Christmas Carol Flashcards
Themes Of Greed?
“Purblind” - a word that describes how Scrooge was focused on one thing (money). His purblind pursuit of wealth has isolated him.
“As solitary as an oyster” -Stave 1.
This quote shows how Scrooge is closed and doesn’t open up to people. It shows his isolation but also suggests how he greedily hoards his material valuables (his pearl).
“Another idol has displaced me…a golden one.”
-Belle, Stave 2.
This shows how money has corrupted their relationship, leaving him lonely again. The use of the word “idol” shows how Scrooge worships money.
Themes Of Poverty?
The children, Ignorance and Want show how ignorance aids poverty. Animalistic features are used to describe these children. This shows how Ignorance is a danger to society,
“Is it a foot or a claw?”, “scowling” and “wolffish”,
Scrooge reveals his belief that poverty is the fault of the poor, a crime caused by people’s idleness (laziness) -Stave 1.
Scrooge sees the reality of the Victorian poverty, the poor are not idle. This destroys the belief of the poor being lazy -Stave 3.
“I see a vacant seat… and a crutch without an owner.” This quote shows how poverty causes death. This compels Scrooge to believe that poverty is not a sin -Stave 3,
“Are there no workhouses?”.
Fred?
Fred is almost Dickens speaking through him, he shows how Christmas is a time of fun with family and friends,
Fred’s purpose is to be a role model to Scrooge,
In Stave 1, Fred is used to highlight Scrooge’s character flaws, makes a huge contrast. Fred is the antithesis of Scrooge and this emphasises Scrooges awful personality at the start of the book,
Fred “heated himself with rapid walking”, Stave1, physical warmth is a metaphor to show spirit warmth,
“Ruddy”, “Sparkled”, “Smoked” are all verbs and adjectives used to describe Fred in Stave 1,
Fred says Christmas is a time of “kind, forgiving, charitable time” when people “open up their shut hearts”.
Both Scrooge and Fred are stubborn because they both try and convince each other of their views, “I’ll keep my Christmas humour to the last”.
Fred Quote Showing Wealth And Happiness?
“There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited”,
Division shown between wealth and happiness,
Fred is happy without money,
He is also happily married and has love.
Marley’s Ghost?
“Marley was dead: to begin with.”, first line,
“Old Marley was as dead as a door nail.”, Dickens uses humour when he talks about this reference,
Use of a door “nail” shows how Marley was cold in real life like metal and adds to the number of objects in his chain,
Marley is a door knocker, “a dismal light about it, like a bad lobster in the dark.”, shows connotations of pinches and harm being done by lobster. Also holds connotations of rotting because the lobster is “bad”, poisoning?,
A “clanking noise” used to describe how Scrooge hears Marley, builds tension as our senses are alert. He is also a warning to Scrooge and this noise is a warning of his warning,
His chain “cash boxes”, “heavy purses wrought in steel”, shows how his money weighed him down in life and physically does now,
The chain was “clasped” on him, “wound about him” and was “like a tail” which shows how he was trapped by his sins and his actions were animalistic and un-human.
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Ghost Of Christmas Present?
“Jolly giant” shows the size of him. This shows the size of the mans Christmas spirit,
He has “1800 brothers” which shows how he can only make the poor “jolly” for one day as he will die,
The ghosts room “hung with living green” and “gleaming berries glistened” which is pathetic fallacy, fire is a “mighty blaze”,
“Red berries”, “pigs”, “sausages”, “fruit”, “pies”, “turkeys” shows the abundance of food that cannot be given out, in a list to show how it’s never ending.
Cratchit Family?
Scrooge is refereed to as the “founder of the feast” by Bob Crachit, however, this is not a positive thing because the “feast” is not at all a feast,
Tiny Tim is used by Dickens to show how the poor suffers for no reason,
Stave 3, “alas for Tiny Tim, he bore a little crutch” and “supporter by an iron-frame” are used to describe him. “Tiny” and “little” show his weakness and “iron frame” represents how money could be used to support Tiny Tim,
“Good as gold” is used to describe Tim. Good holds connotations of wealth, this shows how real value lies in moral virtue, not merely in money. Tim is rich, not with money, but with moral virtue,
Adverbs are used to create a conflicting picture of Tim, “withered little hand” and “beat on table with the hand of his knife” contrast. “Active little crutch”, active and little contrast. This shows although his physical state is weak, he is strong.
Quotes?
“Marley was dead, to begin with”,
“…God bless us, every one!”,
“Mind! I don’t mean to say that…” - frame narrative,
“If quite convenient, sir.” - Bob Crachit asking for time off work to celebrate Christmas,
“Humbug!”,
“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence were, all, my business.” - Marley,
“The voice was soft and gentle” - first ghost description,
“The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune” - Scrooge describes Dick,
“An idol has displaced me… A golden one.”,
“Curtians… draw back” - in preparation of the second sprit,
“He sat very close to his fathers side, upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hands in his…” - shows his vulnerability,
“Slowly, gravely, silently approached” - Last spirit,
“The spirit answered now, but pointed onwards with his hand.”,
“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy”,
“Raise your salary!” - talking to Bob.
