A Christmas Carol Flashcards
“secret and self-contained and solitary as an oyster”
A simile used to describe Scrooge’s cold personality and how alone he is. It suggests he may have a good personality even though he is seen as miserable and bitter.
“decrease the surplus population”
Shows how cold-hearted scrooge is and that he doesn’t care about the poor. He would rather let them die than give money to them. Dickens highlights how cruel Thomas Malthus’ views on poverty were.
“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, and I am as merry as a schoolboy”
Similes that show how happy scrooge is and how he has changed since the start of the novel.
“tight fisted hand at the grindstone”
Shows that Scrooge won’t give the people who work for him even if they work very hard. He didn’t care if his employees worked hard, all he cared about was his money.
“Nothing. There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something: that’s all.”
The quote shows that Scrooge is starting to change and regret being bitter and unfriendly. It shows that change is possible.
“are there no prisons? no workhouses?”
Shows that Scrooge doesn’t care about the poor and won’t donate to help people who are struggling. He would prefer people suffering in poverty to go to workhouses where they are treated badly and don’t get paid lots.
“Nephew, keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine!
This shows that at the start of the novel, Scrooge preferred to be lonely and didn’t want to spend Christmas with his family when his nephew asked him too.
“This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want”
Highlights the fact that many children who lived in poverty suffered . It suggests that children who don’t get an education will work in prisons and workhouses. Dickens believed that education was the solution to poverty. Ignorance could represent middle- class attitude towards the poor.
“Christmas is a poor excuse every 25th of December to pick a man’s pockets.”
This shows Scrooge’s personality and the hate he has against christmas. Bob Cratchit asked for Christmas day off so he could spend it with his family and Scrooge believed that his clerk was stealing money from him.
“And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that has done me good, and will do me good: and I say, God bless it!”
This shows the difference between Scrooge and his nephew and their attitudes towards Christmas. Scrooges nephew doesn’t care about money and Scrooge does.
Why was poverty a key theme in the novel?
Charles Dickens wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’ to raise awareness of poverty. Dickens experienced poverty while he was growing up and had to work in a factory to earn money for his family. He believed that rich people had a responsibility of helping those in poverty.
“The clerk’s fire was so
very much smaller that
it looked like only one coal”
The quote shows that Scrooge is greedy and selfish because his clerk doesn’t have enough coal to have a big fire in the house. Scrooge doesn’t give his clerk enough money which is why the Cratchits are suffering from poverty. It shows Scrooges attitude towards his hard-working clerk.
“Bah! Humbug”
Scrooge expresses his hate for Christmas when talking to his nephew, who is very happy and excited for Christmas day and wants to spend it with Scrooge. There is a contrast between Fred’s personality and Scrooges, he is a warm and friendly character compared to his uncle who is cold hearted.
“I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit!”
This shows that Scrooge has changed since the spirits visited him because at the start of the novel, he was angry that Bob Cratchit wanted a day off and that he still had to give him money. He didn’t want to donate to the poor at the start of the novel but in stave 5, he bought food for the Cratchits after realising that he didn’t treat his clerk properly.
“It’s I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in Fred?”
Scrooge is addressing himself as Fred’s uncle instead of being negative like he was when he was invited to the party. It shows that he wants to spend time with his family rather than being alone.
“The houses opposite were mere phantoms”
The metaphor describes the houses opposite Scrooge’s as phantoms which foreshadows to when Scrooge is visited by the three ghosts.
“I wear the chain I forged in life… I made it link by link”
Marley regrets the life he lived and warns Scrooge about what is going to happen after he dies. He tries to help Scrooge as the same would happen to him. Marley and Scrooge had very similar personalities, they didn’t care about people and were both obsessed with money.
Why is redemption a theme in A Christmas Carol?
Scrooge needs to achieve redemption by changing his attitude and ways. When Marley visited Scrooge, he said that the chains he wore were forged because he chose not to change his ways. Scrooge has a different personality at the end of the novel because he found redemption after being affected by what the three ghosts showed him.
How is the theme ‘family’ shown in the novel.
- When the Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge, it shows him how his ex fiancee, Bell is living.Scrooge is affected by this and speaks to the spirit in a ‘broken voice’. This shows that Scrooge grieves over the fact that he lost the family he had with Belle.
- This suggests that family brings joy, comfort and happiness.
- This is shown by the Cratchits, who don’t have much money but are very loving and caring.
“I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the founder of the feast”
- Shows Bob Cratchits loyalty and gratitude to his boss as he defends him against Mrs Cratchit when she criticises him.
