Scrooge Stave 2 Flashcards
‘Rub the frost off’
When Scrooge wakes, coldness permeates his being so much that frost had appeared inside his window.
‘Run’ suggests that Scrooge may be able to rid himself of his innate misery and coldness.
‘Marley’s ghost bothered him’
First appearance of an inkling of change to Scrooge, perhaps he is human after all.
‘Walls damp and mossy’
‘Windows broken’
‘Not a latent echo’
Bleak description of Scrooge’s school, perhaps this was a part of the stem of his misery- we learn that there may have been a hint of poverty in his past, his School was not prosperous. Scrooge has also always been isolated- nothing has changed- much like poverty a his end shows not only the potential for people like Scrooge to change but also poverty.
‘Feeble fire’
- Even when he was younger there was little heat/ compassion.
- ‘f’ soft sound reflecting childhood innocence in contrast to the harsh verbs used to describe him previously.
‘I should have given him something’
Signal for Scrooge’s change.
‘Father is so much kinder’
Again get an impression of the route of Scrooge’s bitterness - history has seemed to repeat itself and perhaps Dickens is concerned about this.
‘Glared on master Scrooge with a fierce condescension’
They head master’s cynical and harsh personality seems to underpin Scrooge’s - they are both miserable.
‘Why it’s old Fezziwig’
When in the presence of someone light-hearted and jovial, Scrooge seems to revert back to childish, playful ways, showing a possibility to change.
‘What Idol has displaced you?’
‘Idol’ connotes religion/god - Scrooge seemingly worships money and values it as if it were god- links to the Christmas themes.
‘Which it is so hard as poverty’
Scrooge’s characteris dissimilar to the Fezziwigs, Scrooge’s wealth seems to be wholly for self gain rather than a charitable wealth.
‘Dowerless girl’
She does not have a dowry which reflects how engulfed Scrooge is in money- he has lost his capability to live because he is engulfed in the need to make money.
‘Light was burning high and bright’
Scrooge endeavours to extinguish the hope and compassion from his past; however, semantics of light seem to intensify the power of the past- insinuation that you can never escape it.
‘Light which streamed from under it’
Scrooge is unable to overcome the hope and compassion, symbolising the fact that you cannot oppress the past.
Desperation seems to encircle Scrooge at this point- he is agitated knowing what he could have had.
