A Christmas Carol Flashcards
someone who hoards money but doesn’t spend it
miser
an exaggerated version of something
eg Scrooge is a X of a miser
caricature
If someone is a perfect example of something, we say they ‘xxxxxxxx’ it
epitomise it
E.g. the Cratchits epitomise the plight of the poor
Word that means something that stands in for something else
E.g. the Crachitts xxxxxxxxx poor people
represent(s)
What does ‘solitary as a oyster’ tell us about Scrooge?
- he wants to be alone
- he is shut up, tightly closed to other people (is he trying to protect himself?)
- an oyster might contain a pearl, so it also suggests there might be good buried deep inside him, underneath the hard, brittle shell
What is a parable?
A story with a moral
A story with a moral
A parable
Allegory
A story with a hidden moral meaning
A story with a hidden moral meaning
An allegory
“Hard and sharp as flint”- what does this show?
Scrooge is like a stone: he is hard-hearted yet also sharp and quick-witted (flints were hit against each other to make knives in the Stone Age)
Quote that describes Scrooge’s selfishness and miserliness
“a squeezing … scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!”
Belle quote about Scrooge’s greed when she breaks up with him
“Another idol has displaced me. A golden one.”
Scrooge quote saying it would be good if poor people died
“decrease the surplus population “
Quote from Ghost of Christmases yet to come, showing Tiny Tim has died
“I see a vacant seat…in the poor chimney corner”
Scrooge quote to Fred, showing he thinks you need money to be happy
Scrooge: ‘What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough!’
Scrooge’s comment to Spirit when he sees his tombstone
‘Tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!’
Quote showing Scrooge is generous at the end
‘I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the founder of the feast.’
Quote showing awfulness of a poor area
‘The whole quarter reeked with crime, with filth and misery.’
Marley quote
‘I wear the chains I forged in life’
Scrooge quote showing he wants to change
“Assure me that I … may change these shadows …by an altered life!’ “
Scrooge quote that shows he thinks poor people are lazy
“I can’t afford to make idle people merry.”
Malthus’ theory?
anyone who could not support themselves did not have a right to live
What does Scrooge represent?
all the values that are opposed to the idea of Christmas–greed, selfishness, and a lack of goodwill towards others
What does the ghost of Christmas past represent?
Memory (his glowing head may symbolise the mind)
What does the Ghost of Christmas Present represent?
generosity, empathy (caring for others), and the Christmas spirit
What does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represent?
the fear of death and moral reckoning
What do the Cratchits represent?
the poor, whom Dickens portrays with warmth and sympathy, while seeking to draw attention to their plight.
Which person’s theory is Scrooge representing when he says poor people dying would “decrease the surplus population”?
Malthus
