characters

• Who is the protagonist of the novella?

  Ebenezer Scrooge
• How is Scrooge initially presented in the novella?

  As a misanthropic, miserly businessman
• What does Dickens's description of Scrooge convey?

  His mean and bitter demeanor
• What does the simile “as solitary as an oyster” suggest about Scrooge?

  He is isolated with a hard exterior
• What must happen for Scrooge to reveal his inner humanity?

  The spirits must force him to open up
• What do pearls symbolize in relation to Scrooge?

  His potential value within society
• What phrase does Scrooge continually express?

  “Humbug”
• What does Scrooge's use of the word "humbug" signify?

  His aversion to Christmas and society
• How does Scrooge treat Bob Cratchit?

  With cruelty and condescension
• What does Scrooge's refusal to donate to the poor illustrate?

  His selfishness and lack of compassion
• What does Scrooge ask when refusing to help the poor?

  “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”
• How does Dickens create empathy for Scrooge in Stave II?

  By revealing details about his lonely childhood
• What emotional reaction does Scrooge have to his childhood scene?

  He sobs
• What does Scrooge's sister Fan reveal about his father?

  He is less harsh than before
• What does Scrooge's engagement to Belle illustrate?

  The consequences of his greed
• What does Scrooge's past suggest about his character?

  He is not completely depraved
• Why is it vital for Scrooge to revisit his younger self?

  It catalyzes his transformation
• What does Scrooge's first stage of remorse involve?

  Regretting not giving to a carol singer
• How does Tiny Tim influence Scrooge?

  He inspires Scrooge's transformation
• What transformation does Scrooge undergo by the end of the novella?

  He becomes a charitable philanthropist
• How does Scrooge describe his new state at the end?

  “I am light as a feather”
• What is the first line about Jacob Marley?

  “Marley was dead, to begin with”
• What does Marley’s death signify in the narrative?

  A sense of finality and shock
• How is the relationship between Scrooge and Marley characterized?

  As a business relationship, not affectionate
• What does Marley’s description as a terrifying figure symbolize?

  His obsession with business and money
• What does Marley acknowledge about his past actions?

  He should have prioritized charity and benevolence
• What does Marley’s chain symbolize?

  His punishment for greed and avarice
• What is Marley’s purpose in the novella?

  To warn Scrooge about his fate
• How does Marley act as a catalyst for Scrooge's transformation?

  His visit prompts Scrooge's desire to change
• How is Bob Cratchit first introduced in Stave I?

  As “the clerk”
• What does referring to Bob as “the clerk” signify?

  Scrooge's myopic view of him
• What does Bob's silence in Stave I signify?

  His insignificance in Scrooge's eyes
• What does Scrooge's treatment of Bob underscore?

  His cruel and exploitative behavior
• How does Bob's working conditions reflect his poverty?

  He works in a “dismal little cell”
• What does Bob's fear of asking for coal illustrate?

  The dreadful conditions he endures
• How is Bob depicted in Stave II?

  As a devoted father and husband
• What does Bob's relationship with his children reveal?

  His loving and affectionate nature
• How do different settings contrast Bob and Scrooge?

  Scrooge is at work, Bob is at home
• What does Bob's toast to Scrooge demonstrate?

  His kind-spirited and forgiving nature
• How does Dickens depict Bob to invoke sympathy?

  He is patient and civil to Scrooge