Stave 1

• Fred said that during Christmas people

  " Open up their shut up hearts freely "
• Scrooge criticising Fred's joy

  " What reason do you have to be merry? Your poor enough "
• Phrases used to describe Fred

  " He was all in a glow …; his eyes sparkled "

  Semantic field of lights makes him a foil to Scrooge

  Eyes are windows to the soul showing his pure nature
• Words Fred use to describe Christmas

  " A kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time "
• Triple used to describe Scrooge

  " Secret and self-contained and solitary as an oyster "
• Weather used to describe Scrooge

  " No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him "

  Ostracised from society and nature

  Alliteration emphasises lack of power form nature
• Scrooge having dinner at home

  " Melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern "
• Marley telling Scrooge what his business was

  " Mankind was my business … charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence were all my business "

  Economical language show obsession with materialistic things

  Syntax of mankind before business indicates the hieratical order of values Scrooge should follow
• Marley telling scrooge about the consequences of his choices

  " I wear the chain I forged in life "

  Symbolism of chains which are interlinked show that covetousness is interlinked with his anguish

  Personal pronoun shows that he acknowledges the consequences and he is now spiritually poor
• Bobs work place

  " Dismal little cell "
• Bob trying to get warm at work

  " Tried to warm himself at the candle … he failed "
• Scrooge criticising the poor and not wanting to help them

  " I can't afford to make idle people merry "
• Scrooge embodying the Malthusian principle

  " If they would rather die … and decrease the surplus population "

  Plosives show harsh views of upper classes
• scrooge has no interest in others

  " It's not my business "