A christmas carol - Redemption and change Flashcards
“solitary as an oyster” “is much kinder than he used to be”
Dickens also increases the dramatic tension through his use of foreshadowing.In the opening of the novella, he describes Scrooge to be as “solitary as an oyster”. This is significant as oysters are animals which often contain pearls, suggesting to the reader that Scrooge too has a treasure inside which simply needs to be uncovered. Furthermore, in Stave Two, Fan informs Scrooge that their father “is much kinder than he used to be’’ perhaps to highlight to the reader that Scrooge too will be able to change. In both of these examples, Dickens uses foreshadowing to increase the tension as the reader eagerly anticipates Scrooge’s transformation.
“external heat and cold had little influence on him”
“covetous old sinner”
“quite a baby”
Dickens also presents the idea that the concept of ‘change’ is important to readers as part of his wider social commentary. He focuses on the unchanging nature of Scrooge’s character, outlining that even “external heat and cold had little influence on him”. This suggests that he is too stubborn and unchanging to be affected by even the forces of nature. By constructing such a theatrical change, where Scrooge transforms from a “covetous old sinner” into a man who is “quite a baby”, Dickens inspires readers. He is able to give readers motivation to improve themselves; if a man as stubborn and miserly as Scrooge is able to change then they too can transform themselves. This solidifies the didactic and allegorical (moral) purpose of the novella.
“knew how to keep christmas well”
“every idiot who goes about with merry christmas on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding”
“it was always said”
When Scrooge discusses Christmas with Fred in the opening stave he tells him that “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart”. This violently hyperbolic assertion conveys the extreme nature of Scrooge’s aversion towards Christmas. This makes it difficult for readers to envision a transformation. ○ In the final stave, Dickens presents an improved attitude. He reveals, once again in hyperbolic fashion, that “it was always said” that Scrooge “knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge’’. This polarised (divided) presentation of Scrooge’s character displays the substantial change that Scrooge has undergone, as he moves from one extreme to the other.
“the cold within him froze his old features”
“clear, bright, jovial”
“golden sunlight”
In the final stave, however, Dickens writes that there was “no fog, no mist” and that the sky was instead “clear, bright, jovial” and filled with “golden sunlight”. This use of pathetic fallacy (using weather to reflect on the mood) dramatically alters the tone of the stave, highlighting Scrooge’s transformation and successful redemption. ○ This is solidified by the idea that it was Scrooge who contributed to the cold temperatures in the opening stave as “the cold within him” was so powerful it had the ability to freeze his “old features”. In the final stave, on the other hand, it is arguably his “glowing” and “fluttered” state of mind which is reflected in the weather, presenting his redemption as absolute.
context
The thematic focus on poverty and social injustice underpins the novella. This theme is introduced from the very offset of ‘A Christmas Carol’ through the charity collectors, who come to visit Scrooge. They immediately make the readers aware of the “poor and destitute” in society who are suffering “greatly”, setting the tone for the remainder of the novella. Dickens is widely accepted to be an author who had a strong social commitment which translated into his work. He believed in the use of literature to convey ethical and political statements and so it is unsurprising that these undertones exist within the text.
