ghost of christmas yet to come/ stave 5

‘it was shrouded in a deep black garment which concealed its head, its face, its form’

‘shrouded’ links to a corpse suggests death and funerals (a shroud is cloth used to wrap a dead body), which links directly to the ghost’s purpose: showing Scrooge the consequences of his life

“Deep black” symbolises the unknown, fear, and the finality of death. emphasises seriousness and finality- warning of moral and physical death

Dickens uses the ghost’s appearance to foreshadow the dark, grim future that awaits Scrooge if he does not change.

concealment links to lack of identity, ambiguity of future- unknowable faceless, inevitable. strips the ghosts personality- paradoxically terrifying. dickens uses anonymity to provoke fear which mirrors scrooges emotional state, he cannot face the truth about himself, reflects moral blindness

gothic language build up suspense and deepens emotional impact with scrooges transformation. marks a tonal shift as it contrasts to the previous joyful ghosts this one is silent

this stave is a climax of fear and despair before scrooges redemption. ghosts appearance reflects high stake of narrative

its concealed face forces scrooge to reflect. the ghost does not answer questions but allows scrooge to find and answer them himself. dickens uses the ghost to externalise scrooges internal crisis

‘upon the stone of the neglected grave…EBENEZER SCCROOGE’

‘neglected’ implies not just physical abandonment but emotional and social disregard- in death just like life scrooge is alone unloved and forgotten

adjective ‘neglected’ emphasises how no one cared enough to remember him- emptiness of a life lived without compassion. mirrors he was a neglected child and now suffers a neglected death reveals neglect leads to death. it also implies without change scrooges life will have no positive impact, no memory, no mourning. dickens challenges the reader especially upper class to consider consequences of selfishness and greed. scrooge reacting in horror suggests hope. if the grave is the end of the road this moment is a fork where scrooge is given a final chance to transform

juxtaposes tiny tim as earlier his grave is mourned, visited and remembered. this is a stark contrast to scrooges cod and unvisited tomb. dickens suggest a life of love is richer than a life of wealth

dickens criticises wealth without humanity leads to a meaningless legacy.

this scene asks the question what will be left once you have gone? theme of legacy and redemption

‘EBENEZER SCROOGE’ dictates a sense of revelation and confrontation. names are personal and intimate so to see his on a forgotten headstone is a sign to face the reality that his choices will lead to a life and death without value. dickens uses shock and recognition to force scrooge into repentance. its his grave therefore he cant ignore the consequences of his actions. this marks a moment of catharsis

the description evokes gothic elements- graveyards, death, shadows- but dickens uses them not just for fear but for moral enlightenment

‘It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral’

‘Cheap’ ironic: funerals which are associated with grief and remembering e are here reduced to a financial inconvenience. Speaker doesn't express sadness instead he jokes about how little scrooges death will cost.

Casual callous tone of businessmen provokes readers moral disgust- no reverence for the dead, just a flippant comment. Suggests scrooges death is so insignificant its barely worth paying for. This mirrors scrooges earlier attitudes of a cold character when he quotes ‘if they’d rather die…’

Scrooge doesn’t know they talking about him. Dramatic irony. This is a set up for emotional I.pact for later revelation. Gives scrooge and the reader a clear view of what will occur if her doesn’t change.

‘Cheap’ also Implies a life cheaply lived- not in luxury but emotional poverty scrooge is isolated, accumulated wealth but no love, friendly ship or respect- without compassion wealth is meaningless

Sickens critiques not just scrooge but a society that has lost empathy. Tye men don’t care about scrooges death but rather care about the food that is serves and who will attend. This reflects a society where human connection is secondary to self interest. Dickens repeatedly condemns this throughout the novella

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