A Christmas Carol quotes TOP10 Flashcards
“If they would rather ___ they’d better do it and decrease the _____ population” Stave 1 , Scrooge
“If they would rather die, they’d better do it and decrease the surplus population” Stave 1
Theme : Greed, Poverty
Conjunction “if” conditional but ironic - poor don’t have a choice - highlights Victorian poor suffering
“decrease” - dehumanising - economical language - treated like numbers/objects
“surplus population” - selfish - acerbic tone - he is sharp and blunt - Dickens criticises Malthusian views that over population caused poverty
“Are there no _____?…Are there no _____?” Stave 1, Scrooge
“Are there no prisons?…Are there no workhouses?” Stave 1
Theme : Poverty, Greed
To Scrooge the poor don’t need help - services suffice despite inhumane environment
rhetorical questions - ignorance of wealthy - Dicken’s fears the ignorance of poverty is as dangerous as the poverty itself
Scrooge shows lack of compassion for the poor
“_____, and self-contained, and ______ as an ____” Stave 1, Scrooge
“Secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster” Stave 1
Theme : Isolation, Redemption
Sibilance - makes him sound harsh - isolation heightened by “solitary” (links to “lonely boy” from childhood)
simile - he may have a more delicate/fragile nature underneath - more than meets the eye - pearl - something worth saving
Once he opens up - change - foreshadowing
“I can’t afford to make ____ people ____” Stave 1, Scrooge
“I can’t afford to make idle people merry” Stave 1
Theme : Greed
“can’t afford” - misplaced priorities - no desires to help celebrate Xmas because he doesn’t
adjective “idle” - believes poor are lazy + to blame for own circumstances
Mirrors Victorian aristocrats views - both believed services would solve poor people’s issues
“I wear the ___ I forged in ___.” + “wrought in ____” Stave 1 , Marley’s ghost
“I wear the chain I forged in life.”, “wrought in steel” Stave 1
Theme : Supernatural, Greed, Redemption
Literally, in that Marley was the modern-day equivalent of an accountant. his work involved writing “deeds” and “ledgers” and so he physically made these things in his life.
Figuratively - suffering the consequences of his uncharitable actions in an eternal purgatory.
also hints at the Industrial Revolution and the poor conditions people were forced to work in “steel” - factories and workhouses in 1843 + represents the ignorance of the rich to the poor.
warning to the possible suffering Scrooge may too have to endure after his death if he does not change his morose and misanthropic behaviours.
“Dear, ____ brother.” Stave 2, Fan
“Dear, dear brother.” Stave 2
Theme : Family, Time
Family, intimacy and love were once part of Scrooge’s life - this tender memory suggests Scrooge was not born full of hatred, but that it grew over time.
The repetition of “dear”, implying a great love, “brother”, suggesting close family bonds, and “home”, offering an image of sanctuary and welcome, signify that Scrooge did experience love during his childhood, however brief. Scrooge becomes a “second father” to Tiny Tim. Much of Tim can be seen in Fan who is “tiny”, “little” and kind-hearted, always thinking of others. Fan’s goodness is evident in Fred, with “clapping” and “laugh” suggestive of his behaviour. After his visitations, Scrooge treats Fred and Tim as Fan would have.
“Another ____ has displaced me… a _____ one” Stave 2 , Belle
“Another idol has displaced me… a golden one” Stave 2
Theme : Greed
noun “idol” Scrooge is enamoured by money / worships it - adoration of a false god ( no longer a good Christian - audience would judge Scrooge )
change in people during industrial revolution - focused on money over families - Dickens highlights importance of family in a time where society is fragmented
“golden” - Scrooge prioritised wealth over love - neglecting Belle and showing his avaricious nature
“It might be a ____, for the _____ there is upon it…. it brought two children; wretched, ____, frightful, _____, miserable. They knelt down at its _____, and clung upon the outside of its _____.” Stave 3
“It might be a claw, for the flesh there is upon it…. it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment.” Stave 3
Theme : Poverty
Scrooge has begun to learn his lesson, and is now faced with the brutal reality of what his “ignorance” leads to in mankind - “want” in those who are innocent. “Want” and “Ignorance” are personified to help Scrooge see clearly. “Claw” suggests the ignorance of men such as Scrooge - his actions reduce children to nothing more than animals. Yet “claw” is also painfully human, creating an image of a thin, bony figure suffering the effects of poverty, clawing for food. Children are innocent, juxtaposed with what society does to them, destroying them physically (“wretched”, “hideous”) and mentally (“frightful”, “miserable”). Their vulnerability is emphasised by “knelt down” and “cling” - many metaphorically kneel and cling to Scrooge, but he rejects them.
Dickens creates a darker mood contrasting the usual jolly mood to convey the major problems in society
“A _______. Here, then, the _____ man whose name he had now to learn, lay underneath the ground. It was a _____ place. Walled in by houses; overrun by _____ and _____, the growth of vegetation’s ____, not life” Stave 4
“A churchyard. Here, then, the wretched man whose name he had now to learn, lay underneath the ground. It was a worthy place. Walled in by houses; overrun by grass and weeds, the growth of vegetation’s death, not life” Stave 4
Theme : Loneliness
In life Scrooge lived in an environment of darkness and depression- his burial place, somewhere to ‘rest in peace’, is just as melancholy and lonely.
“A churchyard” is a place of rest and peace, juxtaposed with the “wretched man” who “lay underneath the ground”. The grave is a metaphor for Scrooge’s life, “overrun by grass and weeds”, like Scrooge by negativity. Scrooge is “walled in”- Tiny Tim’s grave was a place to “walk”. Scrooge’s grave is “choked up’-Tim’s was “green”. Behaviour in life follows you to the grave. Weeds thrive on “vegetation’s death”-Scrooge thrived on other’s misfortune.
“I am as light as a _____, I am as happy as an ____, I am as merry as a ______.” Stave 5
“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy.” Stave 5
Theme : Redemption, Christmas Spirit
Scrooge’s reaction to discovering it is not too late
similes emphasise Scrooge’s joy and elation at his second chance. The repetitive structure and short exclamations create the sense that he cannot put into words how happy he is - it has been so long since he was happy, he finds it difficult to describe.
The innocence of the ‘angel’ and the ‘schoolboy’ showing new found innocence + a great burden has been lifted from him.
