Key quotes and analysis
Stave 1:
‘As solitary as an oyster’
Simile
1: Indicates he is a lonely man who is cut off from society.
Oyster → Sit alone at the bottom of the seabed, distanced from other life. They hoard valuable pearls, reflecting scrooge’s nature as a miser- and shows how he’s willing to sacrifice human relationships in order to harbour wealth.
2: Alternatively, the quote indicates that scrooge is a vessel for change
Oyster → Contain valuable pearls hidden inside them. Could be foreshadowing for the great change that is nursed from within scrooge- his hidden ‘pearl’.
‘external heat and cold had little influence on scrooge’
Pathetic fallacy
1: Isolates Scrooge from the people around him and describes him as heartless.
little influence →Saying that the weather has little influence over scrooge indicates that if a large literal force of nature has no influence over him, then people definitely won’t.
external heat → Represents the compassion and kindness of others. suggests that he deflects attempts of civility from others, further isolating himself.
‘Bah! Humbug!’
Humbug → Means a trick or deceit- reflects Scrooge’s views on Christmas (that it's a falsehood/ one giant trick), and showing his scepticism towards generosity and community spirit/ all things associated with Christmas.
Bah → An expression of disgust, implying his rudeness. He’s disgusted by the idea of generosity and merriment.
Structure: The short exclamation of the phrase displays how scrooge is a man of limited communication, and the disgusted tone is juxtaposed with the greeting given → ‘Merry Christmas!’
‘If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”
Displaying Malthusian beliefs
Thomas Malthus believed the poor were responsible for their own situation due to their ‘idleness’. He argued increases in the population due to the poor will hinder crop production and lead to the starving of the rest of the world.
decrease the surplus population →Dickens intends to present this as a disturbing idea, as he was very anti Malthusian beliefs and outlooks on society.
said Scrooge → creates a natural pause in the statement, building up to his final statement, leading it to sound inhumane and outlandish.
would → makes us question of the poor really would rather die, and if that is the case, it should make us conclude that something needs to change.
they → A collective pronoun used to depersonalise scrooge from the poor. Shows intrinsically from the way he speaks about them, that he really believes what he is saying and doesn’t care for the welfare of those less fortunate than himself.
“Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”
Metaphor
represents him as a miserly character that values wealth over happiness.
Cheap → cheap shows that scrooge looks for a price and value in everything, even nature, and is so obsessed with wealth that he believes himself to be happy in a situation where most others would not be.
Marley’s Ghost: “Mankind was my business.”
Metaphor
Represents Dickens views on social responsibility- the idea that we should all be responsible for one another and help out when others less fortunate than ourselves are in need.
Can link to at the beginning of the stave where scrooge tells the portly gentlemen he does not want to help as it is not his ‘business’. This is Marley telling scrooge that he made the same mistake, and that he should be more benevolent towards others.
Marley’s Ghost: “I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate.”
stave 2:
“There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something: that’s all.”
indicates the beginnings of change
About the Fezziwig family: “…shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.”
the ‘touching hands’ shows the humility of fezziwig, and that he’s not afraid to
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… A golden one.”
Belle about Scrooge: “I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master passion, Gain, engrosses you.”
Belle’s husband to Belle about Scrooge: “Quite alone in the world, I do believe.”
Stave 3:
“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 Cratchit’s goose: “a feathered phenomenon.”
There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked.”
About Tiny Tim: “If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”
Bob Cratchit: “I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast.”
About Ignorance and Want: “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy.”
Stave 4:
Scrooge says to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart.”
Two Business Colleagues: “It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral,” said the same speaker; for upon my life I don’t know of anybody to go to it.”
Scrooge to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “I see, I see. The case of this unhappy man might be my own. My life tends that way, now.”
Bob Cratchit about Tiny Tim’s grave: “I wish you could have gone. It would have done you good to see how green a place it is.”
Bob Cratchit about Fred’s kindness: “It really seemed as if he had known our Tiny Tim, and felt with us.”
About Scrooge’s grave: “overrun by grass and weeds.”
Scrooge on what he has learnt: “I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”
Stave 5:
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. I am as giddy as a drunken man.”
“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.”
“He knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the Knowledge.”
Stave 1:
‘As solitary as an oyster’
Simile
1: Indicates he is a lonely man who is cut off from society.
Oyster → Sit alone at the bottom of the seabed, distanced from other life. They hoard valuable pearls, reflecting scrooge’s nature as a miser- and shows how he’s willing to sacrifice human relationships in order to harbour wealth.
2: Alternatively, the quote indicates that scrooge is a vessel for change
Oyster → Contain valuable pearls hidden inside them. Could be foreshadowing for the great change that is nursed from within scrooge- his hidden ‘pearl’.
‘external heat and cold had little influence on scrooge’
Pathetic fallacy
1: Isolates Scrooge from the people around him and describes him as heartless.
little influence →Saying that the weather has little influence over scrooge indicates that if a large literal force of nature has no influence over him, then people definitely won’t.
external heat → Represents the compassion and kindness of others. suggests that he deflects attempts of civility from others, further isolating himself.
‘Bah! Humbug!’
Humbug → Means a trick or deceit- reflects Scrooge’s views on Christmas (that it's a falsehood/ one giant trick), and showing his scepticism towards generosity and community spirit/ all things associated with Christmas.
Bah → An expression of disgust, implying his rudeness. He’s disgusted by the idea of generosity and merriment.
Structure: The short exclamation of the phrase displays how scrooge is a man of limited communication, and the disgusted tone is juxtaposed with the greeting given → ‘Merry Christmas!’
‘If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”
Displaying Malthusian beliefs
Thomas Malthus believed the poor were responsible for their own situation due to their ‘idleness’. He argued increases in the population due to the poor will hinder crop production and lead to the starving of the rest of the world.
decrease the surplus population →Dickens intends to present this as a disturbing idea, as he was very anti Malthusian beliefs and outlooks on society.
said Scrooge → creates a natural pause in the statement, building up to his final statement, leading it to sound inhumane and outlandish.
would → makes us question of the poor really would rather die, and if that is the case, it should make us conclude that something needs to change.
they → A collective pronoun used to depersonalise scrooge from the poor. Shows intrinsically from the way he speaks about them, that he really believes what he is saying and doesn’t care for the welfare of those less fortunate than himself.
“Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”
Metaphor
represents him as a miserly character that values wealth over happiness.
Cheap → cheap shows that scrooge looks for a price and value in everything, even nature, and is so obsessed with wealth that he believes himself to be happy in a situation where most others would not be.
Marley’s Ghost: “Mankind was my business.”
Metaphor
Represents Dickens views on social responsibility- the idea that we should all be responsible for one another and help out when others less fortunate than ourselves are in need.
Can link to at the beginning of the stave where scrooge tells the portly gentlemen he does not want to help as it is not his ‘business’. This is Marley telling scrooge that he made the same mistake, and that he should be more benevolent towards others.
Marley’s Ghost: “I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate.”
stave 2:
“There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something: that’s all.”
indicates the beginnings of change
About the Fezziwig family: “…shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.”
the ‘touching hands’ shows the humility of fezziwig, and that he’s not afraid to
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… A golden one.”
Belle about Scrooge: “I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master passion, Gain, engrosses you.”
Belle’s husband to Belle about Scrooge: “Quite alone in the world, I do believe.”
Stave 3:
“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 Cratchit’s goose: “a feathered phenomenon.”
There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked.”
About Tiny Tim: “If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”
Bob Cratchit: “I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast.”
About Ignorance and Want: “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy.”
Stave 4:
Scrooge says to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart.”
Two Business Colleagues: “It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral,” said the same speaker; for upon my life I don’t know of anybody to go to it.”
Scrooge to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “I see, I see. The case of this unhappy man might be my own. My life tends that way, now.”
Bob Cratchit about Tiny Tim’s grave: “I wish you could have gone. It would have done you good to see how green a place it is.”
Bob Cratchit about Fred’s kindness: “It really seemed as if he had known our Tiny Tim, and felt with us.”
About Scrooge’s grave: “overrun by grass and weeds.”
Scrooge on what he has learnt: “I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”
Stave 5:
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. I am as giddy as a drunken man.”
“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.”
“He knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the Knowledge.”
