Christmas Carol Flashcards
Responsibility of employers towards workers
Scrooge describing Fezziwig-“the happiness he gives is as great as if it cost a fortune”
Scrooge remembering Marley as “a good man of business”
Scrooge claims Fezziwig’s influence on people lies in “things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count’em up”
Bob’s voice “trembled more when he said that Tiny Tim was growing strong and hearty”: Tiny Tim’s health is getting worse as the Cratchit family can’t afford medication, money given by Scrooge
Scrooge at the end of the novel promises to help Bob Cratchit as he promises to him to “raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family”
Responsibility people in power in Victorian society show towards the poor
Dickens describing Scrooge:”no beggars implored him to bestow a trifle”
Scrooge doesn’t donate to the poor:”If they would rather die, they had better do it”
Charity collector questions if Scrooge is “serious” when Scrooge tries to give money
Whether people like Scrooge or not compared to Fezziwig
Business partners claim -“I thought he’d never die”
Scrooge describes Fezziwig “has the power to render us happy or unhappy
and can make “their service light or burdensome,”
Mrs Dilber claims “Yes” she did take bed-curtains of Scrooge when he was lying down “for the sake of such a man as he was”
Frightening atmosphere in achristmas Carol
Ghost of Jacob Marley’s appearance - “the spectre’s being provided with an infernal atmosphere of its own,”
Shorter sentences in middle of extract than start, dialogue between Scrooge and Ghost of Jacob Marley involving a series of short sentences from “You see this toothpick?” To “humbug!”
Intrusive narrator to comment on behaviour - “Scrooge was not much in the habit of cracking jokes” on appearance of Marley, when describing Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come he claims “Scrooge bent diwn upon his knee”
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come- Dickens says “The Spirit neither spoke or moved,”, he approaches Scrooge “slowly,gravely,silently” contrast to Ghost of Christmas Present(“its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour and its joyful air.”
Sympathy for Cratchit - caring towards his son
Bob “dreaded that he might be taken from him”
When knowing Tiny Tim has died, Bob cries out “My ltitle, little child!”
Sympathy for Cratchit since he doesn’t feel sorry for himself despite challenges
He “tried to warm himself at the candle.”
At the Christmas Dinner he refers to Scrooge as “the Founder of the Feast!”
Contrast to Scrooge - “no warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him.”
Bob Cratchit staying responsible for family
Bob claims “it would have been flat heresy” to criticise the food his wife, Mrs Cratchit, made
The Cratchit family stand together in “what Bob Cratchit called a circle” at the dinner
Cratchit says “I am very happy” even when Tiny Tim dies
Scrooge is isolated, because he has few people who care for him
As a schoolboy - “a lonely boy was reading newr a feeble fire”
Silence of school -“not a latent echo in the house, not a squeak and scuffle from the mice behind the panelling, “
When everyone leaves school for Christmas Scrooge is “walking up and down despairingly”
Ghost of achristmas Yet to Come makes Scrooge “read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name, Ebenezer Scrooge,”
Scrooge isolated due to lack of compassion towards those who show him love
When Fred wishes him Merry Christmas, he claims “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding”
Fan claims to Scrooge that in her conversation with her father,”I was not afraid to ask him once more if you might come home, and he said Yes.”
Scrooge asks Fred “Why did you get married?” as an excuse for not attending their Christmas dinner
Belle abandoned Scrooge as “another idol has displaced” her
Scrooge feels “wonderful happiness” when going to Fred’s Christmas party
Isolation through attitudes of those in power towards those left behind
Ignorance and Want described as “wretched, abject, frightful,hideous,miserable” as well as “prostrate” and Dickens claims “where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked,”
How joy and happiness transforms Scrooge, the protagonist
Dickens claims in aftermath of Fezziwig’s kindness it wasn’t until “the bright
faces of his former self and Dick were turned from them, that he remembered the Ghost,”: significant as earlier he asks Ghost “Are you the Spirit, sir, ?”
Scrooge acknowledges Fezziwig’s power lies “in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count’ em up,” earlier Scrooge refers to Marley, his dead business partner as “a good man of business”
At the end of the novel Scrooge “became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the Old city knew.”
How Scrooge diminishes joy and happiness for everyone in the novel
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge how one man, who struggles to pay Scrooge rent he owes him, says,”We may sleep together with light hearts, Caroline!”
Some of Scrooge’s old business partners respond when discussing on whether to attend funeral that,”I don’t mind going if a lunch is provided”
One business partner claims that him and Scrooge “used to stop and speak whenever we met”
How some characters maintain joy and happiness even in the face of adversity
Cratchit family at Christmas dinner “were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented witn the time.”
Fred, even after Scrooge questions his Christmas spirit says,”I’ll keep my Christmas humour to the last.”
Fred embraces family Christmas party as Dickens refers to view,”for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas.”
Fred forgives Scrooge and lets him come to Christmas Dinner despite Scrooge turning him down as Scrooge “was at home in five minutes”
Redemption(through how selfish and cold-hearted Scrooge is)
Dickens calls him as “solitary as an oyster,”
as “tight-fisted” and Scrooge refuses when a charity collector asks him to donate, claiming “If they would rather die, they had better do it.”
Redemption(Scrooge sees errors of ways)
Scrooge tells Ghost of Christmas Present “if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it!”
When Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge Tiny Tim will only survive if Cratchits receive money,”Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome witn penitence and grief.”
