Stave 2

• "The more he thought, the more perplexed he was; and the more he endeavoured not to think, the more he thought."

  1. anaphora - emphasises his confusion, shows the extremity of his confusion, spiralling effect on Scrooge.
• "He begged [the spirit] to be covered"

  Scrooge really doesn't want to change and he tries to hide himself from the past.
• "clasped his robe in supplication"

  1. "supplication" - begging for something in a humble manner
  2. He's reluctant to going back to his past.
  3. Before the spirit had to put the effort in to reach out to Scrooge but now, Scrooge is putting the effort in to reach out to the Spirit.
• "Scrooge went to bed again, and thought, and thought, and thought it over and over and over,"

  • polysyndetic list - spiralling effect on Scrooge.
• "Scrooge demanded" - when he asked who the spirit was

  Shows how he doesn't want to speak to this ghost or change his past.
• "he had a special desire to see the spirit in his cap; and begged him to be covered."

  He really doesn't want to change and he tries to hide himself from his past because he's ashamed.
• " Nothing. There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night, I should like to have given him something: that's all."

  • Relates the boy who was singing Christmas carols to Scrooge as a little boy who was talking to himself about his imagination.
  • Scrooge's saviour weas his little sister.
• "Father is so much kinder than he used to be"

  • Scrooge's home life when he was younger may have been quite abusive
  • No loving father figure for Scrooge.
• "speaking unconsciously like his former, not his latter, self."

  • He's returning to his younger self, when he used to work for Fezziwig.
  • Subconsciously starting to change
• "I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk"

  • When Scrooge used to work for Fezziwig, he brought joy to Scrooge's life but Scrooge mistreats his clerk.
  • In the Victorian times, due to the Poor Law, the poor was neglected but Fezziwig is blinded by the divide in social classes.
• " a fair young girl in a mourning-dress"

  • Belle (Scrooge's fiancée) is mourning over the death of their relationship - Scrooge has died spiritually to her - loss of his previous self- changed into someone she doesn't even recognise anymore.