A CHRISTMAS CAROL | Family Flashcards
“heated himself” and looked to be in “a
glow”
“external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge”
“years ago”
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. It is also interesting to note that Dickens emphasises that it is Scrooge who isolates himself from his family. This is seen when he refuses Fred’s invitation to “dine” with him on Christmas. It could be argued that this directly links to his downfall, as highlighted by the Ghost of Christmas Present who takes him to Fred’s party. There, he acknowledges that if he had experienced a loving family “years ago” then he might have “cultivated the kindness of life”. This presents the idea that a supportive family is instrumental in the development of a person and so the concept of family should be seen as paramount in society.
“knocked loudly…to be let out”
“unwatched, unwept, uncared for”.
Large families like the Cratchits were prevalent in the nineteenth century, so Dickens constructs the Cratchits to be a relatable presentation of the lower class. He idealises their family by focussing on their unity, happiness and strength despite their financial struggles. This conveys the idea that poverty is not a barrier to happiness. 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 familyis
more important than money.
“all the children of the house were running out into the snow to meet their married sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts”
“cheerful
company”
“remembered those he cared for”
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. Dickens goes on to detail that even the geographically isolated miners gather with “cheerful
company” while a sailor far out at sea still “remembered those he cared for”. This accumulation of description presents the concept of family to be central to Scrooge’s time with the Spirit, and so must have some effect on his redemption.
