Quotes

• Stave 1

  'solitary as an oyster'

  'To edge his way along the crowded paths of life'

  'Blind men's dogs would tug their owners away'

  'It's enough for a man to understand his own business and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly.'

  'Scrooge took his melancholy meal in his usual melancholy tavern.'
• Stave 2

  'Another idol has displaced me... A golden one.'
• Stave 4

  'Unwatched, unwept, uncared for.'
• Stave 5

  'I am as light as a feather.'
• 'solitary as an oyster'


  Stave 1

  Describes Scrooge's isolation and his hard, closed-off exterior. However, also hints at a potential hidden goodness (the pearl inside).

  Potential for transformation.

  Contrasts with 'hard and sharp as flint'.
• 'to edge his way along the crowded paths of life'


  Stave 1

  Describes Scrooge's deliberate and isolating approach to life, emphasising his coldness and detachment to others.

  Literal and metaphorical meaning ('edge' means slow and deliberate moving or his conscious effort to stay away from others).

  Highlights his lack of empathy and preference for solitude.
• 'blind men's dogs would tug their owners away'


  Stave 1

  Highlights Scrooge's repulsive and isolating nature, shows that even animals dislike and avoid him (emphasising his lack of sympathy and negative impact he has on others).

  Other related quotes: 'he was not a good man to be alone with' / 'no warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him' / 'a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!'.
• 'Scrooge took his melancholy meal in his usual melancholy tavern'


  Stave 1

  Highlights Scrooge's loneliness and the bleakness of his solitary life.

  Repetition of 'melancholy' emphasises the nature of Scrooge's unhappiness and isolation and it draws attention to his state of mind and reinforces the idea that he is trapped in a cycle of negativity.

  This initial portrayal of Scrooge as a miserable and isolated figure sets the stage for his redemption and transformation throughout the story.
• 'Another idol has displaced me... A golden one'


  Stave 2, when the GofC Past shows him a flashback, including his relationship with Belle.

  Signifies that Scrooge's obsession with money and wealth has replaced Belle in his affections, signifying the corruption of his heart by greed.

  'Golden idol' = metaphor for the wealth and material possessions that have become Scrooge's focus, replacing his love for Belle and other human values.

  Dickens uses this scene to illustrate the dangers of greed and corrupting influence of money, showing how it can lead to isolation and unhappiness.
• 'Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.'


  Stave 3

  This quote highlights Scrooge's emotional state as he witnesses the consequences of his actions and begins to feel remorse for his past behaviour.
• 'Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all and infinitely more.'


  Stave 3

  This quote emphasises Scrooge's transformation and his commitment to making amends for his past mistakes, going beyond what he initially promised.
• 'Unwatched, unwept, uncared for'


  Stave 4

  Highlights the stark reality of a lonely, neglected death, emphasising the importance of family and compassion and contrasting with Scrooge's eventual transformation.

  'unwatched = lack of anyone to watch over the dying or the dead

  'unwept' = no one to mourn or grieve for the deceased

  'uncared for' = no one to provide basic necessities or comfort, both in life and death

  Dickens's purpose= emphasising isolation, social commentary, contrasting Scrooge's transformation
• 'I am as light as a feather'


  Stave 5

  Signifies Scrooge's newfound lightness and freedom from his former burdens and greed, marking a significant transformation in his character.

  Simile= expresses Scrooge's feeling of freedom from the chains of his past

  Highlights his transformation from a miserly and solitary figure to a generous and joyful person.

  Part of a series of similes that describe his newfound happiness = 'I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy'
• "Decrease the surplus population" - Scrooge


  Stave: 1

  It reflects his greedy and selfish nature.

  Scrooge is a wealthy man, but he is unwilling to share his wealth with those less fortunate.
• "I wear the chain I forged in life” - Jacob Marley


  Stave: 1

  Marley's chains are a symbol of greed and sin. Scrooge is making his chain with his evil, covetous ways. He is going to hell.
• 'hard and sharp as flint' 


  Stave: 1

  Dickens says to describe Scrooge.

  The adjective 'hard' suggests that he lacks warmth, empathy and compassion while the adjective 'sharp' suggests pain, implying that Scrooge has no mercy towards others.

  The simile likens the character to something that the reader can recognise.

  We see that Scrooge is tough and unbreakable.
• “A solitary child, neglected by his friends"


  Stave: 2

  Sibilance – shows how lonely Scrooge was as a child and the memory makes Scrooge unhappy as an adult.

  Emotive Language – shows that Scrooge is capable of emotion and that he isn't heartless.
• 'She could be the spring in the haggard winter'


  Stave: 2

  Metaphor.

  He regrets not being a father (it would've enhanced his life).
• “​Sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch”


  Stave: 3

  Reveals that Scrooge is becoming more ​self-aware ​and ​socially conscience​, highlighting the ​power ​and​ influence ​of the Spirit.

  (Sprinkling incense was a way of making disagreements vanish and spreading good spirits​in the Victorian times​.)
• “I don't mind going (to the funeral) if a lunch is provided.”


  Stave: 4

  Emotive Language – showing that the businessmen don't care that Scrooge is dead, they are only after a free lunch.
• 'He frightened everyone away from him when he was alive, to profit when he was dead!'


  Stave: 4

  Joe, Mrs Dilber and the charwoman represent the lack of humanity caused by the horrific treatment of the poor - they are the undeserving poor whose interest solely in profit mirrors Scrooge's own obsession with money.
• 'I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future!'


  Stave: 5

  Anaphora of "I will" sounds like a pledge that Scrooge is making.

  He previously only lived for the future (aiming to become richer), but now realises how the past can shape us too.
• “God bless us, everyone!” - Tiny Tim


  Stave: 5

  Tiny Tim, in direct contrast to Scrooge, wants to help everyone.

  As an angelic, holy character, he offers blessings (of love, hope and happiness) to the whole of society.

  He also shows that people can change and make a difference to others.
• 'and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.'


  Stave: 5

  Signifies the deep bond that develops between Scrooge and Tiny Tim. This relationship is symbolic of Scrooge's redemption and his newfound capacity for empathy and kindness.

  Second Father: This term implies that Scrooge takes on a paternal role for Tiny Tim.