Below one can explore the themes, symbols, and more that appear throughout the novel. " Scrooge entered timidly and hung . The declarative 'will' conveys certainty showing how urgent it is that Scrooge change. This compounds our sympathy for the Cratchit's as Tim was a symbol of innocence. The noun 'idol' shows that Belle believes Scrooge is so enamoured of money that he worships it. His house is dark - which reflects the darkness in his character and also adds to the gothic atmosphere of his house. Here, Scrooge is talking about Fezziwig and how he uses his wealth to lift others up. "Crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light." Description of the Ghost of Christmas Past, Stave 2, this ghost is much less scary than Marley which symbolises the innocence of childhood. Glorious!'. phrase on the line at the right. Arguably, this is the most famous quote from A Christmas Carol. Oh, glorious, glorious! "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. For characters like Fred and Bob Cratchit, Christmas represents the Christian ideal of goodness and moral prosperity, but Scrooge is at his most miserly when Christmas is mentioned. The girl is want. However, inside that shell - like Scrooge - the oyster is soft and vulnerable. The Ghost of Christmas Past is an interesting vision it changes shape and size, it has many arms and then a few, it seems distant and close, old and young in fact it seems riddled with contradictory images. The metaphor shows the are poor but make the best of a bad situation, always smiling and showing they are grateful for what little they have. He has learned his lesson and been transformed from darkness into light - which is reflected in the world around him. Foul weather didnt know where to have him. Stave 3 - Scrooge's willingness to learn ffects the change, pulling the curtains aside with his own hand. By this stage, Scrooge has already begun to see the error of his ways and has realised that he will benefit from the messages he is receiving and so he begins to take agency over the situation. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/themes-and-analysis/. Dr Aidan, PhD, brings you the second video in his 'A Christmas Carol' series, looking here at the role and importance of the ghosts in this story. Draw one line under each main verb and two lines under each auxiliary verb. It was a worthy place. This is fitting because it is traditionally colder at Christmas but also because the cold is an apt metaphor for Scrooges personality. The reader does not know that Tim has died, so Dickens foreshadows his death through the use of the simile. This scene is very clever as well because not only does seeing the Fezziwigs party give Scrooges character the chance to see how much power he wields and how that influence could be used but it also offers us the opportunity to see some of the aspects that shaped Scrooge into the person that he was. Draw an arrow from each underlined word to the word it modifies. His selfish ways have left him this way. The noun unanimity suggests that he is happy to be involved. Hallo!" Click the card to flip Definition 1 / 5 Stave 5 - Scrooge's reaction to discovering it is not too late It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. The last line of A Christmas Carol is God bless us, everyone. Its spoken by the well-loved character Tiny Tim. The onomatopoetic verb 'gasping' makes the reader explicitly imagine the death, suggesting struggle and pain. Stave 1 - Scrooge's response to the gentlemen saying that people would rather die than go to the workhouse. A merry Christmas to everybody! But it does share a lot of gothic conventions. Hallo!". Instead, once you know and understand the plot, a great idea is to pick three or four major themes, and three or four major characters, and revise them in great detail. Scrooge's assertion that 'it is not my business' is challenged quickly by Marley's ghost whose view is that 'mankind' should have been his 'business. They often came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did. Although their behaviour is callous and cruel, the italicised personal pronoun he reminds us that scrooge (and the rich) are partly to blame fro the behaviour of the poor. Describes Fred, who is a symbol of Christmas spirit. However, this in itself would probably not have been enough to alter his ways. Studying A Christmas Carol? Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish. enthusiastic- "a merry Christmas uncle. He begins with no compassion for others but eventually learns a better way to live. This is clearly not possible. 2003-2023 Chegg Inc. All rights reserved. Bovey, Lee-James "A Christmas Carol Quotes " Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. These cover themes like wealth, poverty, Christmas, and kindness. Throughout the book, Dickens makes use of metaphors, personification, imagery, and more. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them. Accessed 4 March 2023. Dr Aidan, PhD, brings you the second video. Lord bless me!" * The use of pathetic fallacy shows that he is in direct opposition to anyone who tries to help him. The book also explores what you might call the true meaning of Christmas and while this might not be true from a Christian standpoint, from a morality/spiritual view, you could claim that it really does help to make that point. ``Are there no workhouses? Contrasting similes emphasise his god like figure- he is at once innocent and knowledgeable. The ghost of Christmas presents it sitting on a throne of food. 'The Ghosts' in A Christmas Carol (Key Quotes & Analysis) Dr Aidan 22.1K subscribers Subscribe 47K views 3 years ago Studying A Christmas Carol? "Business!" Themes= poverty/family/greed and generosity. It has harsh imagery and the symbolism of cold, shows he is lacking Christmas spirit. I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Timshall weor this first parting that there was among us? Everyone is entitled to be a little happier on Christmas, and the Ghost of Christmas Present helps them to be so. Themes= Christmas/greed and generosity/family. " The Christmas Spirit By Section Stave One: Marley's Ghost Stave Two: The First of the Three Spirits Stave Three: The Second of the Three Spirits Stave Four: The Last of the Spirits Stave Five: The End of It By Character Ebenezer Scrooge Bob Cratchit Fred Jacob Marley The Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Present Themes= greed and generosity/ time. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The description of Marley's ghost has his chain wound about him. '', Stave 3 - the ghost uses Scrooge's words against him when he asks where there is refuge for the children, ignorance and want. Stave 2 - the spirit takes him to past Christmases including seeing Scrooge alone at school. How to revise from this guide You should be spending at least 30-60 minutes a week revising for English Literature from this point onwards, aiming to learn 5-7 key quotes for each character. The repetition of the adjective 'good' reinforces this idea. Summary. Stave 5 - description of Scrooge's redemption Refine any search. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. Scrooge is particularly affected by the death, and this is a death he is able to reverse in the future when he amends his behaviour. Themes= greed and generosity of the poor. But, they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another and contented with the time. All rights reserved. Shows Scrooge's inability to harness any other views that arent his. I am as giddy as a drunken man., Scrooge was better than his word. Hallo there! He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didnt thaw it one degree at Christmas. With in-depth analysis, this video aims to help you gain a greater understanding of the novella in a matter of minutes. By the time he reaches the third ghost The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come he orders the ghost, using the imperative phrase Lead on! He is in control now, and wants the change desperately enough to be forceful about it. Total Abstinence Principle more hilarious punning from Dickens. () The famous phrase Humbug really means either shame or hoax. "the phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached", A description of the ghost of Christmas future; he is the darkest of the spirits, a reminder to scrooge of his terrible fate if he fails to learn his lesson. The use of nature with a type of plant typically seen around christmas time makes scrooges comment even more menacing saying that they should kill him with the very thing that is giving him happiness in that certain period.- Scrooge If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. A Christmas Carol Key Quotes Major Themes Major characters How to revise effectively Isolation and loneliness Ebenezer Scrooge One mistake people often make is to try to revise EVERYTHING. 'No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. "Reeked with crime, and filth, and misery". Tiny Tim is frequently referred to in Christian terms - as though his true goodness is close to God. as if its hold were of uncommon strength." Scrooge, showing that through the visits of the different ghosts he began to change more and more, as in stave two his "lip was trembling", but now he is having "a violent fit of trembling". He is described as been so dislike that even the weather is better in that at least it 'comes down' gracefully. God bless us!, At the time people rid themselves of any guilt by blaming the poor for the fact they were poor. Pre-modified adjectives create a sensory description -they remind scrooge of the delights of generosity and how it will create happiness. He spreads joy over all like a force of nature. This went against what Victorians considered to be a 'good death' where you die surrounded by friends and family and then are mourned afterwards. Stave 1 - Scrooge's rponse to being asked to give money to charity, "If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.". The repetitive structure and short exclamations create the sense that he cannot put into words how happy he is. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Scrooge learns how little generosity creates a lot of happiness. Dickens uses these characters to challenge popular preconceptions that the wealthy had about the poor - preconceptions which led to support for the poor law and the workhouses. Bob Crachit and the Cratchit Family Quotes, A Christmas Carol- The Ghost of Christmas Pre, 'An Inspector Calls' Key Quotations Analysis, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, Grade 7, myPerspectives: Grade 10, Volume 2 California Edition, myPerspectives, English Language Arts, Grade 8, California My Perspectives English Language Arts, Grade 9, Volume Two. He carried his own low temperature always about with him', 'No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him', 'It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal', 'Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. Bob describes his crippled son. When he sees Tiny Tim and his jubilance despite his disadvantages, Scrooge cannot help but feel compassion and by association guilt, as he has seen from the effect Fezziwg had on his staff that he could have a similar influence on Tiny Tim. There is a very real suggestion that Scrooge knows that the people are describing him. In what ways does the text indicate lbn Batutta's social status? scientist; is. Key quotes from a Christmas Carol- Stave 2, A Christmas Carol Vocabulary, A Christmas Car, myPerspectives, English Language Arts, Grade 8, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, California (Grade 9, Volume 1), myPerspectives: English Language Arts, Grade 7, myPerspectives: Grade 10, Volume 2 California Edition, A Christmas Carol - quotation analysis-Stave. His narrator describes events as they happened and doesnt spend a great deal of time on extraneous details. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy., 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: Its likely to be a very cheap funeral, said the same speaker; for upon my life I dont know of anybody to go to it., Scrooge to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: I see, I see. "[He called out in a] comfortable,oily, rich. Shows Bob's place of work, and shows scrooges harsh treatment on him. A solitary child, neglected by his friends is left there still - Scrooge sobbed, This shows scrooges lack of companionship and support even since a child this could show why scrooge became so money obsessed, I have always thought of Christmas a good time. Scrooge is not unfortunate in the way of relatives - he has a family awaiting his . Xmas Present - This makes scrooge realise that he needs to change or Tiny Tim will die young which is the one of the first stages of scrooges change. The verbs suggest age, disfiguration and pain suggesting how unnatural their conditions are that have led to this. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. Scrooges offences carry their own punishments. Then write the form of that verb Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. 'Dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons'. The ribbons are her means of dressing more festively. Each sentence below contains a verb "Cherry cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears.". Th onomatopoeia here makes the bells sound particularly noise -and yet Scrooge sees them as 'glorious' which is suggestive of noises from heaven. The idea that anybody would be so callous about the dead is quite jarring and would have been especially impactful with a conservative Victorian readership. The Victorian's would have seen this as fitting. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? "Tonight, if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it.".