Christmas Spirit Flashcards
quote 1
“Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough” p9
The questions highlight Scrooge’s rejection of Christmas and instead places emphasis on his miserly nature where he believes no one can be happy if they were not rich to the extent even his nephew who’s a part of the middle class with some money is still unable to be happy.
quote 2
“Every idiot who goes about with ‘Mery Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart” p9
the use of violent imagery, “buried with a stake of holly through his heart,” and the derogatory term “idiot” highlights Scrooge’s outright dismissal and contempt for Christmas
This distinctly contrast with the traditional view of Christmas as a joyful time, subverting its commonly cherished ideals
quote 3
Christmas- time …. A good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time” p10
Fred is a mouthpiece to preach the message of Christmas as a joyful time to fulfil their moral responsibilities.
asyndetic listing places an emphasis on the plethora of values, compassion, unity, generosity, that come with the festive season
quote 4
“the steeples called good people all to church and chapel, and away they came flocking through the streets in their best clothes, and with their gayest faces” p48
The personification of the steeples as calling people to worship highlights the unifying and joyful spirit of Christmas, bringing the community together. The imagery of people “flocking” in their “best clothes” and “gayest faces” conveys a sense of collective celebration, generosity, and warmth, embodying Dickens’ vision of Christmas as a time of joy, togetherness, and shared goodwill
quote 5
“God bless us every one!, said Tiny Tim” p53
The use of the world “all” reminds readers of the universal nature of Christmas whilst also illustrating Tiny Tim’s extent of generosity as he is suffering yet he still thinks about everyone else in the world which in turn also demonstrates his strength in God and his embodiment of the teachings of the bible
quote 6
“I will honour the Christmas in my heart” P80
Scrooge explicitly saying he would embody the Christmas Spirit
“Heaven and the Christmas Time be praised for this” p 82
here by praising both Heaven and Christmas, Dickens intertwines the religious and moral aspects of the season, emphasizing its significance as a time of redemption and gratitude
