “chain”: weighed down with items linked with money/business - represents Marley’s greed - parallel to Scrooge; listing: reflects the extent of his greed when he was alive

“I made it link by link, and yard by yard”

repetition: suggests how regretful he is that he wasted his life to greed; re-enforces the idea of eternal suffering

“an infernal atmosphere of it’s own”

• metaphor: “infernal”: imagery of fire and Hell; links to the theme of ETERNAL SUFFERING AND PUNSIHMENT

• re-enforces Dickens purpose to suggest greed can be depicted as a sin

“captive bound and double ironed” “Not to know” x3

oMetaphor: ‘captive’: Marley imprisoned by his own IGNORANCE OF THE POOR when alive; Dickens MORALISING about the consequences of SELF-CENTREDNESS;

oRepetition: reflects the extent of his SEPARATION FROM SOCIETY.

“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob”, faltered Scrooge.

“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business, charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence, were all my business”

oMARLEY = DICKENS’ VOICE: promotes SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY;

oDickens MORALISING: LISTS KEY CHRISTIAN / MORAL VIRTUES;

oContrasts SC’s greed / selfishness; DICKENS USES SC TO CRITIQUE SOCIETY’S AVARICE AND IGNORANCE OF THE POOR.

“Christmas time” “a good time, a kind, forgiving, charitable and pleasant time”

oSC’s nephew = DICKENS’ VOICE;

oPromoting CHRISTIAN / MORAL VALUES OF CHARITY;

oPARALLELS the MORAL LESSON Marley’s Ghost has learnt.

“though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good”

oSC’s nephew = DICKENS’ VOICE;

oPromotes SELFLESSNESS – Fred argues he has benefitted SPIRITUALLY from this;

oCONTRASTS SC’s NARROW VIEW of the world through money/greed 

“fellow passengers to the grave” “not another race of creatures”

o‘fellow passengers’: Dickens PROMOTES the idea of COMMUNITY and SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY;

o‘creatures’: Dickens’ WARNS AGAINST PREJUDICE and DEHUMANISING THE POOR;

oParallels Marley’s lesson: ‘Mankind was my business.’

“Every one of them wore chains like Marley's Ghost; some few (they might be guilty governments) were linked together; none were free”

oDickens’ CRITIQUE of the GOVERNMENT’S LACK OF HELP FOR THE POOR and HARSH LAWS (e.g. Poor Law; Treadmill); they PUNISH the poor instead of helping.

“they sought to interfere, for good, in human matters, and had lost the power for ever.”

oDickens being DIDACTIC: URGING THE READER / VICTORIAN SOCIETY TO BEGIN HELPING THE POOR IMMEDIATELY;

oAgain re-enforces CONSEQUENCES; the spirits are TORMENTED by REGRET.

“A solitary child, neglected by his friends” “A lonely boy”

oAdjectives: ‘solitary…lonely’: highlight how he suffered SOCIAL ISOLATION as a child;

o‘neglected’: reveals how SC himself was a VICTIM OF THE UNKINDNESS OF OTHERS

“I should have liked to have given him something. That’s all”

oFROM HIS OWN SUFFERING, SC IS MADE AWARE OF THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS;

oFeels REGRET (like Marley’s Ghost) but is unable to change anything.

“like a child” “like an old man” “was white as if with age, and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it”

oSYMBOLISM: duality of youth/age: represents both innocence and experience/wisdom → ephermal; and portrays supernatural as strange

o‘white’: emphasises PURITY – links to Spirit’s MORAL PURPOSE.

“branch of fresh green holly” “its dress trimmed with summer flowers”

oSYMBOLISM: holly/flowers: represents NEW LIFE: suggests there’s hope for SC to change.

f”rom the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light”

oSYMBOLISM: LIGHT: Spirit’s purpose – to ENLIGHTEN SC; contrasts his moral blindness.

“No more work to-night. Christmas Eve” “Hilli-ho"!”

oFezziwig is a businessman, but the OPPOSITE OF SCROOGE: demonstrates GOODWILL and GENEROSITY to his employees at Christmas;

oFZ’s expressions: ‘Hilli-ho!’ etc: express his OPEN-HEARTEDNESS to others; CONTRAST SC’s ‘Bah! Humbug’.

“A positive light appeared to issue from Fezziwig’s calves”

oLIGHT IMAGERY: links with the First Spirit’s appearance as a light; re-enforces the idea of FZ’s example ENLIGHTENING SC;

oLinks with the festive mood: joy, merriment, which SC lacks.

“restless motion in the eye”

o‘restless motion’: DISTURBING IMAGE: SC UNABLE TO FIND PEACE IN HIMSELF or happiness with Belle DUE TO HIS AVARICE;

oAgain shows how his SOCIAL ISOLATION  IS CAUSED BY HIS LOVE OF MONEY, rather than fellow human beings.

“What Idol has displaced you?” he rejoined.

“A golden one.”

oMetaphor: golden idol: represents GREED / AVARICE; Biblical reference - the worship of false values – a SIN

“the passion that had taken root, and where the shadow of the growing tree would fall.”

oTREE IMAGERY: ‘root…shadow’: emphasises how DEEP-ROOTED SC’s GREED IS;

o‘shadow’: IMAGERY OF DARKNESS linked to SC; CONTRASTS the First Spirit and Fezziwig

“living green” “a perfect grove” “holly, mistletoe and ivy”

•Imagery of NATURE: links to the Spirit representing LIFE

“such a mighty blaze went roaring up the chimney”

•Imagery of LIGHT and WARMTH: represents Spirit’s GENEROSITY and COMPASSION;

•CONTRASTS SC’s imagery of darkness.

“as if disdaining to be concealed by any artifice”

•Shows Spirit’s OPENNESS and HONESTY; he SEEKS TO EXPOSE THE POVERTY THAT SOCIETY HIDES / IGNORES.

“dressed out but poorly… but brave in ribbons, which are cheap and make a goodly show for sixpence;”

•The family are POOR: their dress shows they make the best of what little they have; portrays them having DIGNITY;

•Challenges the stereotype of the poor being criminals.

“Mrs Cratchit, kissing her a dozen times, and taking off her shawl and bonnet for her”

•Forefronts their LOVE for each other; unafraid to show AFFECTION; Martha finds the joke uncomfortable; mindful of each other’s feelings.

“the Spirit smiled, and stopped to bless Bob Cratchit's dwelling” “the Ghost of Christmas Present blessed his four-roomed house!”

•REPEATED reference to ‘blessing’ Cratchits’ house;

•Direct address to Victorian reader and Victorian society: ‘Think of that’ – MORALISING about the compassion they should show to the poor; links to MESSAGE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

“because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see”

•TT is SELFLESS despite his disability: wishes his disability could serve to remind people of true Christian values;

•TT EMBODIES THE VALUES OF CHRISTMAS

•Contrasts the stereotype of the poor as immoral.

[Tiny Tim was'] “as good as gold”

•SIMILE - Tiny Tim: ‘gold’ – emphasises how he is MORALLY UPRIGHT despite his illness and disability; links with what is PRECIOUS.

•Image of gold CONTRASTS SC’s association with darkness.

•Tiny Tim CONTRADICTS THE FALSE IMPRESSION / STEREOTYPES Sc has of the poor: he is SELFLESS DESPITE HIS DISABILITY;

•TT embodies CHRISTIAN VIRTUE / VALUES.

•Sc BEGINS TO FEEL COMPASSION for Tiny Tim; significant - shows Sc beginning to learn;

•Tiny Tim: name SUGGESTS VULNERABILITY; represents the VULNERABLE POOR who Sc thinks are the ‘surplus population’ who should ‘die’;

•THE SPIRIT USES TT TO CHALLENGE SC ON HIS IGNORANT VIEWS.

“If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.''

•Dickens repeats SC’s words using Tiny Tim: emphasises how CRUEL and DESPICABLE THE STEREOTYPING AND LACK OF CARE for the poor is.

“forbear that wicked cant”

•IMPERATIVE SENTENCE (ORDER): Spirit / Dickens FORCEFULLY REBUKES those who share SC’s view of the poor;

•‘wicked’: Dickens MORALISING – links to the notion of SIN

“They are mans” “The boy is ignorance. The girl is want” “beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased”

•‘Man’s’: short impact sentence: GIVES FORCE to Dicken’s CRITIQUE OF SOCIETY’S IGNORANCE OF THE POOR;

•ALLEGORICAL FIGURES: Want = POVERTY; IGNORANCE = Society’s NEGLECT of the poor

•Portrayed as children: shows their VULNERABILITY; gets reader’s SYMPATHY;

•‘Doom’: WARNING of the CONSEQUENCES FOR SOCIETY unless they show compassion for the poor; LESSON IN SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

“it seemed to scatter gloom and misery” “shrouded in a deep black garment”

•Imagery of DARKNESS – links to archetypal portrayal of DEATH / GRIM REAPER;

•Contrasts Light imagery of the other Spirits; suggests Sc’s fate is something to be FEARED.

“a very cheap funeral” “I don’t know of anybody to go to it”

•Shows the potential loneliness of Sc’s death – reflects the way he lived his life

“unwatched, unwept, uncared for was the body of this man”

•DRAMATIC IRONY: Sc doesn’t realise he is looking at his own body;

•Repetition + Triplet: suggests HIS LONELINESS IN LIFE WILL EXTEND INTO ETERNITY; repeated image.

“that shirt” “they’d have wasted it if it hadn’t been for me”

•IRONY: Sc’s DEATH IS EXPLOITED BY PEOPLE WHO SHARE HIS AVARICE; SC’s material possessions are taken from him in the end.

“Quiet, very quiet” “the Cratchits were as still as statues”

•Death of TT affects the Cratchit family profoundly; CONTRASTS Sc’s death which is meaningless to others;

•Repetition + Simile+short sentences: conveys how TT’s death has taken the life and energy out of the family; CONTRASTS the family’s Christmas in Stave 3;

•Emotive portrayal – gains reader’s sympathy; sense of tragedy.

“Spirit of Tiny Tim, thy childish essence was from God”

•TT portrayed as a kind of SAVIOUR; his death is given RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE; he represents CHRISTIAN VIRTUES DESTROYED BY SOCIETY’S GREED / SELFISHNESS; re-enforces Dickens’ MORAL PURPOSE

“No fog no mist” “Golden sun; heavenly sky”

•Pathetic Fallacy: contrast to dark/fog; repetition of ‘no’ – reflects how Sc is no longer morally blind; images of warmth contrast his cold-heartedness in Stave1.

“I am as happy as an angel”

•Simile: ‘angel’ - Christian symbol; shows Sc’s REDEMPTION: EMBODIES CHRISTIAN VALUES: contrasts ‘sinner’ in Stave 1.

“splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh”

•Repetition / Verb: ‘laughing’: emphasises Sc’s transformation from misery to joy; no longer isolated – SHARES IN THE VALUES OF CHRISTMAS.

“as merry as a schoolboy”

•Imagery: ‘schoolboy’ / ‘baby’: link with YOUTH / INNOCENCE; reflect his ‘RE-BIRTH’

“as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man”

•REPETITION + LISTING: ‘as good a’ – expresses THE EXTENT OF HIS TRANSFORMATION; his sense of CHARITY IS NOW WIDESPREAD AND OPEN TO EVERYONE;

•‘Good’: contrasts ‘sinner’ in St1.

“he was a second father”

•Metaphor: ‘father’ -  Sc shows SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY / CHARITY; REDEEMS HIMSELF by saving TT’s life;

•Fulfils Dickens’ MORALISTIC purpose → compare with ignorance and want

“is it a foot or a claw” “two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable”

animal imagery: they are barely human as their poverty has dehumanised them