5: FAMILY / ISOLATION

plethora

an abundance, excess

predilection

a preference or inclination for something

rife

abundant

he answered to both names. It was all the same to him

Scrooge - doesn’t even bother with his name, no urge for connection

Scrooge was his sole executer, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and his sole mourner

Marley - syndetic list, repetition - emphasises point

hard and sharp as flint / solitary as an oyster

scrooge - not friendly, very alone, closed off, simile

nobody ever stopped him in the street/ no beggars implored him/ even the blind men’s dogs … would tug their owners into doorways

Scrooge - avoided by all

it was the very thing he liked

Scrooge - likes being alone

if that were the only thing in the world more ridiculous than a merry Christmas

Scrooge - love is more ridiculous than something he thinks is for fools

beguiled the rest of the evening with his banker’s book

Scrooge - only friend is money - isolated in greed

Fan - to bring you home, home, home ! … Scrooge - you are quite a woman, little Fan!

Scrooge - home and family was special to him when he was younger, repetition

In came

Fezziwig - repetition, abundance of guests - shows his friendliness

he corroborated everything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything

Scrooge enjoys company, repetition

another idol has displaced me/ a golden one

scrooge - money took his company

he thought that such another creature … might have called him father

regret that Scrooge doesn’t have a family

hurrah! there’s such a goose, Martha!

crachitts - happy for what they have, even though it’s not turkey

nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family

crachitts - despite their situation they’re happy together

there was nothing of high mark in this … but they were happy

Summary of crachitts - poor but happy

his offences carry their own punishment

Scrooge - he’s lonely because of himself, quote said be Fred

he loses pleasanter companions than he can find …, either in his mouldy old office or his dusty chambers

Scrooge - loses, rot - corruption

he begged like a boy to be allowed to stay until the guests departed

Scrooge - childhood when he valued family

plundered and bereft, unwatched, unwept, uncared for was the body of this man

Scrooge - his isolation will leave him alone in death, syndetic list

He broke down all at once. He couldn’t help it. If he could have helped it, he and his child would have been further apart perhaps than they were

Crachitt - juxtaposes Scrooge’s lack of grief at beginning

the father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs

Scrooge - family is everyone, missed opportunity, his laugh, repetition - bring a lot of joy

he was at home in five minutes

Scrooge - childhood, finally going home again, family = home, with Fred