A Christmas Carol quotes
In stave 1. Scrooge says: "If they would rather die...", complete the quote.
If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population.
"If they would ? die, they had ? do it and ? the ? population."
Rather better decrease surplus
"If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population.", what can I say about this quote?
Scrroge has been influenced by capitalism (this the ideology that man must look after themselves). Therefore, Scrooge treats the poor as inhuman, that he has no responsibility over. However, Scrooge leads an empty life as he has no one to love, so him wanting to decrease the population shows how much capitalism and greed has taken over him, he is only worried money, and he doesn't care about people who aren't going to help him become richer. Dental alliteration makes Scrooge sound more harsh when he speaks which emphasises his lack of sympathy for people with no money.
In stave 1. Jacob Marley's ghost says:"I wear...", complete the quote.
I wear the chain I forged in life
"I ? the ? I ? in ?"
Wear chain forged life
"I wear the chain I forged in life.", what can I say about this quote?
The chain symbolises someone actions, every link symbolises a bad action. The more bad actions someone does the bigger the chain is and the more it drags them down.
In Stave 3. Fred says:"His wealth...", complete the quote.
His wealth is of no use to him. He don't do any good with it.
"His ? is of no ? to him. He ? do any ? with it.
Wealth use don't good
"His wealth is of no use to him. He don't do any good with it.", what can I say about this quote?
This shows how other characters view the protagonist (main character), but you also see how others view wealth. In a capitalist society wealth is viewed as prodominantly for your own benefit, but in this quote we are shown this isn't what everyone believes. Other people believe wealth should be used in different ways, they say Scrooges wealth is pointless, he has no use for it. This proves again that he's a victim to capitalism, all he cares about is growing his bank balance. He has tunnel vision because he thinks he's right and it would be very hard to change his mind. That's why the people around him view him as a lost cause, that's why when he does change its an even bigger deal. Fred also uses informal language which contrasts to Scrooge, Fred is a foil to Scrooge as Fred is laid back at a time of celebrating, he represents a typical person at Christmas, whereas Scrooge is worried about building his bank account when it doesn't bring any benefit to him.
In Stave 3. The Ghost of Christmas Present says:"This boy is...", complete the quote.
This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want.
"This ? is ?. This ? is ?."
Boy Ignorance Girl Want
"This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want.". What can I say about this quote?
Metaphors. The boy represents society, society is ignorant of the struggles of the lower class. Ignorance creates a cycle that cant be fixed unless the capitalists stop being capitalists and start caring for the lower classes. The girl represents everyone's need for more. Dickens chose a young girl and boy because they're the most innconet beings in society. They've done nothing to get where they are, they were just brought into the world. This is to make Scrooge feel bad for his past actions by showing him the suffering of innocent children, and it is also a message to the reader, Dickens wrote this at a time where there was a lot of poverty, in 1843, 9 years after the Poor Law was introduced. Therefore he's trying to send a message to the audience as well as he had experienced poverty himself.
In Stave 1. Scrooge is described as: "Hard and Sharp as flint,...features,", complete the quote.
Hard and Sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features,
"Hard and ? as flint, from which no ? had ever ? out ? fire; ? and ?, and as ? as an oyster. The ? within him ? his old features,"
Sharp steel struck generous secret self-contained solitary cold froze
"Hard and Sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and as solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features,", what can I say about this quote?
The simile 'hard and sharp as flint'. Adjective hard suggests he lacks warmth, empathy and compassion, while the adjective sharp suggests pain, implying he has no mercy towards others, if anyone tries to get close with him to try and change him, they'll get hurt, that's why spirits need to be involved to change his ways. The comparison with flint is interesting, flint is used to make fire, this could be implying therefore that Scrooge has the potential for a spark of warmth within him, so he might change. To make fire with flint you need steel, which is also hard, which could be implying that for Scrooge to change he will need to be exposed in a harsh way, get a taste of his own medicine. The simile 'solitary as an oyster' is saying Scrooge is like an oyster, this implies he's hard on the outside and is closed away from others, but the simile emphasises that's he chosen to isolate himself, it also suggests there is more to be discovered about him where Scrooge is concerned. He needs to be forced open, to discover a potential pearl inside him.
In Stave 5. Scrooge says: "I am as...", complete the quote.
I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man.
"I am as ? as a ?, I am as ? as an ?, I am as ? as a ?. I am as ? as a ? man."
Light feather happy angel merry school-boy giddy drunken
"I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man.", what can I say about this quote.
Repetition of 'I am' implies Scrooge is trying to convince himself he is in fact feeling these emotions as he's never felt them before. Huge contrast to how he was feeling at the start of the play. Message to audience that everyone can change, even when you don't think they can. All it takes is some joint effort and it can happen. Scrooge is representing all capitalists at the time, Dickens implying that the present ways of the world for him can be changed.
In Stave 3. "Mrs Cratchit made the...", complete the quote excluding any unnecessary information.
Mrs Cratchit made the gravy... Master Peter mashed the potatoes... Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce...
"Mrs ? made the ?... Master ? mashed the ?... Miss ? sweetened up the ? sauce..."
Cratchit gravy Peter potatoes Belinda apple
"Mrs Cratchit made the gravy... Master Peter mashed the potatoes... Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce...", what can I say about this quote?
The Cratchit family represent the poor, especially Tiny Tim. And these people tend to be happier than the rich capitalists. Tiny Tim is a foil to Scrooge, they both emphasise their defining personality traits. In this quote they're all working together, unlike capitalist's views on every man's wealth is only for their own benefit. They have something money can't buy, love, affection and family. This shoes the different views between Scrooge and the Cratchits, Scrooge believes he is richer because he has money but he has no happiness, and Cratchits are richer with love and affection yet have no money.
"If he be like to die, he had better die and decrease the surplus population.", what can I say about this quote?
Linked to what Scrooge said at the start of the novella in Stave 1. Tiny Tim is used to create sympathy in the audience and make how hard poor people's lives can be a more personal example. Scrooge is a very harsh character at the start, for example what he said to the charity workers at the start of the novella, this is used against him to maybe break open the 'oyster' to get to the pearl inside. It also changes his perspective on the 'surplus population' to make him feel more sympathy for them by using innocent children to represent it.