A Christmas Carol Stave 1

• What phrase does Scrooge use regarding the poor in Stave 1?

  Decrease the surplus population
• What does Scrooge imply by saying it would be better if the poor died?

  It would decrease the surplus population
• How does Scrooge's statement link to the context of the play?

  It reflects Malthusian ideas on population ethics
• Who is Dickens quoting when Scrooge makes his statement about the poor?

  Thomas Malthus
• What is the significance of Dickens contesting Malthusian ideas in the novel?

  It challenges the ethics of population control
• How does the Ghost of Christmas Present relate to Scrooge's earlier statement?

  Repeats Scrooge's words back to him
• What role does repetition play in the structure of the novel?

  It emphasizes Scrooge's transformation and lessons
• How is Scrooge characterized in Stave 1?

  As hard and sharp as flint
• What is the second simile used to describe Scrooge?

  As solitary as an oyster
• What do the similes about Scrooge convey about his character?

  • Scrooge is hard to know and like
  • He is solitary and isolated
  • Reflects the motif of heat/cold in the novel
• What does the flint simile suggest about Scrooge's personality?

  He is cold, hard, and difficult to approach
• How does the flint simile connect to the motif of heat/cold in the novel?

  Scrooge cannot start fires, symbolizing coldness
• What does the oyster simile reveal about Scrooge's solitude?

  It highlights his isolated and lonely existence
• What is the significance of oysters sometimes containing pearls in relation to Scrooge?

  It suggests hidden value beneath his hard exterior
• What are the key themes represented by Scrooge's character in Stave 1?

  • Hardness and coldness of character
  • Solitude and isolation
  • Potential for hidden value or change
• “he was all in a glow … his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked”

  Embedded and contextualised example: When Fred visits Scrooge in his office in Stave 1, he arrives “all in a glow” with “his eyes sparkl[ing] and his breath smok[ing].”

  Reasons for learning it:

  • It uses one of the key motifs in the play - heat/light (contrasted with cold/dark)
  • It establishes Fred as a foil character for Scrooge - he is all warmth compared to Scrooge, who was vividly described as cold.
  • The heat (smoke) and light (sparkle) seem to come from inside Fred, from his core, his soul - he is goodness personified
• What does Fred praise about Christmas in Stave 1?

  It opens people's hearts freely
• What does the phrase "open their shut-up hearts freely" imply?

  People choose to be generous and compassionate
• How does the metaphor of "shut-up hearts" relate to Scrooge?

  It reflects Scrooge's initial lack of compassion
• What does the phrase "people below them" refer to in the context of the quote?

  The poor in relation to the rich
• What social issue does Dickens address through the metaphor of the poor being "below" the rich?

  Social class hierarchies and inequality
• What is the significance of the railway imagery in the quote?

  • Represents the Industrial Revolution
  • Symbolizes the shared fate of rich and poor
  • Links to themes of mortality in Stave 4
• What does the term "fellow-passengers to the grave" suggest?

  Everyone shares the same mortality
• How does the quote reflect Dickens' attitude towards Christmas?

  It promotes compassion and social awareness
• What core attitude does Dickens want his readers to develop?

  Empathy towards the less fortunate
• “I wear the chain I forged in life”

  Embedded and contextualised example: When Scrooge asks Marley’s ghost about the chains he is wearing, he tells him: “I wear the chain I forged in life.”

  Reasons for learning it:

  • It’s short and essay to memorise
  • Repetition of the pronoun “I” is used to emphasise personal responsibility - used throughout this bit of direct speech
  • Chains as symbolic of the sins that a person commits in life - evocative of prisons - links to contextual ideas about debtors prisons - idea of selfishness as a moral crime
• What does Marley’s ghost say was Scrooge's business?

  Mankind was his business
• What dual meanings does the noun 'business' convey in the context of Scrooge's conversation with Marley’s ghost?

  Work and moral concerns
• How does the metaphor of the drop of water in the ocean relate to the theme of money in the text?

  It shows the insignificance of money
• What does the exclamation mark at the end of Marley’s statement signify?

  It conveys passion and urgency
• What is Dickens' broader message regarding virtue and money?

  • Virtue is more important than money
  • Moral concerns outweigh financial success