Jacob Marley Flashcards
Marley was dead: ___
“Marley was dead: to begin with”
Stave 1: Opening line
Declarative “To begin with” makes sure the reader realises that the story contains the supernatural, as Victorians were scared of it, which was good as Dickens wanted to scare them into Reform
Scrooge never painted ___
“Scrooge never painted out Old Marley’s name.”
Change
Demonstrates that Scrooge dislikes change, and so if a man who is so set in not changing is able to change then surely everybody is capable of it.
I wear the chains ___
I wear the chains I forged in life
Stave 1
Fear and Responisibility
Dickens is using Marley to scare his Victorian readers into changing their ways
Metaphor “chains”, As they represent the sins that Marley committed when he was alive, Greed, Selfishness, Lack of empathy, etc
“Business! … Mankind ___
“Business! … Mankind was my business!”
Stave 1
Social responsibility
Dickens uses Marley’s Ghost to emphasise that life isnt all just about business
Repetition of “business” emphasises that life isn’t all just about business.
“I am here to-night to warn you that you ___
“I am here to-night to warn you that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate.”
Dickens is planting the idea that change is always possible no matter how difficult it may seem
Redemption
Verb “Escape” give readers an idea of how horrid his situation is.