Scrooge Quotes

“solitary as an oyster”

Simile presenting how he isolates himself from society. An oyster is a lonely sea creature that has a calcified shell that is always shut. This could symbolise Scrooge’s lonely lifestyle. Inside, there is a pearl. This could suggest that Scrooge has good qualities within himself or could be perceived as covetous and avaricious as he keeps his wealth to himself.

“covetous old sinner!”

This is a moral condemnation of his nature, telling the reader that he has a hording attitude. Also reinforces the reader that Scrooge is cruel, forceful and oppressive. The use of the “!” conveys an emphatic tone, so we are left undoubting of his greed. It also symbolises how resistant to change he is as a character at the beginning of the novella. Has Christian connotations, presenting the text as one with christian meaning and significance.

“Fog”, “it had not been light all day”

Dickens uses this to represent that Scrooge and wider Victorian society are unenlightened and corrupt with desperation and obsession for money. They aren’t able to see clearly what the meaning of Christmas truly is. It presents a society that is clouded in its judgement. Also presents how Scrooge’s vision is limited to his wealth and profits, displaying how he is greedy and avaricious

“your’re poor enough!” (scrooge), “What right have you to be dismal?”(Fred)

According to Scrooge, if you are poor, you are unhappy (his philosophy). However, Fred is spiritually happy and rich whereas Scrooge is spiritually bleak, isolated and unhappy. Since scrooge, is rich, he must be happy then, according to his own philosophy. This is an attack on Scrooge’s purpose on life as Fred sees purpose in many things whereas Scrooge only sees purpose in profit.

“Counting house”

Controversial job in Victorian times as it was taking advantage of the poor and of others money. To the Victorian reader, some would regard the job as immoral and a sin.

“Clerk”, “dismal little cell”, “freezing”, “fire” that had “one coal”

Through Dicken’s description of Scrooge’s treatment of the “clerk” we see his cruelty first-hand. The distance of their relationship is signified by the fact we are withheld from the name of the clerk.

“once upon a time”

This signposts that the story is didactive and not real and that is has a wider moral message. It also tells us that there may be some supernatural elements to the story.

“without an angry word, not withstanding” - Fred + “clerk” “returned them cordially”

Despite te cynicism and hostility Fred faces from Scrooge, he mantains a cheerfulness and joy of Christmas, illustrating him as the embodiment of a Christmas Spirit. Fred is immediately connected to the clerk, importance due to the fact that in the version of when tiny tim dies, Fred sets out to help the Cratchits depsite only meeting Bob Cratchit once.

“die” to “decrease the surplus population”

Dickens uses a popular socio-political belief that those who were not useful to society (whose labour was not needed are “surplus") they will die due to food shortages anyway. This is a condition of England novella as it captures the appauling extent of poverty within the country, this novella was written after the poor laws were introduced and further implicates to the reader the wider moral message.

“Want””Abundance”, “fifty cooks and butlers” but the “little tailor” “fined five shillings” was stirring up “to-morrows pudding”

Want and abundance are socially unequal in Victorian England. The scandalous division between the rich and the poor is what Dickens is concerned with as he deems that individuals and the government have the moral responsibility to alleviate the divide between the rich and the poor.

The Mayor has many people to do his work, major contrast to the tailor. Despite the tailors poverty, the family is still going to celebrate Christmas. Shows that even the least promisin figure may be redeemed by Christmas. Perhaps this is forehadowing the ultimate redemption of Scrooge.

“death-cold eyes” that have a “Chilling influence” - Marley’s appearance

Dickens renders Marley’s ghost as terrifying. Cold is used throughout the novella as an extended metaphor for cruelty and covetousness versus the warmth and generosity symbolised by light and fire.

“incessant torture of remorse” “ I wear the chain I forged in life” “I suffer most”

Scrooge will be doomed to this if he doesn’t change. It shows that he is trapped in purgatory.

Marley is suffering a terrible fate due to his decisions he had made in his life. Marley did not serve the wider society and so nothing can be done to alleviate his circumstances. Its a refinement, imprisonment and enslavement that he is responsible for putting on himself. Scrooge has not changed after the death of Marley, so he has continued to forge his own chain. Marley suffers because he lacked charity, benevolence, mercy or forgiveness, reminding the rreader of Scrooge as if he fails to engage or react with others in his life, he will end up like Marley.

“Chain” that is made of “cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deed and heavy purses wrought in steel”

This extensive description denotes the weight of the ghost’s burden, which creates the impression of a long, inescapable ensnarement that has become part of his being. The reader is positioned to understand that the cause of this burden is to do with the business of money lending.

“unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant”

All of the spirits who did not serve society in their life suffer the same fate of a restelessness wandering. This is the most pitiful representation of the poor as no one is more vulnerable as a woman whom is alone wih a child at night. The spirit can’t change, interfere or help the woman, that being his punishment for not doing the same when he was alive.

“Humbug!” he “stopped at the first syllable”

Dickens positions us to understand that Scrooge has begun to transform as he no longer can say his catchphrase.

“yet not so like a child as like an old man”

The Ghost of Christmas Past looks like contradictions. This presents that the past and present of a person are connected as you are a product of your past. The spirit represents all the moments in life.

“bright clear jet of light” and “of which dissolving parts, no outline”

The light tells the reader that the spirit is enlightened and that he will enlighten Scrooge about his past. He represents that the past if everchanging and that memory is elusive. Scrooge is in a presence that englightens - Scrooge started with limited visibility in the dense fog with a myopic view of the world.

“Your reclamation”

To reclaim Scrooge’s old attributes as they have been brutalised and buried in money and profit. His boyood has been lost in the mist of time.

“I could walk it blindfold””fervour” (ST2)

“fervour” has christian connotations, meaning passionate, wich is very different to the Scrooge in Stave 1. He has tremendous familiarity with his childhood home, every single feature is recognised entirely by Scrooge.

“a large house, but one of broken fortunes”

Scrooge grew up in this inhospitable, bleak, neglected building. This reflects the present-day attitudes of Scrooge as he isolates himself and neglects happy emotions. This house is also perfect for a solitary child to stay in. When Scrooge sees this, he feels sorrow over his childhood self.

“It’s Ali Baba!””Scrooge exclaimed in ecstasy”

There is sudden joy from meeting the world of his childhood. Despite his childhood self being physically isolated from society, he manages to create his own joy and happiness through imagination and reading his books. This displays a very different person to Stave scrooge. Scrooge has heightened emotions in this moment of the novella as meeting his younger attitude put him in another perspective, changing his attitude.

“golden” “idol”

He no longer worships her like he should his lover, but worships a false god (his obsession with money and business). No longer cares for Belle, who had once made him rich in love and happiness.

“to have had the lightest licence of a child, and yet been man enough to know its value”

Dickens uses language of finance and trade to apply it to family, indicating that Scrooge has changed in attitude and now understands a little more the value of family. He realises it could’ve been him with Belle if he had continued to love her.

“Fezziwig”, a boy who “ not having board enough from his master” another girl who’d “had her ears pulled”

Fezziwig is nominative determinism. His name relates to joy, bubbly and excitement. Is shown in Fezziwig as a person as they are full of joy and inclusivity as Scrooge’s employer. This is an immediate contrast to the relationship Scrooge has as Cractchit’s employer. Despite being abused, being poor or any other non-redeeming qualities, the fezziwigs are genuine and compassionate, allowing anyone join in in their Christmas celebration. Shows their charitable, kind and natural sympathy they have.

“He [Fezziwig] has the power to render us happy or unhappy”

Scrooge is made to realise the responsibility the employer has to their workers. He sees himself as an employer and understands that he can make their lives good or bad. When Scrooge worked for Fezziwig, he had joy and pleasure in his work - the opposite to Scrooge and Cratchit’s relationship. Scroogee feels regret and guilt in the way he has treated Cracthit with a resentful attitude

“he could not hide the light”

Scrooge attempted to stop the light coming from the spirit. This emphasises Scrooges unwillingness to face his memories and the pain that comes with them. But since it can’t be contained, Dickens uses this to show that Scrooge (and the wider Victorian society) can’t escape the truth of his past.

“fifteen ‘Bob’ a-week”

Nominative Determinism. Bob means 1 penny in Victorian times and because of this, we understand that the clerk (Bob) is poor as he is named ‘penny’ and we understand that Scrooge underpays him, further showing the extent of his cruelty.

“four room house” “ thread-bare” clothes

Through his use of language, Dickens accentuates the Cratchits dignity and worth despite their poverty as they are extremely grateful for everything they have.

“with an interest he had never felt before”

Dickens uses this to indicate Scrooge’s transformation as it seems he is beginning to take interest in people he would never had looked at twice before.

“if he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population”

After Scrooge asks if Tiny Tim will live, the spirit replies with the same nonchalant words that Scrooge had said to the portly gentlemen. By quoting Scrooges word back to him, this highlights his change in attitude to the immorality of his views. It is Dickens’ hope that the Victorian reader will change alongside Scrooge.

“overcome with penitence and grief”

The Christian connotations of the word “penitence” relates to Dickens’ central idea that all people have the capacity for redemption. Dickens uses this to confront the popular political belief and this causes Scrooge to be ashamed of what he had once believed in. He realises that Tiny Tim is apart of the “surplus population” as he will never benefit the economy and is the perfect example of this as he is crippled.

“ogre”, “stingy”

Reminds us that this isn’t real and is an allegorical novella. Scrooges stinginess impacts the Cratchit family as Bob is not paid enough, diminishing their overall happiness.

“miners”, “solitary lighthouse”,

The spirit takes Scrooge all around the world to see different types of poverty and their lifestyles and how they are still enjoying Christmas regardless of their job or status.

“yellow, meagre, ragged scowling, wolfish”

These 2 children are portrayed as pitiful and sorrowful compared to the Cratchits. Here Dickens is making a serious political point about the significance of poverty. Whereas with the Cratchit’s it had a more sentimental depiction of poverty, where he is emphasising the importance of family and humility.

“This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want”

The boy represents the ignorance of the wealthy to the poor in society as they ignore the plight of the poor. The girl represents hunger and deprivation of the poor in society. They are a personified idea and it shows the consequence of greed and a wealthy society that is obsessed with money and business.

“Phantom” , “nothing of it visible”

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come symbolises death and resembles the grim reaper.

“I hope to be another man from what I was”

Scrooges transformation is made apparent here as he welcomes the spirits teachings, where as in stave 1, he was resistant to them. Dickens uses the imperative “lead on” to emphasise this.

“I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future!”

Dicken’s uses the repetition of the phrase to exemplify that Scrooge has learn all 3 lessons the spirits taught him and he will live by them.

“fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions”

Here Dickens uses the metaphor of light to convey Scrooge’s newfound generosity and kindness, also displaying that he is now enlightened. The verb “fluttered” being a synonym for the weight of his sins being lifted off Scrooge’s shoulders.

“no fog, no mist'; clear bright jovial stirring cold”

Scrooge’s feelings of joy are translated by Dickens to the setting. This indicates an enlightenment and redemption that applies to the whole of the Victorian society, which is in line with Dicken’s aim to provoke a change with the attitude of his readers.

“I am about to raise your salary!” “he was a second father” to “Tiny Tim, who did NOT die”

This ending to the novella feels like a ‘happily ever after’, maintaining Dickens’ writing style that of a fairy-tale. Also, the fact that Tiny Tim did not die implies that Scrooge had the power to save him just by acts of benevolence he gave to better society.