2nd appearance

• Dickens uses the comparisons between the character of Marley to show scrooge his NEED to change & the NEED to look after the poor.
• "more gravy than grave about you"


  pun> shows that scrooge hasn't changed since Marley's death

  Marley is a humorous character.
• "Death, cold eyes"

  "death cold"> Metaphor - suggests that he has no emotion.

  {cold} reference to 'cold' like scrooge.
• "his body was transparent"

  • description> scrooge could see right through him - the idea that he lacks humanity.
  • no humanity > has no vital organs e.g. a heart.
• "Marley has no bowels"

  • biblically associated with mercy, tenderness and forgiveness.
  • the idea that {living} Marley had none of this and lived a life full of hate, cruelness and greed
• "The chain he drew was clasped about his middle - wound about him like a tail"

  • SIMILE> "like a tail" - Zoomorphic imagery.

  implies that he is less than human & didn't have ANY humanity in him> suffering because of his sins.
• "At this time of the year.. I suffer the most"

  • Suffering the most at {Christmas}
  • {Christmas} associated with forgiveness
  • "year"> should be helping the poor the most by giving / donating to poor.
• "I wear the chain I forged in life"

  • LINKS TO: "I made it link by link and yard by yard" - suggests that if scrooge won't change he will become like Marley.
  • {chain} SYMBOL OF HIS SINS.
  • "Padlocks, ledges, cash boxes, keys" - revolve around him and scrooge's business
  • scrooge's reaction to this is 'fear' which is new- " trembling".
  • This quote acts as a warning to scrooge of the consequences