A Christmas Carol - Key Quotes Flashcards
1
Q
“Stave”
A
- name of the chapters
- also a musical term in which composers use to write notes
- metaphor
- ties in with the idea of a “carol” from the title indicating festive, music and celebration
2
Q
“ a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!”
A
- stave 1
- description of Scrooge that first introduces us to the character
- Scrooge is mean envious of others and greedy
- list, suggesting continuous activity
- Victorian concept of charity and desire to promote welfare of others
3
Q
“Solitary as an oyster”
A
- stave 1
- description of Scrooge
- he is always alone/ kept to himself/ cold
- simile
- oysters were once food of the poor which links to the ideas of social responsibility
4
Q
“Heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge”
A
- stave 1
- description of Scrooge
- he never shows any emotion or reaction to events
- metaphor
- ideas of social responsibility
5
Q
“ ‘Bah!’ Said Scrooge. ‘Humbug!’ “
A
- stave 1
- comment to his nephew
- he considers Xmas a fraud and waste of time and £
- exclamation , emotive
- social responsibility
- use of humour/ catchphrase
6
Q
“Are there no prisons… workhouses?”
A
- stave 1
- Scrooge is speaking to charity workers
- Scrooge thinks these are the right places for the poor
- emotive language/repetition (repeated by Ghost of Xmas present)
- belief of “deserving” and “undeserving” poor; social responsibilty
7
Q
“If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population”
A
- Stave 1
- Scrooge is speaking to charity workers and refusing to give them money
- Scrooge echoes Malthusian belief that population outweighs supply of food
- emotive language / dialogue
- belief of “deserving” and “undeserving” poor; social responsibilty
8
Q
“Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern”
A
- stave 1
- Scrooge dines alone
- presented as lonely and sad
- emotive language
- social responsibility - Xmas as a time of sociability, contrasts with cratchit family later in story
9
Q
“I made it link by link and yard by yard”
A
- stave 1
- marley’s ghost is explaining to Scrooge about the chains he wears
- Marley admits full responsibilty for his sins
- metaphor/repetition
- social responsibility/ sins and religion
10
Q
“There’s more of gravy than of grave about you”
A
- stave 1
- ghost of Marley appears to Scrooge
- Scrooge thinks marleys ghost is a figment of his imagination due to indigestion
- play on words/pun
- disbelief in spirits/supernatural and food and society
11
Q
“Like a child, yet … like an old man”
A
- stave 2
- description of ghost of Xmas past
- ghost has characteristics of youth and old age
- oxymoron/paradox
- supernatural
12
Q
“Strong hand”, “mildly”, “gentle”
A
- stave 2
- description of ghost of Xmas past
- ghost is powerful but also soft/ emotional
- oxymoron/ paradox
- contrasts in society/ supernatural
13
Q
“Bright as a ballroom”
A
- stave 2
- description of fezziwig’s warehouse
- workhouse is warm + comforting in contrast to Scrooge’s place of work
- simile
- social responsibility
14
Q
“Another idol has displaced me … golden one”
A
- stave 2
- Belle’s dialogue to Scrooge before she leaves him
- scrooge has become obsessed with greed and wealth and belle no longer feels part of his life
- religious reference
- morality/religion
15
Q
“a jolly giant”
A
- stave 2
- description of the ghost of christmas present
- the ghost is jolly and huge
- alliteration
- supernatural/ personification of xmas
16
Q
“genial” , “sparkling” , “cheery”
A
- stave 2
- description of the ghost of xmas present
- the ghost is merry/happy
- emotive language / adjectives
- personification of xmas spirit
17
Q
“brave in ribbons”
A
- stave 3
- description of Mrs cratchit + her daughter
- even though cratchit family have no money they still make an effort to celebrate xmas day
- emotive language
- spirit of xmas/ poverty
18
Q
“yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish”
A
- stave 3
- description of ignorance and want
- the children are extremely poor and destitute, symbolising the reality of many working class children
-allegory/symbolism/emotive language - poverty in victorian england
19
Q
“it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery”
A
- stave 4
- description of the ghost of xmas yet to come
- ghost is dark, sinister, threatening
- emotive alliteration
- supernatural/ personification of death
20
Q
“silent”, “ghostly”, “spectral”
A
- stave 4
- description of ghost of xmas yet to come
- ghost does not speak - it is frightening/sinister
- emotive language
- supernatural/ personification of death
21
Q
“unwatched, unwept, uncared
A
- stave 4
- description of the body the ghost of xmas yet to come takes scrooge to see
- emotive language/list
- morality/ family
22
Q
“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel”
A
- stave 5
- scrooge awakens on xmas morning
- he is reborn and he feels very happy and delighted
- simile
- religion / salvation reformation
23
Q
“Hallo! Whoop! Hallo here!”
A
- stave 5
- scrooge awakens on xmas morning
- contrasts with his earlier exclamation of “Bah! Humbug!”
- scrooge’s redemption/ reformation is complete
24
Q
” I’ll raise your salary and endeavour to assist your struggling family”
A
- stave 5
- scrooge offers to help bob cratchit
- scrooges attitude towards the poor has changed
- contrasting dialogue/ emotive language
- scrooge is endeavouring to become a better employer - just like fezziwig
25
Q
“Scrooge was better than his word”
A
- stave 5
- how scrooge has changed at the end
- he is even better than he promised to be - he is truly a reformed character
- authorial intrusion, telling the reader to think
- social change, the ability to reform
