family Flashcards
‘good afternoon’
‘i want nothing from you; i ask nothing of you; why cannot we be friends?’
stave 1
fred still cares about scrooge even though scrooge does not reciprocate
family is powerful
question is full of emotions-contrasts scrooge who shows little emotions
desperate cry from nephew to uncle
‘the only one thing in the world more ridiculous than a merry christmas’
stave 1
scrooge sees marrying for love as ridiculous
possible because he was deprived of love as a child
furthermore it suggests scrooge is still hurt over the loss of Belle and decides love is worthless
this shows there is a kindness hidden is scrooge which is foreshadowing his transformation
‘a merry christmas to you uncle! god save you!’
stave 1
-fred presented as merry/joyful
breaks dreary tone established (he is scrooge’s foil)
-despite scrooge being bad-tempered, fred still wants to speak with him
-dickens uses fred to convey didactic message that middle/upper class should be charitable and considerate to other classes
-fred generates a positive atmosphere which affects Scrooge and the tone of the novella
-as Fred appears at the door he ‘heated himself’ and looked to be in a ‘glow’
-significant as ‘external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge’ so Fred’s virtue is more powerful than nature
-emphasises the power and value of family
‘my boys…no more work’
stave 2
fezziwig creates a metaphorical family
fezziwig portrayed as jovial/generous
possessive pronoun ‘my’-he acts as a father figure, he is a positive influence and cares for their wellbeing
fezziwig is scrooge’s foil as he is a business owner like scrooge, however he treats his employees much better
dickens uses fezziwig to alienate the business owners in society
‘father is so much kinder than he used to be, that home’s like heaven’
stave 2
-Religious noun ‘heaven’ shows Dicken believed family was linked to religion and being a good Christian was having a big family
-powerful simile to emphasise the power family can have and its importance.
-Dickens emphasises family throughout the novella as ideas about families were changing in the Victorian eras so readers were more likely to be receptive to Dickens’ presentation of the theme.
-Alternatively, Dickens is showing how the lack of compassion in their relationship could have resulted in Scrooge’s emotional neglect.
-he is explaining the negative effects which could arise due to the absence of family, further highlighting its need.
-supportive family is instrumental in the development of a person
‘might have called him father’
stave 2
when scrooge is taken to see belle, she reveals that she has been replaced by a ‘golden’ idol which is in reference to Scrooge’s ‘passion’ and pursuit of money. Dickens presents the idea that Scrooge’s inclination towards money over his relationships has damaged his opportunity to love and start his own family. The magnitude of his loss if foregrounded when he sees Belle with her children, prompting him to question what it would have been like to have children who ‘called him father’. This highlights the regret that Scrooge feels which implies that he has come to the realisation that family is more important than money: Scrooge’s turning point.
‘to meet their married sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts’
stave 3
-asyndetic list emphasises the importance of all family
-presents the abundance of family as invaluable
‘dressed but poorly in a twice-turned gown but brave in ribbons’
stave 3
-conjunction but emphasises how she copes with her poverty with a sense of dignity
-lower class women would dress up hand me downs with ribbons, shows Mrs Cratchit still wants to wear her best on christmas day
-dickens utilises mrs Cratchit to show that poor people aren’t ‘idle’, they are proud people who take the time to look respectful
-used to criticise the 1834 Poor Law as that aimed to punish the poor for being ‘idle’
-alternatively Belinda, like her mum is ‘also brave in ribbons’
-this demonstrates that Mrc cratchit is a selfless mother, and part of a sharing family
-sharing is a skill, they are a family who models philanthropic behaviour, Dickens could be implying that being part of a family could help redeeming yourself and that philanthropic morals are linked to families
‘dressed out but poorly’
stave 3
-clothes worn for every occasion
-the family purse is reinvested in her 5 children so she affords herself the absolute minimum
-shows her selflessness, show that Scrooge never had a matriarchal figure, that has impacted on him in later life
‘precious father’
stave 3
-shows Bob cratchit’s importance to the family
-‘precious’ gives value to his position as a father and suggests the father figure is central to Victorian family life
-referred to in terms related to treasure shows he is selfless and erudite, priceless
-he is the ultimate male patriarch, breaks the mould of typical fathers
‘in the dark empty house, with not a man, a woman, or a child, to say that he was kind’
stave 4
after his death, scrooge realises his loneliness and lack of family
‘plundered and bereft, unwatched, unwept, uncared for’
stave 4
-lack of family has resulted in this after scrooge’s death
-triadic structure to emphasise lack of care in scrooge’s death
-repetition prefix ‘un’-reinforces scrooge’s isolation and explores possibility of what scrooge could have been if he redeemed himself.
-Dickens is alienating the bourgeoisie, in hopes to encourage them to change too
-alliteration emphasises his isolation, and that family is more important than money
-contrast to Tiny Tim as his family was in unity to provide him a loving funeral
‘to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, as good a man’
stave 5
Scrooge finally has a family through the cratchits which highlights the importance of family. This is especially important as Queen Victoria had nine children, emphasising the importance of family, and their family was idealised and perceived to be a model. Scrooge’s intervention indirectly saves Tiny tim’s life which shows that the wealthy have a big responsibility to help others. Alternatively it could be argued that Tiny Tim saves scrooge as his death greatly affects scrooge and makes him change.
‘not coming!’
STAVE 3
-children playing prank that Martha isn’t coming home for Christmas
-the fact that the children are playing a prank suggests they are happy within a family, not matter their wealth proving that family is more important than money
-Bob’s ‘sudden declension in high spirits’ highlights how much he values his family and feels that if one of them isn’t there, it isn’t a proper celebration
-Dickens does this to show readers that money doesn’t bring happiness but being with loving people does-the cratchits are rich in family happiness
