christmas carol key quotes and analysis

This is the image of rich men who are shown to ridicule Scrooge after his death.The rich are presented as unfeeling and callous- their physical ugliness reflects the lack of generosity in their spirits. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. However, this in itself would probably not have been enough to alter his ways. Then, choose the verb form that agrees in number with the subject. We have never had any quarrel, to which I have been a party. The tone is impatient as he does so. Home Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol Best Quotes. This is a great description, wanders around holding a candle snuffer that looks like a hat. Compare the different settings in "Grape Sherbet" Describe each setting using details from the poem. '', Stave 3 - the ghost uses Scrooge's words against him when he asks where there is refuge for the children, ignorance and want. Whatever the genre. scientist; is. Dickens also suggests that, through his adoration of a false god, he is no longer a good christian. It would have done you good to see how green a place it is., Bob Cratchit about Freds kindness: It really seemed as if he had known our Tiny Tim, and felt with us., About Scrooges grave: overrun by grass and weeds., Scrooge on what he has learnt: I will not shut out the lessons that they teach., Scrooge: The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me., Scrooge: I am as light as a feather, I am a happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. The childhood innocence has been 'shrivelled' and 'twisted' showing the ill effects of their treatment. A merry Christmas to everybody! Dickens clearly uses them to represent what employment should be like. The shortness of the main clause at the end makes the message more shocking. "[He called out in a] comfortable,oily, rich. Of course, Dickens does use his trademark lengthy descriptions but nearly everything has a point. ``My little child!''. Xmas Present - This makes scrooge realise that he needs to change or Tiny Tim will die young which is the one of the first stages of scrooges change. Scrooge is presented as a miserly character - his money does not even bring him any happiness. In this way, like a patient completing therapy, he has faced his past, but can now move on. "I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. This mirrors the Victorian rich's attitude to the poor. But, they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another and contented with the time. In the first stave of A Christmas Carol, the following quote is really important in characterizing Scrooge:. Himself. However, inside that shell - like Scrooge - the oyster is soft and vulnerable. Dr Aidan, PhD, provides you with the 10 key quotes in Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', along with in-depth analysis, to he. She looked at me as if I had insulted her. "Mankind was my business. () At the time, Camden town would have been a crowded suburb. I should like to have given him something: thats all., About the Fezziwig family: shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas., Scrooge about Mr Fezziwig: The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it costs a fortune., Belle to Scrooge: Another idol has displaced me., Belle about Scrooge: I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master passion, Gain, engrosses you., Belles husband to Belle about Scrooge: Quite alone in the world, I do believe., There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad., About the Ghost of Christmas Present: Sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch., About the Cratchits goose: a feathered phenomenon., There never was such a goose. Scrooge can see the error of his ways and then acts accordingly to become a better person. PDF A Christmas Carol - Holy Trinity Academy, Telford () The famous phrase Humbug really means either shame or hoax. ", 'A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. The Total Abstinence Principle was a phrase used for teetotallers (people who refrained from drinking). A description of how the Cratchit family mourned the death of Tiny Tim. Ideas about purgatory and hell would have been recognisable to the mainly Christian readership at the time - and would have made the allegory more frightening. Repetition of 'chuckle' emphasises Scrooge's newfound delight in giving. "Are there no prisons?" The noun 'father' shows the idea that one laugh leads to another - happiness breeds happiness. If he had been, he'd have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself.'. However, how the poor were treated was far more extreme in Victorian England. It has harsh imagery and the symbolism of cold, shows he is lacking Christmas spirit. The Christmas Spirit By Section Stave One: Marley's Ghost Stave Two: The First of the Three Spirits Stave Three: The Second of the Three Spirits Stave Four: The Last of the Spirits Stave Five: The End of It By Character Ebenezer Scrooge Bob Cratchit Fred Jacob Marley The Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Present "The noisy little Cratchit's were as still as status". - Scrooge, Is scrooges staple opinion to christmas at the start of stave one, showing off his negative opinions to begin with, this is used to emphasise the change in scrooges character from the beginning to the end. Bob Crachit and the Cratchit Family Quotes, A Christmas Carol- The Ghost of Christmas Pre, 'An Inspector Calls' Key Quotations Analysis, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, Grade 7, myPerspectives: Grade 10, Volume 2 California Edition, myPerspectives, English Language Arts, Grade 8, California My Perspectives English Language Arts, Grade 9, Volume Two. Arguably, this is the most famous quote from A Christmas Carol. When you analyse poverty in A Christmas Carol, you may want to reference the setting as well as using direct quotes from characters. "I wish you could have gone. Everyone is entitled to be a little happier on Christmas, and the Ghost of Christmas Present helps them to be so. It is uncared for just as he was uncared for, gasping out his last alone. In Victorian times, the deceased were usually dressed in their best clothes for burial but here, Scrooge's clothes after death have been removed and sold for money. The ghost is dressed in green reminiscent both of the Green Man from Pagan mythology, and also the traditional character of St Nicholas or Father Christmas, who has more recently come to symbolise the holiday period. Themes= greed and generosity/time. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear your company and do it with a thankful heart', Stave 1: 'He tried to say 'Humbug!' Scrooge listened to this dialogue in horror he viewed them with a detestation and disgust. His house is dark - which reflects the darkness in his character and also adds to the gothic atmosphere of his house. AQA English Revision - Key Quotes uses long and short clauses to show how busy they are. A Christmas Carol Key Quotes and Analysis - chegg.com Themes= family/greed and generosity/ time. Use if fairy tale convention, shows the story will have a magical ending. Whoop! "the phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached", A description of the ghost of Christmas future; he is the darkest of the spirits, a reminder to scrooge of his terrible fate if he fails to learn his lesson. Invite Scrooge to come for Christmas dinner 4. We see when Scrooge is presented with the poor children (Want and Ignorance) how instinctively and perhaps despite his character that he is compelled to want to help. Total Abstinence Principle more hilarious punning from Dickens. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. Accessed 4 March 2023. When he sees Tiny Tim and his jubilance despite his disadvantages, Scrooge cannot help but feel compassion and by association guilt, as he has seen from the effect Fezziwg had on his staff that he could have a similar influence on Tiny Tim. And perhaps its because we know the story so well, or maybe because it is pretty obvious, most readers will probably understand that they are in fact commenting on Scrooge. The gothic was a popular genre in the Victorian age and would have seemed fitting for a ghost story to Victorian readers. Belle "Our contract is an old one. The list of adjectives show his wealth but also his warmth and generosity towards others. This may be a way of showing what Dickens thinks should be happening. This phrase is repeated to describe both Mrs Crarchit and her daughter. Hallo there! Analysis. I am not the man I was. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didnt thaw it one degree at Christmas. Fred is unrelenting in his attempts to change his uncles way of thinking. Scrooge's language has been formal and official: here he is informal, natural and joyous. 'Dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons'. This symbolises his generosity and air of festivity. Stave 4 - Bob's reaction to Tiny Tim's death The Christmas Spirit I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time the only time when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. Mr and Mrs Fezziwig ..'.shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.'. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens | Characters, Quotes, & Analysis 'Long and wound about him like a tail made of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds and heavy purses.'. This is where the clerk lives. Stave 3 - the Cratchits A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Scrooges offences carry their own punishments. A description of the school house that Scrooge was left in as a child, by his family. Bob describes his crippled son. the adjective idle reveals scrooge believes the poor are lazy and are to be blamed for their own situation. Are there no prisons?'' Stave 5 - the bells ring This shows that scrooge is only hurting himself by being so money orientated it doesnt affect his family but does himself. said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. ``Are there no workhouses? This is another quote where Dickens draws on the semantic field of the cold weather. The spirit of Christmas is personified in his open heart, open hand, and outstretched arm. Walled in by houses; overrun by grass and weeds. Marleys chains symbolize the mistakes hes made in life and the greed that controlled him. This compares directly with the explicit description of Scrooge at the start of the novel where even beggars will not speak to him. The 10 Most Important Quotes in A Christmas Carol - YouTube Im sure you will all e familiar with the one percent statistic. 2003-2023 Chegg Inc. All rights reserved. 'Christmas' in A Christmas Carol: Key Quotes & Analysis His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. These words are then used against him by the ghost of the Christmas present. This quote shows Ebenezer Scrooge's miserly, miserable attitude toward Christmas at the opening of the story; he is obsessed with his money and has no time for festivities, family, or joy. Instant PDF downloads. Scrooge will avoid spirits for the rest of his life geddit? If you watch any of the adaptations of A Christmas Carol Tiny Tim is almost always one of the loveable characters and with good reason. His selfish ways have left him this way. He spreads joy over all like a force of nature. The silent. I am not the man I was', When Scrooge sees the name on the gravestone, he realises that time for change is limited, The ghost of Christmas past shows Scrooge some memories that may have been lost to time, Stave 2: 'each one connected with a thousand thoughts, and hopes, and joys, and cares long forgotten', Stave 4: 'Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only? Without the ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge wouldve been unlikely to change. Oh, no, no! The finger was still there. 'Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and sole mourner'. Dickens uses these characters to challenge popular preconceptions that the wealthy had about the poor - preconceptions which led to support for the poor law and the workhouses. Whereas the line about being solitary as an oyster suggests that Scrooge refuses to let anybody into his life. Bovey, Lee-James "A Christmas Carol Quotes " Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. Like an oyster, he keeps himself to himself, hidden beneath a hard shell that he uses to protect himself from the world. The Cratchits are generous and loving in very difficult circumstances. A Christmas Carol (Key Quotes) 'Mankind is my business' - Marley (Should be Scrooges and everyone elses too) 'I will honour Christmas in my heart and, and try to keepit all the year' - Scrooge (Willing to change, become better person) . But it does share a lot of gothic conventions. Stave 3 - description of Mrs Cratchit Themes= greed and generosity/ time. What I think is really clever is that the story is framed so that when we see the ghost of Christmas past, seeing the things that shaped Scrooge into the man he is at the beginning of the play starts to let us feel sympathy for him so that when he is offered a second chance as a reader, we are glad he gets to redeem himself. Stave 2 - the Fezziwig's party Bitter- "no wind that blew was bitterer than he. Stave 2 - the arrival of his sister, Fan Christmas is now a time for family, friends and feeling good. but stopped at the first syllable', Repeated phrase (Juxtaposition and patterning), Stave 5: 'Hear me! This went against what Victorians considered to be a 'good death' where you die surrounded by friends and family and then are mourned afterwards. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/themes-and-analysis/. however, her reference to their father suggests that he had not been kind in the past, thus reinforcing our sympathy. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Version 1 December 2016 . I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. Stave 2 - Belle breaks off the engagement Charles Dickens only really scratched the surface of this. In Victorian times, most of the readers would have been christian and would therefore heap additional judgement on Scrooge who needs to repent. In this quote, Dickens describes London as a dark and dangerous place. Stave 1 - Scrooge's view of the plight of the poor Draw one line under each main verb and two lines under each auxiliary verb. The ghost of christmas present is showing the two children that hide in his cloak and he says that the problems these children portray are the problems of mankind. He carried his own low temperature always about with him', 'No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him', 'It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal', 'Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. "Quite alone in the world, I do believe.". Contrasting similes emphasise his god like figure- he is at once innocent and knowledgeable. The opening line says, ''Marley was dead: to begin with. cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. as if its hold were of uncommon strength." His description of the setting suggests that poverty has bred crime and deep unhappiness. Dickens uses the scene to allow the reader to feel sorry for the child 'Scrooge' whose loneliness was not by choice - although the adult Scrooge's is. This again leads back to Dickens' idea of collective responsibility - that everything that we do influences others. He teaches scrooge to learn from his mistakes of his past. Mrs Cratchit, although poor, represents the family's will to make the best of things - to celebrate in spite of their poverty. The Ghost of Christmas Past is an interesting vision it changes shape and size, it has many arms and then a few, it seems distant and close, old and young in fact it seems riddled with contradictory images. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish. Then write the form of that verb It acts as a mirror for Scrooges wealth and position but also as a stark contrast in approach. In what ways did Louis XV differ from Louis XIV? ', Where the portly gentlemen explain to Scrooge about the plight of the poor and the responsibility of the rich to deal with it, In Stave 5, Scrooge begins to redeem himself for all the terrible things he did in the past, Victorian society was still extremely religious at this point and they believed strongly in the impact of sin upon the treatment of one in the afterlife, The way that Scrooge worships money would have been considered as sinful at the time as it is in a way idolising something that is not the holy lord, Stave 5: 'that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge', Stave 1: 'A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping clutching, covetous old sinner! He always did!". The metaphor shows that the school didn't help any student achieve their dreams, instead it destroyed their lives as they could not fulfil their potential. Perhaps Dickens is using him to represent the idea of childhood innocence and how close children were to God in order to reinforce his message that the wealthy need to do more to mitigate childhood poverty. Stave 1 - why the portly gentlemen are collecting for the poor Family Theme Analysis. A Christmas Carol - Stave 3 Key Quotes Flashcards | Quizlet Stave 4 - in the rag 'n' bone man's shop Themes= greed and generosity/time. Key quotes from a Christmas Carol- Stave 2, A Christmas Carol Vocabulary, A Christmas Car, myPerspectives, English Language Arts, Grade 8, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, California (Grade 9, Volume 1), myPerspectives: English Language Arts, Grade 7, myPerspectives: Grade 10, Volume 2 California Edition, A Christmas Carol - quotation analysis-Stave. Stave 1 - description of Marley's ghost Describes Fred, who is a symbol of Christmas spirit. Given an unexpected opportunity to communicateperhaps as a Christmas miracleMarley feels determined to help Scrooge and he warns him here. The description of the figure who is both like a child and like an old man, is suggestive of the journey that the ghost takes him on. A merry Christmas to everybody! Marley tells scrooge he is responsible fro his punishment- he is suffering the consequences for his actions. Active Themes Belle to Scrooge: "Another idol has displaced me a golden one.". The two children Ignorance and Want represents the attitudes of the rich to the poor in Victorian society. Studying Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'? Ignorance could represent the wealthy upper classes who are ignorant of what they must do to help. Here, Scrooge is talking about Fezziwig and how he uses his wealth to lift others up. Stave 2 - Scrooge becomes distressed by what he is seeing. With key quotes \u0026 analysis, this video provides an ideal format to gain a greater understanding of this novella in a matter of minutes. All rights reserved. The verb 'shrouded' makes explicit reference to death which is reinforced by the 'deep black' of its clothes. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. A Christmas carol key quotes Flashcards | Quizlet Stave 4 - the final ghost Recognizing Progressive Forms and Tenses. A Christmas Carol Quotes 50 of the best book quotes from A Christmas Carol 01 Share "God bless us every one!" Charles Dickens author God person A Christmas Carol book Tiny Tim character christmas blessings concepts 02 Share "Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering." Charles Dickens author I can't afford to make idle people merry.". 1. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! The ribbon for the bookmark should be seven (inches, in) long. The idea that anybody would be so callous about the dead is quite jarring and would have been especially impactful with a conservative Victorian readership. A happy New Year to all the world. Tail has connotations of the devil- reinforcing evil image. And I know I know my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child, we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. For example, the first ghost is a metaphor for how memories and the past shape ones experience, while the last ghost is a metaphor for death and ones legacy. Stave 1 - Scrooge's rponse to being asked to give money to charity, "If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.". The list of verbs, gives the spirit a threatening air- this is compounded by the fact that he does not speak to scrooge at all. It would have done you good to see how green a place it is.". A description of Fezziwig, a rich merchant t whom Scrooge is apprentice. Scrooge awakes and finds his room as dark as when he fell asleep at two o'clock. So while he did not invent these particular traditions many people credit him with popularizing them. Studying A Christmas Carol? Stave 2 - Belle's husband tells Belle about seeing Scrooge. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. This is to illustrate to the rich that they can be part of the solution, Dickens was of the belief that things in society could change and this was something he wished to portray to people to ensure they didn't lose hope, Stave 2: 'I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now', Stave 4: 'Fear you more than any other spectre I have seen. "The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it costs a fortune.". Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. Fezziwg really represents what Scrooge has and what he could (and eventually does) become. "Tonight, if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it.". The innocence of the 'angel' and the 'schoolboy' contrast with the hellish image of Marley's ghost, showing the reader that he will be saved. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. These morally repugnant, ugly people are simply treating Scrooge the way he treated others and he is horrified. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Christmas Carol, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. He must have slept through a whole day and half a night. Check ()(\checkmark)() the blank before each sentence that contains a subordinate clause. He is designed to show that the wealthy can make a significant difference. Y. Fred represents the spirit of Christmas and carries Dickens' message about collective responsibility and how we should treat one another. Dickens was familiar with the terrible working conditions of the poor and campaigned for education of children. ', 'secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents. It also explains why he becomes hard and sharp like a flint, later on. GCSE (9-1): Literature: A Christmas Carol: Key Quotes: Key - Quizlet My little, little child!'' A Christmas Carol Stave 4 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts Family Theme in A Christmas Carol | LitCharts Did the Anglo-Saxon period last between 449 and 1066? The words of the charwoman, who disgusts Scrooge, in the rag 'n' bone man's shop reflect the views to which Scrooge subscribed at the start of the novella when he declared that the poor were not his 'business' implying that his only business was himself. Note the use of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit. Whatever the genre. Ghost of Christmas Present, Stave 3, he warns that if Scrooge doesn't change himself that "doom" will be in his future. He did it all and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father., He knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the Knowledge.. How to revise from this guide You should be spending at least 30-60 minutes a week revising for English Literature from this point onwards, aiming to learn 5-7 key quotes for each character. The Fezziwigs throw a party and treat everyone the same - no matter their status. Describes Fred, who is a symbol of Christmas spirit. "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.". Flint is a type of ground that makes it difficult for life to grow kind of like how scrooges character allows no imaginations to grow. Dickens believed in collective responsibility - that the wealthy should take responsibility for helping the poor, specifically through the provision of education and support for children. Stave 3 - Tiny Tim The onomatopoetic verb 'gasping' makes the reader explicitly imagine the death, suggesting struggle and pain. The book also explores what you might call the true meaning of Christmas and while this might not be true from a Christian standpoint, from a morality/spiritual view, you could claim that it really does help to make that point. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and, If that spirit goes not forth in life, it is, them both, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is, squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner." The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune. 'No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. These compare with the bells at the start of the novel, signifying the hellish arrival of Marley's ghost. Marley haunts scrooge- a description of his chains. I am as giddy as a drunken man., Scrooge was better than his word. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. The repetitive structure and short exclamations create the sense that he cannot put into words how happy he is. This compounds our sympathy for the Cratchit's as Tim was a symbol of innocence. A Christmas Carol Quotes: The Christmas Spirit | SparkNotes Past: "The curtains of his bed were drawn aside, I tell you, When the Ghost of Christmas Past arrives, the curtains of his bed were drawn aside by a hand. Here, it is clear that it is the ghost who makes the move the ghost actively. The boy is ignorace - the lack of education and the girl is want - the lack of money. ". The image of the 'lonely boy near a feeble fire' reflects very closely the older Scrooge we have seen, alone eating gruel. A Christmas Carol Themes and Analysis | Book Analysis Stave 1 - Marley's ghost is distressed at Scrooge's suggestion that he was a 'good man of business'. 'A Christmas Carol' Key Quotations Stave 5 Analysis Term 1 / 5 "I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy.