A christmas carol - Family Flashcards
“heated himself” , “a glow”, “external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge”
From his introduction to the novella, Fred generates a positive atmosphere which affects both Scrooge and the tone of narration. This is first highlighted when he enters Scrooge’s counting-house in Stave One. Prior to his arrival Dickens focuses on cold, gloomy imagery. When Fred appears at the door, however, he “heated himself” and looked to be in “a glow”, introducing warmth to the stave. This is significant as Dickens previously asserted that even “external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge” which suggests that Fred’s virtue is stronger than the forces of nature. This may perhaps spotlight the power and value of family
“knocked loudly…..to be let out”
“unwatched, unkept, uncared for”
Dickens highlights this through his description of the household on Christmas day. He details that even the potatoes “knocked loudly…to be let out”, emphasising the joy and excitement of the Cratchit family. Their unity is essential following Tiny Tim’s death, where the reader witnesses the family come together and provide Tiny Tim with a loving funeral. This starkly contrasts Scrooge’s body which lay “unwatched, unwept, uncared for”. The alliteration used here emphasises his isolation, and so highlights to the reader that family is more important than money.
“all the children of the house were running out into the snow to meet their married sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts”
Dickens emphasises the value of family through even the most minor of characters. This implies that family is so essential that it should be interwoven into everyone’s lives. Dickens makes this apparent during Scrooge’s time with the Ghost of Christmas Present by including subtle comments regarding the importance of family. When he describes the setting, he writes that “all the children of the house were running out into the snow to meet their married sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts”. The extensive listing serves to further Scrooge’s isolation as it presents the abundance of family as invaluable.
“golden idol” “called him father”
When Scrooge is taken to see Belle, his once fiancée, she reveals that she has been replaced by a “golden” idol. This is in reference to Scrooge’s “passion”and pursuit of money. Dickens presents the idea that Scrooge’s inclination towards money over relationships has damaged his opportunity to kindle love and start his own family. The magnitude of his loss is foregrounded when he sees Belle with her children, prompting him to question what it would have been like to have children who “called him father”. This pitiful sentiment highlights the regret that Scrooge feels, which implies that he has come to the realisation that family is more important than money.
context
He emphasises ideas surrounding family by exploring them in detail, highlighting the positive effects that family can have while also explaining the negative consequences which could arise due to the absence of family. He builds on this by presenting the theme of family as one which embodies joy, strength and affection. This is an interesting presentation as it could be argued that Scrooge begins the novella as the complete antithesis (direct opposite) to these ideas. This introduces the idea that the absence of family may be one of the key factors which contributed to Scrooge’s initially abhorrent characterisation.
