A Christmas Carol Quotes (most analysed)

Question 2

Stave 1- ‘no w—- could w—-, nor wintry weather c—- him.’

Answer 2

“No warmth could warm, nor wintry weather chill him.” The author suggests that heating the office would be useless anyway, as Scrooge is so unfeeling and cold-hearted that he would not even be able to feel the heat from the fire.

Question 3

How does Scrooge implement the Malthusian theory with his response when being told poor people ‘ would rather die’ than work in workhouses

Answer 3

(They should hurry up and die and) ‘decrease the surplus population’

Question 4

What is the Malthusian theory?

Answer 4

Thomas Malthus believed increases in population would overtake the development of sufficient land for crops and diminish the ability of the world to feed itself. -should let the poor die.

Question 5

Stave 1- What adjective is repeated in this quotation: ‘m———- dinner in his usual m———- tavern’

Answer 5

“Melancholy
dinner
in his usual melancholy tavern”

Question 6

What is scrooges attitudes towards his money?

Answer 6

obsessed with hoarding money and not spending it, even for his own comfort or enjoyment. - has gruel in front of ‘a very low fire’

Question 7

S1 What does Marleys chains have attached to it?

Answer 7

“cash boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel”

Question 8

S1What does Marley say about the chains? ‘I wear the c—— I f—— in life’

Answer 8

“I wear the chain I forged in life”.

Question 9

What do the trinkets on marleys chains represent?

Answer 9

In life, he created the heavy burden (the chain) through his own actions and mistakes. This chain now weighs him down in death

Question 10

S1- What does Marley say to Scrooge will happen (to do with the ghosts)

Answer 10

He tells Scrooge that he is there to warn him and give him a chance to change his fate.
Scrooge will be haunted by three ghosts.

Question 11

S1- What do the hundreds of ghostly figures floating around, all with heavy chains wrapped around them outside Scrooge’s window represent?

Answer 11

Scrooge can see how these self-inflicted chains that people create in their lives seem to cause them pain and misery in death as well

Question 12

S1 What is scrooges attitude to Fred’s marriage and love ? ‘R———-‘

Answer 12

“Ridiculous”

Question 14

What quote does Scrooge repeat over again to represent his ignorance of good things ‘h——-‘

Answer 14

‘Humbug’ A common theme for Scrooge is his disbelief in good things

Question 15

S2- how is Scrooge described as a lonely boy when we see him at school as a child ‘a s——- child, n______ by his friends’

Answer 15

A solitary child, neglected by his friends

Question 16

What does Scrooge begin to realise in stave 2 when looking back on his past

Answer 16

Scrooge starts to show a desire to change his ways through seeing the boy he used to be, the love he had, the friendships and relationships he took for granted, and a glimmer of the life he could be leading.

Question 17

Stave 1- Scrooge is described as ‘h—- and sh—- as f—— what do the 2 adjectives mean?

Answer 17

As hard and sharp as flint. His appearance represents his personality – he is unfriendly (hard) and dismissive (sharp).

Question 18

How does Scrooge describe himself in stave 5?

Answer 18

“I am as light as a feather, I am a happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man.”

Question 19

What does the ghost of Christmas yet to come warn Scrooge about ignorance and wand

Answer 19

the Ghost warns Scrooge to “beware” Ignorance, as it has “Doom” written on its brow—implying that ignoring education and social issues will lead to disaster.

Question 20

What are the names of the two children beneath the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Present?
What quote is used to introduce them

Answer 20

“This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want” - Christmas Present

The children are symbolic of the suffering of the poor. ‘Ignorance’ is the middle-class attitude towards the poor, and ‘Want’ is the desire for material possessions. Dickens uses these characters to encourage social reform

Question 21

What do mr and Mrs fezziwig do when guest are leaving their party? “Shaking h—— with every person i——-“
…wished him or her a m——- c———-‘

Answer 21

“shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.”

Question 22

stave 1
“a ______-______ hand at the __________”

Answer 22

“a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone”

The adjective “tight-fisted” emphasises Scrooge’s meanness. The imagery of a hand holding
tightly onto something represents greed and lack of generosity. This contrasts with the “open hand” of the Ghost of Christmas Present in Stave 3, which highlights that spirit’s generosity (which is associated with Christmas). A grindstone is hard and unyielding and “grindstone” is used as a metaphor for hard work, e.g. in the phrase keeping one’s nose to the grindstone – the
implication here is that Scrooge is a harsh employer.

Question 23

stave 1
“secret, and____-________, and solitary as an _______”

Answer 23

“secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster”

The simile “solitary as an oyster” emphasises Scrooge’s seclusion from fellow humans – oysters
are self-contained and have a tough outer shell that is very difficult to break open. The simile also hints at the redemption to come: oysters contain a pearl, which can be viewed as symbolic
of Scrooge’s inner generosity of spirit, which is waiting to be discovered and must be released through the use of the correct tools. The use of sibilance (“Secret, and Self-contained, and Solitary as an oySter”) highlights secretiveness and isolation.

Question 24

stave 1
“‘Are there no _______? […] And the Union ________? […] Are they still in operation? […] The Treadmill and the _____ ____ are in full vigour, then?’”

Answer 24

“‘Are there no prisons? […] And the Union workhouses? […] Are they still in operation? […] The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?’”

This is a reference to the conditions faced by the poor (prisons, workhouses and the treadmill), and in particular the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, which reduced the support available to the poor. As these words are spoken by Scrooge, who has been portrayed until this point as avaricious and misanthropic (and therefore extremely unlikeable), it is clear that this is not Dickens’s view and his intention here is to encourage the reader to disagree with Scrooge’s positive assessment of this law/conditions for the poor. As this is a criticism of government policy, Scrooge can also be seen as representative of governments, as well as individuals. This is supported by the reference to “guilty governments” at the end of this stave (which are the spirits that are joined together when Scrooge looks out of the window). Scrooge’s words are
later repeated back to him by the Ghost of Christmas Present

Question 25

stave 1
“‘If they would rather ___, they had better do it, and decrease the ______ __________’”

Answer 25

“‘If they would rather die , they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population’”

This is a criticism of economist Thomas Malthus’s view that poverty was the inevitable result of overpopulation, as this would lead to food shortages and therefore starvation. The use of the adjective “surplus” emphasises the callousness of this remark – it implies that some humans are not needed. As above, this is clearly not Dickens’s view (as it is voiced by Scrooge) –
Dickens’s argument is that there are plenty of resources to go round and what’s needed is for those resources to be shared more equally. These words are later quoted back at Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Present , causing him to feel shame for his previous
opinions on poverty.

Question 26

stave 1
“I _______ it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I _______ it.”

Answer 26

“I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”

This is Marley talking about the chain around his waist, which itself is a metaphor for his greed. The phrase “of my own free will” demonstrates that it was Marley’s own decision to live his life such that he was punished in this way after death – this idea is emphasised by the repetition of the phrase. The implication here is that we can choose how to behave and it is therefore within
our own power as individuals to change our ways and be generous towards others. The use of “my” and “own” together in particular highlights individual responsibility.

Question 27

stave 2 “from the _____ of its head there sprang a bright clear jet of _____”

Answer 27

“from the crown of its head there sprang a bright clear jet of light” This is a description of the Ghost of Christmas Past. The “bright clear jet of light” represents the truth that the spirit shines on Scrooge’s past – light is often used as a metaphor for truth (e.g. to shed light on something). The adjectives “bright” and “clear” suggest that there is no hiding from this truth. It is significant that Scrooge tries to hide the light with the extinguisher cap at the end of Stave 2 – this suggests that he is not yet ready to face the truth and learn the lessons he needs to learn. It is also significant that he fails to hide the light – it streams out from under the cap regardless. This suggests that, for Scrooge, there is no hiding from the truth.

Question 28

stave 2 “‘I _____ […] but it’s too ____ now.’”

Answer 28

“‘I wish […] but it’s too late now.’” Here, Scrooge is expressing his regret at how he treated the carol singer who came to his door on Christmas Eve. The adverbial phrase “too late” suggests that time has run out and he can’t change anything. Together with his “wish” to be able to change things, this expresses the beginnings of Scrooge’s regret at his past behaviour, inspired by the vision of himself as a young boy. However, in Stave 5, after his journey to redemption is complete, it transpires that he has “time […] to make amends in”. Dickens’s message here is that it is never “too late” to make amends.

Question 29

stave 2 “‘______ is so much _____ than he used to be’'

Answer 29

“‘Father is so much kinder than he used to be’' This is spoken by Scrooge’s little sister Fan as she comes to collect him from school on Christmas Eve. This is an instance of foreshadowing – if Scrooge’s father can change, the clear implication is that Scrooge can and will also change his ways.

Question 30

stave 2 “jovial voice” ( description of ______)

Answer 30

“jovial voice” ( description of _______) Fezziwig’s “jovial voice” contrasts with Scrooge’s “grating voice” (in Stave 1). Fezziwig is a generous employer – the very opposite of Scrooge – and is also a very happy person, who laughs a lot (he “laughed all over himself”). Dickens presents the generous characters in the story as being happy and full of laughter – his message is a positive one that being generous will bring you joy and laughter. Other generous and happy characters are Fred (who has a “cheerful voice” and is “blest in a laugh”) and Fan (who is “brimful of glee” and “laughed, and […] laughed again”). The contrast between these characters and Scrooge, who is miserly and miserable, is also part of this message. This ties in with Fred’s assessment of Scrooge that “his offences carry their own punishment”: the punishment for miserliness is misery.

Question 31

stave 2 . “‘Another ____ has displaced me […] a _____ one’”

Answer 31

“‘Another idol has displaced me […] a golden one’” Belle’s words when breaking off her engagement with Scrooge indicate that Scrooge has begun to put wealth before other people and his relationships with them. The verb “displaced” shows that the place Belle should have had in Scrooge’s life has been taken by material gain. The noun “idol” implies that Scrooge reveres and even worships money. The adjective “golden” suggests that wealth is something precious: the irony here is that it was his relationship with Belle that was precious, not money.

Question 32

stave 3 “a ______ torch, in shape not unlike ______ horn”

Answer 32

stave 3 “a glowing torch, in shape not unlike Plenty’s horn” The torch held by the Ghost of Christmas Present is shaped like the horn of plenty (also known by its Latin name, the cornucopia), a symbol of abundance and nourishment that originated in Greek and Roman mythology. It is commonly depicted as a horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruit and vegetables. Here, it symbolises abundance of resources and is part of Dickens’s countering of Thomas Malthus’s views on the inevitability of poverty and starvation due to lack of resources. Dickens’s clear message in describing the torch as shaped like the horn of plenty is that there is an abundance of resources so there is no need for anyone to suffer poverty and starvation. It is significant that it is associated with the Ghost of Christmas Present, who is the personification of Christmas, as Christmas represents abundance as well as generosity (which for Dickens go hand in hand). This reference to the horn of plenty complements the many descriptions of the abundance of food in the novella, including the food surrounding the Ghost of Christmas Present, the food at Fezziwig’s party and the food in the shop windows.

Question 33

stave 3 “eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a _______dinner for the whole _______”

Answer 33

“eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family'' This description of the Cratchit family’s Christmas dinner shows that it is in fact rather meagre, despite being their biggest meal of the year. The goose is described as being “eked out”, i.e. stretched out to last, which strongly implies that there isn’t much to go round. The use of the adjective “sufficient” also suggests that there isn’t very much food. Dickens uses a sort of dry/ ironic humour here: the sentence is constructed in such a way that we are expecting a different adjective altogether, such as ‘magnificent’; this serves to highlight the fact that it is only “sufficient”.

Question 34

stave 3 “‘I see a _____ seat’”

Answer 34

“‘I see a vacant seat’” Tiny Tim’s vacant seat – which appears in a future in which Scrooge does not change his ways – is a strong visual representation of the effects of poverty. Here, Dickens is highlighting the link between poverty and low life expectancy/premature death. The adjective “vacant” highlights the absence of Tiny Tim and the loss that will be felt as a result of his death. Dickens’s use of pathos here is designed to appeal to the reader’s sense of pity in order to encourage them to be more generous towards the poor.

Question 35

stave 3 “‘If he be like to ___, he had better do it, and _______ the surplus _______”

Answer 35

“‘If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population’” The Ghost of Christmas Present repeats Scrooge’s own words to him to show him the callousness of his stance. This is a structural device: Scrooge’s words at the beginning of the story return here when he has begun to learn his lesson. It is significant that the spirit uses these words after it has shown Scrooge that poverty will result in Tiny Tim’s death – Scrooge needs to see his previous views applied to someone he knows in order to see how cruel those views are. The juxtaposition of Tiny Tim’s death and Scrooge’s words highlights this cruelty

Question 36

stave 3 “Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the _____, and was overcome with _______ and ______.”

Answer 36

“Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.” Scrooge “hung his head” on hearing his words about the surplus population, which indicates that he feels ashamed of himself. Shame is an emotion that plays an important role in Scrooge’s transformation. The use of the verb “overcome” implies that his feelings of are very strong indeed – almost too much to bear. Scrooge needs to feel strong emotions in order to change his ways so dramatically.

Question 37

stave 3 “‘This boy is ________. This girl is ______. Beware them both, and all of their _______, but most of all beware this ___’”

Answer 37

“‘This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy’” The Ghost of Christmas Present warns that we should be particularly wary of Ignorance, which symbolises lack of education. Dickens was keenly aware of the link between lack of education and poverty and saw education as a way out of poverty. He supported the Ragged Schools, which were schools set up to provide education free of charge to the children of the poor.

Question 38

stave 3 “‘Have they no refuge or ______?’ cried Scrooge. ‘Are there no _______?’ said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. ‘Are there no _________?’”

Answer 38

“‘Have they no refuge or resource?’ cried Scrooge. ‘Are there no prisons?’ said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. ‘Are there no workhouses?’” As with the comment about the surplus population, Scrooge’s comments about prisons and workhouses are repeated to him here. Again, this is a structural device and it is significant that the words are repeated after Scrooge has seen the devastating effects of poverty on children. The juxtaposition of the description of the children and Scrooge’s former views on poverty highlights how abhorrent those views are to Dickens. By repeating both the words on surplus population and the words on prisons and workhouses, Dickens criticises both Thomas Malthus’s views and government provision for the poor in the form of the Poor Law.

Question 39

stave 4 “shrouded in a deep black ________, which concealed its _____, its face, its form”

Answer 39

“shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form” The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents both the future and death. The use of the adjective “shrouded” implies death (as shrouds were used to clothe dead bodies ready for burial) and, as a metaphor, it implies secrecy (e.g. we use the metaphorical phrase “shrouded in mystery”). This highlights that the future, along with one’s own death, is unknown. This is supported by the spirit’s head, face and form being “concealed”, or hidden, by the garment. This description of the spirit brings to mind the Grim Reaper, a much-feared representation of death with which Victorian readers would have been familiar. The frightening description of the spirit is linked to Scrooge’s fear, which is the dominant emotion in this chapter.

Question 40

stave 4 “its _________ presence filled him with a solemn ______”

Answer 40

“its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread” Scrooge’s fear of the future, of death, of the unknown – all of which are represented by the spirit – is clear here. The use of the noun “dread” encapsulates the dominant emotion of this part of Scrooge’s journey and the adjective “mysterious” highlights the unknown nature of that journey and the reason for his fear.

Question 41

stave 4 “‘old ________ has got his own at last’”

Answer 41

“‘old Scratch has got his own at last’” This is used by one of the businessmen to mean that Scrooge has died. “Old Scratch” is a nickname for the devil, and the use of this phrase leaves the reader in no doubt as to the businessman’s view of Scrooge and the immoral nature of his behaviour in life. In using this term, Dickens is appealing to his Victorian readers’ sense of morality, which would have been underpinned by their Christian beliefs. The image of the devil would have been effective in what was a very predominantly Christian society. This phrase contrasts with Scrooge’s description of himself in Stave 5 as “as happy as an angel” – his transformation has enabled him to make the change from being on the side of the devil to being on the side of God.

Question 42

stave 4 “Spirit of ______ ___, thy childish essence was from ___!”

Answer 42

“Spirit of Tiny Tim, thy childish essence was from God!” The linking of Tiny Tim with God highlights the child’s innocence and suggests that he is an innocent victim of poverty and therefore deserving of help. It also emphasises the contrast between Tiny Tim and Scrooge, who is linked with the devil

Question 43

stave 4 “unwatched, _____, uncared for”

Answer 43

“unwatched, unwept, uncared for” This description of Scrooge’s body after his death shows how alone, neglected and unmourned he is when he dies. The repetition of the prefix un- highlights the absence of care and sorrow. The use of asyndeton (a list that does not contain the word ‘and’) further emphasises this absence. This plays on the reader’s fear of dying alone and unloved, and, as this is the fate that awaits anyone who behaves like Scrooge, this incentive to change is a powerful part of Dickens’s message. The lack of care for Scrooge’s body in death contrasts with the care shown to Tiny Tim’s body after his death: in the chair next to Tiny Tim’s body, there are “signs of someone having been there lately” and it is said that Bob “kissed the little face”. The rooms in which the bodies are kept before their respective funerals also contrast: the room in which Tiny Tim’s body is kept is “lighted cheerfully” and “hung with Christmas”, whereas the room in which Scrooge’s body is found is “very dark”.

Question 44

stave 4 “‘I will honour _______ in my heart, and try to keep it all the _____.’”

Answer 44

. “‘I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.’” When Scrooge has at last learnt the lessons of the ghosts’ visits, he says that he will “honour Christmas […] all the year”. As Christmas is a time of generosity and charity, this clearly implies that he will be generous and charitable all year round. Dickens sets his story at Christmas to emphasise his themes of generosity and charity, as well as abundance, but his clear aim is to encourage people to be generous and charitable all the time. In seeing Scrooge learn his lesson, Dickens’s aim is that the readers should learn their lesson too.

Question 45

stave 5 “I’m quite a ____.”

Answer 45

“I’m quite a baby.” Scrooge’s description of himself as a baby after his transformation indicates that he views this as a completely new beginning, and that he is ‘reborn’. This positive message links with Scrooge’s desire to “sponge away” the writing on the gravestone at the end of Stave 4, i.e. erase the past and start again. The juxtaposition of the gravestone (which represents the end of life) and the baby (which represents the beginning) emphasises the idea of a fresh start.

Question 46

stave 5 “he knew what _____ lay straight before him, and he _____ it.”

Answer 46

“he knew what path lay straight before him, and he took it.” The life-as-path metaphor is widely used (including in everyday speech) and is employed here by Dickens to highlight that Scrooge must – and intends to – lead a completely different life from the one he led before. As this comes immediately after the “pang” that Scrooge feels on thinking about what the charity collector is going to think of him, the message here is that the new path must be adhered to, even if it’s sometimes the more difficult one.

Question 47

stave 5 “A great many _____ - _______ are included in it”

Answer 47

“A great many back-payments are included in it” The back-payments are literal payments to the charity collector but they can also be viewed metaphorically as a representation of the amends that Scrooge can now make for his past behaviour in all areas of his life. They counter Scrooge’s view, expressed in Stave 2, that it is “too late” to do anything to change what he has done in the past. This is a message of hope for the reader that they too can make amends. The use of the word “back” emphasises the idea of fixing something in the past, and word “payments” suggests repaying something – both literally and metaphorically – to society.

Question 48

stave 5 “‘Make up the _____, and buy another ____-_______’”

Answer 48

“‘Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle’” In the novella, fire symbolises warmth and generosity towards others. When Scrooge tells Bob Cratchit to buy more coal in Stave 5, this is both a practical way of improving conditions for his employee and a metaphor for Scrooge’s new-found generosity. It contrasts with Bob’s fire in Stave 1, which is so small it “looks like one coal”. The circular structure of the novella enables Dickens to show the contrast between Scrooge’s behaviour before his transformation and after the metamorphosis is complete, including his treatment of Bob.

Question 49

stave 5 “to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father”

Answer 49

“to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father” In making amends, Scrooge not only saves Tiny Tim from death but also has the opportunity to be a father figure. This is of personal benefit to Scrooge – we know that he regrets not having become a father himself when he sees Belle’s daughter – as well as being of enormous benefit to Tiny Tim and the Cratchits. The image here of Scrooge as a father figure links with the idea that Scrooge represents not only individuals but also the government: Dickens’s message is that the government should play a paternal/fatherly role in the life of the people it governs, rather than being a harsh, merciless ruler of the people.