scrooge

Question 1

scrooge’s characterisation in stave 1

Answer 1

-scrooge is a misanthrope
-scrooge represents greed, apathy, and the opposition to xmas spirit
-scrooge treats his employee, bob cratchit badly (bob personifies the english poor)
-his character serves as a vehicle by which dickens is able to critique a more general, upper class
-because scrooge is characterized as someone resistant to typical external influence, supernatural intervention is required to reform him
-archetypal villain

Question 2

scrooge ebeneezer (name explained)

Question 3

‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!’ [stave 1]

Answer 3

semantic field of avarice
-squeezing: to obtain something from someone with difficulty, to
pressurise someone, to have a damaging or restricting effect
-wrenching: sudden violent twist or pull
-clutching: seize and hold firmly
-scraping: to remove from a surface
↳ these all show how scrooge and the wealthy in general restricted and have a damaging effect on the poor due to their narrow-minded ideas of the poor being lazy & how the rich ignored the hardships of the poor
↳ extremity of scrooge’s selfishness, he never stops wanting more
↳ actions such as squeezing, grasping & scraping take a lot of energy to do, could show how dickens believe that the rich spend too much energy on being unjust

biblical reference: ‘covetous old sinner’
↳ do not covet
↳ a sinner opposed divine law by committing immoral acts

asyndeton:
↳ elongated list shows not only how excessive scrooge’s selfishness is, but how scrooge has had these problems for a long time
↳ the verbs mainly have the participle -ing, which shows how scrooge is continuously like this, therefore the length shows how scrooge intends to behave like this for a while
↳ the hyperbolic length of the description (although the descriptions are true) creates a comical feeling, making the audience unable to take scrooge seriously, dickens did this to also make scrooges views appear stupid and dissuade victorian audiences from being ignorant like him

Question 4

‘solitary as an oyster’ [stave 1]

Answer 4

simile:
↳ oysters are shut tightly & hard to open, reflects scrooge’s unwelcoming personality
↳ inside an oyster is a pearl which is admired by society for its value, foreshadows scrooge’s good nature
↳ scrooge may be cold externally as he views compassion as a weakness that people may exploit, he has to keep it hidden just like a ‘secret’ and he does not trust or depend on others that’s why he is ‘self-contained’, he has built this wall around him for protection similarly to an ‘oyster’
↳ an ‘oyster’ lives at the bottom of the seabed away from other species which mirrors stcrooge’s isolation

Question 5

‘external heat and cold had little influence on scrooge’ [stave 1]

Answer 5

hyperbole
↳ used to emphasise his scrooge is cruel and almost inhuman, it is peculiar for a human to be unaffected by weather conditions, therefore the fact that scrooge is unaffected by everything not only shows his resilience to being unapproachable, but his lack of human empathy
↳ heat can be seen as a symbol for warmth and happiness, therefore scrooge’s lack of warmth could suggest a bad past and initiate empathy for scrooge

Question 6

‘buried with a stake of holly through his heart’ [stave 1, about people who say merry christmas]

Answer 6

hyperbole
↳ detailed and peculiar methods of death show scrooge’s cruelty & annoyance
↳ the fact that scrooge pierces the heart rather than elsewhere could suggest that he doesn’t understand the heart’s of those whose celebrate christmas and despises their characteristics of charity and generosity more than anything else

stake
↳ allusion to vampires, which were often killed with stakes, this allusion makes it clear that scrooge sees those who celebrate christmas as supernatural & therefore completely difficult to comprehend
↳ the juxtaposition fact that vampires (ppl who say merry xmas) take blood and the fact that fred’s face was ruddy (with blood due to excitement) shows that scrooges views are completely wrong and subtly undermines his nihilism

irony
↳ holly often connotates to joy and peace, however scrooge wishes to kill someone with this, scrooge’s unfounded violence suggests that people who oppose xmas are needlessly violent & oppose utilitarianism for the pope, these people are a disruption to the harmony of society

Question 7

‘growled scrooge’

Answer 7

zoomorphism: ‘growled’
↳ dehumanises scrooge & makes him seem aggressive & frightening to the rest of society
↳ animals growl when they are intimidated or afraid so the fact that scrooge growls when hearing that love is real shows that he is afraid of being vulnerable with his emotions

Question 8

‘are there no prisons?…if they would rather die…they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population…it’s not my business’ [stave 1]

Answer 8

interrogative sentence: ‘are there no prisons?’
↳ scrooge believes that the facilities that currently exist for the poor are sufficient
↳ bluntness of the question sounds hard and uncaring, reader might interpret it as a belief that the poor
are better off when placed in “prisons” or ‘workhouses’ because at least they would be feed and employed
↳ this is deliberately done by dickens to enable his readers to recognise that such reactions are not helpful for society

semantic field of economy: ‘decrease’, ‘surplus’, ‘business’
↳ poor people are just numbers to scrooge (dehumanisation)
↳ displays the victorian view of the poor which also dehumanised them and suggested that the poor should be punished for being poor
↳ he views society as a business & a way to become more wealthy, if something in his life isn’t profitable then he discards and disregards it
↳ rejects social responsibility & holds a lasseiz faire attitude

Question 9

‘ponderous chain…but he could see nothing’ [stave 1]

Answer 9

adjective: ‘ponderous’
↳ signify unwillingness to change and being entrenched in his ways
↳ links to the fog and scrooge’s ignorant, clouded views in which he cannot accept the hardships of the poor

Question 10

‘imploringly…speak comfort to me, jacob’ [stave 1]

Answer 10

imperative verb: ‘speak’
↳ although scrooge shows a sign of vulnerability, he still has low respect for others, he sees the ghost as lower than him rather than a guidance
↳ scrooge is still cold and stuck in his ways, however he has begun to realise the severity of the situation, scrooge wants to channel the friendship they once had to decrease his punishment
↳ in victorian era the supernatural was a punishment and evil

adverb: ‘imploringly’:
↳ shows sincerity and the beginnings of change

Question 11

‘he tried to say humbug but stopped at the first syllable’ [stave 1]

Answer 11

humbug is an exclamation that conveys displeasure

-the fact that scrooge is unable to say something that he has said without hesitation many times throughout the stave could be interpreted by others as showing tiredness due to the apparitions, however I believe it foreshadows scrooge’s redemption

Question 12

scrooge in stave 2

Answer 12

-the ghost of xmas past teaches scrooge the value of reflection
-the reader to sympathises with him, as
-we see the emergence of regret and a desire to change.
-for example, scrooge reveals that there “was a boy singing a Christmas Carol” at his door and he regrets not giving him anything, highlighting the first stage of his repentance
and therefore development
-this furthered when he tells the spirit that he wishes “to say a word or two” to bob
Cratchit, highlighting that he actively wants to make a change which establishes the start of
his reformation

Question 13

‘a solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still…he sobbed’ [stave 2]

Answer 13

(the ghost of xmas past says this while scrooge’s present self is sobbing at the sight of his younger self)

semantic field of loneliness & abandonment: ‘solitary, neglected, left there’
↳ explains why scrooge is the way he is now, he was neglected by society as a child so feels he can’t join society now, as he’s afraid of rejection

is left there still:
↳ could suggest that scrooge is mentally (not physically) still there abs therefore his mindset is still entrenched in the past, scrooge sobs at this, showing how his emotions are still raw

verb: ‘sobbed’
↳ affirms the fact that scrooge is still stuck in the past
↳ first physical display of emotions, character development of scrooge
↳ emasculating and childish, takes scrooge back to a sense of childlike sorrow and fear that mimics this point in his life, he now shows vulnerability

Question 14

‘home, little fan?’ [stave 2]

Answer 14

home:
↳ connotes a sense of emotional attachment to a place that one is familiar with, suggests a sense of belonging, security & solace

interrogative sentence:
↳ scrooge asks this as a question as he is unfamiliar with the idea of having a home, the fact that scrooge has never had a place that made him feel as if he belongs is most likely what has made him an outsider in present day, scrooge feels so ostracised by society that he feels more comfortable alone that with others, this inspires sympathy in the reader & makes them hope for his redemption
↳ there is sense of juxtaposition between the word home and the fact that it is asked as a question

Question 15

‘he has the power to render us happy or unhappy…the happiness he gives, is…as great as if it cost a fortune.’ [stave 2]

Answer 15

noun: power
↳ the ability to influence the behaviour of others or the course of events
↳ almost presented as superhuman or godly in his ability to control others
↳ fezziwig represents generosity and shows how generosity is what dictates the state of society

simile:
↳ scrooge now understands that things that aren’t money can be just as effective or even more effective as money
↳ shows how scrooge has not fully changed yet, he still relates things back to money

Question 16

‘hair…would be a keepsake beyond price’ [stave 2]

Answer 16

-scrooge is saying that any small keepsake of belle would be something beyond the value
-this juxtaposes with his past treatment of belle, he didn’t understand the positive impact she had on him until she was gone

Question 17

‘haunt me no longer’ [stave 2]

Answer 17

-this is the only ghost that scrooge believes haunted him, shows how the past is haunting
-the ghost of xmas past is the only one that shows only scrooge’s experiences, reflects how the only way to truly change is to reflect on ourselves
-scrooge doesn’t have the strength to end his cycle of abandonment at the end of stage 2
-what truly affects scrooge are the injustices that happen to him
-self awakening and examining our past is the key idea to influence change

Question 18

‘if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it’ [stave 3]

Answer 18

verb: ‘profit’
↳ suggests scrooge no longer associates profit with finance, but morally changing himself for the better
↳ scrooge has already become more willing to change his ways

Question 19

‘spared’ [stave 3 - referring to tiny tim]

Answer 19

shows how scrooge starts to feel empathy

Question 20

‘ogre’ [stave 3]

Answer 20

zoomorphism
↳ ogres ate people, especially children, this relates to tiny tim and how, if his isn’t prevented, scrooge is completely at fault for it
↳ represents how the wealthy must feed on the pope and exploit them to maintain their riches

Question 21

scrooge in stave 3 & 4

Answer 21

stave 3:
-ghost of xmas present builds on the concept of change
-he does this through showing scrooge the cratchit family on christmas day.
-scrooge develops empathy & displays compassion towards tiny tim (an interest “he had never felt before”)

stave 4:
-the final spirit teaches scrooge that his actions have consequences
-he realises that his wealth will not keep him company in the event of his death
-the stave ends with scrooge repenting

Question 22

‘hear me! l am not the man I was.’ [stave 4]

Answer 22

exclamative:
shows passion and willingness to change

Question 23

‘I will live in the past, the present, and the future’ [stave 4]

Answer 23

modal verb: ‘will’
↳ shows how scrooge will learn from what each ghost has taught him & become a better person

Question 24

‘glowing with his good intentions’ [stave 5]

Answer 24

metaphor:
↳ scrooge’s new demeanour is alike to fred’s and how he ‘heated’ the atmosphere
↳ scrooge’s good intentions now radiate from him alike to fezziwig or fred, we can see that he has adopted their way’s of thinking

Question 25

‘I don’t know anything. I’m quite a baby’ [stave 5]

Answer 25

metaphor: ‘I’m quite a baby’
↳ reflects how he feels as though he is rediscovering the world from a new POV
↳ he has been reborn, and his old mindset has faded away
↳ babies are the purest and most innocent form of a human scrooge is now like this, he acts more childish and jovial as this is not only the most enjoyable way to love life, but the best way to help others (charity)

Question 26

‘will you let me in, fred?’

Answer 26

metaphorical question:
↳ scrooge is asking fred for forgiveness and to be let back into the family

Question 27

‘I am about to raise your salary.’ to tiny tim…’he was a second father’

Answer 27

-scrooge jokes with bob cratchit & raises his salary, this promotes the central theme of personal philanthropy and how this is the key unifying all classes
-the upper classes who were reading this, would most likely be employers and perhaps reflect on how much they pay their workers

-scrooge wants to undo his wrongdoings towards the cratchit family
-he also realises that he missed his opportunity to be a father & becomes a second father to tiny tim, who was the main driving force of his change

Question 28

‘his own heart laughed’

Answer 28

personification: ‘heart laughed’
↳ the heart is the centre of emotion, the fact that his heart is laughing shows how scrooge is now full of joy constantly and understands the fire joy of life
↳ alternatively, the heart is the supporter of life, and is the most important organ for life, the fact that his heart laughs shows utilitarianism and sharing with others/expressing christmas spirit constantly is vital to life to the fullest

Question 29

‘God bless Us, Every One!’

Answer 29

-tiny time gets the last word, to show how important the voices of vulnerable children are, as they are the future

capitalisation: ‘Us, Every One’
↳ emphasises equality and how God blesses every single person in society

Question 30

scrooge in stave 5

Answer 30

-scrooges character has transformed. -dickens emphasises this by drawing direct contrasts between scrooge’s behaviour in the final and opening staves
-he shows how Scrooge donated money to one of the ‘portly gentlemen’ despite his refusal in the first stave (‘not a farthing less’)
-in the opening stave bob was sure that if he tried to “replenish” the coal scrooge would have fired him, but in the final stave, scrooge instructs bob to “make up the fires”, again making his transformation

Question 31

scrooge & the key theme of time:

Answer 31

-the importance and significance of time is highlighted to scrooge through his interactions with the Spirits, they teach him valuable lessons surrounding this concept in order to better
-xmas past teaches scrooge the value of reflecting on the past to become a better person
-xmas yet to come highlights to scrooge that the way you conduct yourself in the present will have consequences later on in time

Question 32

scrooge & the key theme of poverty:

Answer 32

-dickens believed that society needed to come together in order to help stop the spread of poverty
-he highlights this viewpoint by using a disapproving tone when describing Scrooge’s views on the poor in the opening stave
-this is seen when scrooge makes no
distinction between the lower class and criminals
-dickens later mocks this statement when scrooge asks the ghost of christmas present if there is any “refuge” for the children clutching at his robe, to which the spirit echoes “are there no prisons?” evidently parodying his views

Question 33

scrooge & the key theme of redemption:

Answer 33

-novella closely follows scrooge’s journey of redemption
-his transformation is made more impactful by dickens’ description of Scrooge’s character in order to foreground this theme
-initially, dickens presents scrooge as a man who cannot change
-as the novel progresses, we see scrooge learn many lessons and evolve as a character, eventually repenting for his behaviour
-this is significant because scrooge’s redemption does not stop at simple repentance as he goes on and actively tries to recompense for his actions

Question 34

scrooge & the key theme of christmas spirit:

Answer 34

-dickens uses scrooge’s character to highlight the ideal way of celebrating
christmas by introducing an emotional element to the celebration
-he promotes the idea that xmas is a time for charity and compassion through scrooge’s behaviour in the final stave
-he ensures that this is seen as the ideal

Question 35

scrooge & the key theme of family:

Answer 35

-importance of family is highlighted through the crucial role it plays in allowing for Scrooge’s all important redemption
-evident when xmas present shows him how fred and his family celebrate christmas
-scrooge realises that if he had spent time with his family he might have “cultivated the kindness of life” -highlighting the crucial role that a person’s family can play on their character

Question 36

scrooge & the key theme of materialism:

Answer 36

-dickens highlights how scrooge’s materialism costs him significantly more than it benefits him
-this is identified by fred, who notes that scrooge’s wealth is “of no use to him” as “he doesn’t do any good with it” showing the reader that his obsession with the material world is essentially useless if he doesn’t use
his wealth properly

Question 37

scrooge & the key theme of regret:

Answer 37

-scrooge’s regret is vital in allowing for his redemption
-this emotion not only makes Scrooge seem human but also endears the reader towards him
-this is highlighted when scrooge wonders what it would feel like to have children who “might have called him father”, causing his sight to grow “very dim indeed”
-ultimately this increases the readers involvement with his character, causing them to anticipate the end of the novella

Question 38

scrooge & the key theme of isolation:

Answer 38

-scrooge’s isolation from society is highlighted through Dickens’ lengthy descriptions of his relationship with those around
-by ostracising himself from society he can exist in a state of ignorance which allows him to be totally unaware of the state of the poor and other vulnerable members of society
-he is both unaware and unbothered of tiny tim’s plight and only begins to care once tiny tim’s death is foretold by the ghost of xmas yet to come

-once scrooge’s isolation decreases and he interacts with other characters he becomes more aware of the problems of others and transforms as a character
-after his reformation scrooge plays an active part in tiny tim’s life becoming a “second father” to him and preventing his death
-it could be argued that this reflects the importance of engaging with wider society as it benefits all those who take part
-not only is Tiny Tim’s life preserved but scrooge becomes happier
-here dickens alludes to a sense of social responsibility, which he had a strong affinity to