Stave 4

    Cards (4)

    • "The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached’"

      Tricolon: The final ghost resembles the Grim Reaper and human’s fear of death. It cannot speak just as the future cannot speak for us but can reveal what could happen. The three adverbs slow the pace and create a more solemn and serious tone fitting for the inevitability of death and punishment without change. Structurally this ghost appears at the end of Stave 3 as speed builds towards Scrooge’s final redemption = his time is running out.
    • "A bare uncurtained bed"
      "Ragged sheet."

      • The image of exposure is highlighted through the adjectives "bare" and "uncurtained" suggests Scrooge is exposed and vulnerable in death, his money failing to protect him when he is no longer alive, just like he failed to protect the welfare of others with his parsimonious nature
      • Dicken's choice to use the adjective "ragged" is significant as it pairs an image of neglect with the image of death and decay; encapsulating how Scrooge in his death has been devalued and forgotten - his uncompassionate nature is physically reflected in his "uncared for" grave. Here Dickens is teaching that there is more to life than monetary gain and materialism
    • "Unwatched, unwept, uncared for."
      "Overrun with grass and weeds."

      • The asyndetic listing and alliteration in the repeated prefix "un" created a sense of overwhelming neglect and pity, which is emblematic of how Scrooge's lack of care in life results in isolation in death, which compounded with the verb "overrun" creates a sense of severe abandonment
      • Dicken's decision to use "grass and weeds" is ironic, as they are presented as having more vitality and life than Scrooge, which is a mockery of his materialistic driven life, which is now less significant than a decaying plant
      • "Weeds" are almost parasitical, in the way that they take whatever they need to grow, often at the detriment of the surrounding plants and nature, which mirrors Scrooge's dehumanising treatment of the poor
    • "Green a place"
      "Lighted cheerfully and hung with Christmas"
      • Tiny Tim has a sacrificial function; he must die for Scrooge's redemption.
      • "Green" has biblical connotation of the Garden of Eden, a heavenly paradise, envisioning that despite his impoverished existence, he still held on to Christian values of generosity and kindness, so he will have a heavenly death where he is valued and remembered
      • On a perfunctory level, the adverb "cheerfully", compounded with "Christmas" which is a metaphor for a time of kindness and generosity, suggest that his family are wishing to preserve his memory, almost as if he was too good to die ("as good as gold")
      • The motif of light alludes to enlightenment, clearly illuminating how despite his own struggles, he prioritised the welfare of others, trying to bring "light" and joy to people's lives where possible, and therefore will be cherished by many