A CHRISTMAS CAROL | Fred Flashcards
“ruddy and handsome”
Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, is introduced early in the novella and is described to be “ruddy and handsome”. This comes after the description of Scrooge’s “thin lips” and “old features”, causing the reader to instantly warm to the fresh and youthful atmosphere that Fred introduces. Dickens builds on this by informing the reader that Fred’s eyes “sparkled”, presenting him as cheerful and excited. This is reinforced by the fact that he arrived “all in a glow”, an interesting description as it is associated with the motif (repeated idea) of light within the novella. When Dickens uses descriptions of light, as seen here and with the “jet of light” emitted by the Ghost of Christmas Past, he is often symbolising innocence and goodness. This reflects on Fred’s character, causing the reader to understand that he embodies these traits. In doing so, he presents him as an exemplary character whom readers should look up to.
Fred maintains his optimistic outlook and positive traits throughout the novella, a quality which becomes the defining feature of his character. Despite Scrooge’s ill-mannered behaviour with Fred, he vows to keep visiting his uncle “year after year” to try and change his attitude. It could be argued that this adds a sense of much-needed stability within the novella. This is because by choosing to have the minor characters remain constant, Dickens heightens and foregrounds Scrooge’s transformation.
