ACC - Scrooge Quotes

Question 1

Intro paragraph

Answer 1

-uses transformation of Scrooge as a vehicle
- to criticise laissez-faire attitude of the rick towards plight of the poor
- placing focus on indvual’s capacity to change
- should they repent for sins
- incrementally transfroms from misnathropic to progressively more compassionate
- embracing christian values : benevolence, altruism, patience, compassion
- thru atonement, saves himself from damnation
- while saving tiny tim and spreading joy
- thru didactic novel,
- promotes view that thru grace, redemption is accesbbile
- to those who repent
- encouraging upper class readesr to undertake similar jounrey as scrooge
- atoning and helping poor

In his novella ‘A Christmas carol’, Dickens uses the transformation of Scrooge’s character as a vehicle to criticise the laissez-faire attitude of the rich towards the plight of the poor, whilst also placing focus on an individual’s capacity to change, should they repent and atone for their sins. Scrooge incrementally transforms from a misanthropic miserly individual into a progressively more altruistic and compassionate fellow – embracing the Christian values of altruism, benevolence, compassion, and patience towards the end of the novel. Through his atonement, he saves himself from eternal damnation, while saving Tiny Tim and helping the destitute. Through the didactic novel, Dickens promotes his view that through God’s grace, redemption is accessible for those who truly repent and atone for their sins and encourages his predominantly upper-class readership to undertake a similar journey to Scrooge, atoning through helping the plight of the poor.

Question 2

‘sinner…’

Answer 2

‘covetous old sinner’

• presents Scrooge as envious – ‘covetous’ connotes avarice and greed.
• noun ‘sinner’ creates the impression his envious nature is sinful
• alluding to the commandment ‘thou shallt not covet’, in which a ‘covetous’ nature is warned against.

Question 3

‘solitary’

Answer 3

‘solitary as an oyster’

• Dickens criticises Scrooge’s misanthropic nature which leaves him isolated, suggested with the adjective ‘solitary’
• However, the noun ‘oyster’ also alludes to his capacity to change
• he hides his fragile nature, putting up a façade of misanthropy and hostility
• suggesting deep down he isn’t truly like this.

Question 4

“melancholy”

Answer 4

“melancholy dinner” “melancholy tavern”

The diacope of ‘melancholy’ in “melancholy dinner” “melancholy tavern” highlights how Scrooge’s lifestyle is miserable and sad
- Through Scrooge’s isolation, Dicken’s implores his readers to value human connection over the pursuit of wealth
- as he shows Scrooge’s life is filled with misery despite his riches.

Question 5

“a boy”

Answer 5

‘Nothing. Nothing. There was a boy singing … I should like to have given him something; that’s all”,

-start to see Scrooge develop a moral compass.
- diacope ‘nothing’ suggests Scrooge is trying to convince himself it was nothing
- doesn’t want to accept he knows his actions of chasing the boy away were wrong
- phrase ‘that’s all’ reiterates this, Scrooge trying to downplay his reaction
- tone is regretful, suggesting he is slowly starting to change.

Question 6

“boy live?”

Answer 6

“will the boy live?”

• upon seeing Tiny Tim’s situation, suggesting Scrooge is starting to develop empathy and compassion,
  -as he worries for the life of a young poor boy he has no relation to.

Question 7

“overcome” “better do it”

Answer 7

• upon hearing his own words from stave 1 thrown back at him “he had better die and decrease the surplus population”, scrooge is “overcome with penitence and grief”.
• The lexical choice ‘overcome’ suggests the intensity of his grief,
• starts to realise the error of his ways.
  -‘penitence’ and ‘grief’ fall under the semantic field of sadness,
• hint at how Scrooge feels incredibly sorry, regretting how he didn’t help.

Through Scrooge’s reflective and regretful tone throughout stave 2 and 3, Dicken’s shows his readers the regret and grief a life filled with misanthropy and isolation leads to – imploring his readers to reflect on their own behaviour, while condemning the societal values of selfish individualism.

Question 8

“i am not the”

Answer 8

“hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been.”

• exclamation highlights his urgent tone and desperation
• imperative verbs ‘will’ and ‘must’ suggest he is decided and is set on a new path of redemption

Question 9

“patted”

Answer 9

“patted children on the head”
- juxtaposing his previous treatment of the carol singer and highlighting his compassion.

Question 10

“raise salary”

Answer 10

“I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family”

• Dicken’s implores his upper-class readers, best positioned to help struggling families like the Cratchits, to take inspiration.
• The verb ‘endeavour’ creates the impression that Scrooge is sincere, and will try his best to save Tiny Tim.

Question 11

let me?”

Answer 11

“I have come for dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?”.
- action alludes to the biblical teaching of Jesus ‘I come to the door and knock’,
- suggesting Scrooge’s atonement has brought his closer to Jesus and God.

Through Scrooge’s redemption, Dickens hopes his readers would be inspired to take a similar journey, and save themselves from eternal damnation, through embracing the Christian values of benevolence, altruism, compassion, and patience.