Family

• “We’re to be together all the Christmas long, and have the merriest time in the world.”

  • Exaggeration “merriest time in the world”: Shows Fred’s enthusiasm for spending time with loved ones
  • Collective “we’re to be together”: Togetherness is what gives the holiday its joy
  • Tone of joy and optimism: Contrasts strongly with Scrooge’s early bitterness
  • Effect: Fred values family above material concerns — Dickens uses him to model how Christmas should be celebrated, with joy and inclusion
• “Spirit,” said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, “tell me if Tiny Tim will live.”

  • “With an interest he had never felt before”: Shows emotional growth — Scrooge is beginning to care about others, especially vulnerable children
  • Direct question: His concern for Tiny Tim shows a developing empathy rooted in seeing the Cratchits’ loving family
  • Name “Tiny Tim”: Tim’s innocence and fragility symbolise the emotional impact of family bonds
  • Effect: Dickens uses the Cratchits’ closeness to awaken Scrooge’s compassion, marking a turning point in his transformation
• “Father is so much kinder than he used to be, that home’s like Heaven!”

  • Simile “like Heaven”: Elevates family warmth to something divine — home and love are sacred
  • “So much kinder”: Suggests a change — Scrooge may have once known love, before becoming hardened
  • Fan’s joy: Her tone conveys the happiness that comes from a loving family
  • Effect: This moment reminds Scrooge (and the reader) that he once had family love, helping to explain his loss and encouraging his return to human connection
• “He was reconciled to Fred, and became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man...”

  • Anaphora (“as good a...”): Repetition of structure emphasises his transformation in every role — personal, professional, and moral
  • “Reconciled”: Implies mended relationships and healing — family ties are repaired
  • Position of Fred: Reconnecting with Fred symbolises Scrooge choosing love and belonging over isolation
  • Effect: Dickens closes the novella by showing that redemption includes rebuilding broken family bonds