Scrooge Flashcards
Scrooge character
Scrooge is an ARCHETYPAL VILLIAN
Ebenezer (noun) Hebrew meaning ‘stone of help’
Suggests name was chosen to show the help he was given to change
In first stave Scrooge described as ‘cold’ and ‘hard’ like a stone
Scrooge (noun)
Selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend
Scrooge is a protagonist used to represent the rich in Victorian era, highlights the gap in society- symbolises theme of repenting.
Dickens uses Scrooge to criticise society he is a symbol of the wealthy and aristercratic members of society who are ignorant to misfortunes of poor
‘Secret, self contained and solitary as an oyster’ - scrooge
Similie and sibilants perhaps underneath he has a more delicate/ fragile nature
Sibilants makes him sound like a harsh man
Much like when you open the oyster there is more to his character than meets the eye. The Oyster contains a pearl link to Scrooge at end of novella. Pearl could be his heart
He is physically hard to break this links to his emotions
‘Solitary’ is repeated to heighten his isolation
‘He carries his own low temperature aboyt with him’ - scrooge
‘Carried’ implies a burden
It is burdensome to be selfish and misanthropic
Is he ‘carrying’ the ignorance of ruling classes
The idea that the temperature is his ‘own’ plays in villainous trait and becomes symbolic
‘Hard and sharp as flint’ - scrooge
Simile presents hard exterior which causes pain to other people
Adjective ‘hard’ implies that he will be difficult to change hence the user of supernatural haunting of ghost
‘Misanthropic’ - scrooge
Having or showing a dislike of other people. Unsociable
Image of antisocial and cold linked together
Symbolic message that capitalism, the ruling classes are inherently misanthropic in their behaviour towards the poor
‘I am as light as a feather, happy as an angel, as merry as a school boy’ - scrooge
Similie suggests he has lost the burden of his cold former self
‘Light’ - his burdensome greed has been alleviated
Compared to an ‘angel’ origin old English angel meaning messenger, dickens is sending a moral message about responsibility and equality
