Quote 19: “forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered what the surplus is and where it is. Will you decide which men shall live, which men shall die?”

Question 1

“________ that wicked ______ until you have _______ what the ______ is and where it is. Will you ______ which _____ shall _____, which _____shall ____?”

Answer 1

“forbear that wicked cant until you have discoveredwhat the surplus is and where it is. Will you decidewhich men shall live, which men shall die?”

Question 2

who said it and when? who did they say it to? what is it about?

Answer 2

The Ghost of Christmas Present in Stave Three.

Question 3

4 key features:

Answer 3

• directly addresses contemporary readers through hypercritical language
• subverts previous perception of “surplus”, thereby critiquing scrooge’s earlier rationale
• manifestation of Dickens’ message. dismantling the belief that the materially poor are worthless.
• part of Dickens’ wider social commentary that the “surplus” are in fact the rich who drain society of its resources