Stave 5

• ‘The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs

  Embedded and contextualised example: When Scrooge wakes up in Stave 5, he is so overcome by joy that he laughs for the first time in a long time, a laugh which will be “the father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs!”

  Reasons for learning it:

  • Repetition of the adjective “long” - emphasising the fact Scrooge’s redemption is forever, and will not be short-lived
  • The metaphor of family - links with the broader theme of family as a means to happiness - laughter is linked with children and family in general (something Scrooge does not have)
  • Adjective “brilliant” links to the motif of light (this is the literal meaning of the word - very bright)
  • Foreshadows the idea of Scrooge becoming a “second father” to Tiny Tim
  • Easy to memorise

  Relevant characters and themes: Scrooge, family, poverty and the poor, redemption, greed and generosity, Christmas and tradition
• ‘A second father’

  Embedded and contextualised example: In the end, Scrooge is said to have become “a second father” to Tiny Tim, who does not die.

  Reasons for learning it:

  • Very easy to memorise
  • Metaphor of family - links to one of the key themes in the novel - family doesn’t have to be blood - family helps sustain life

  Relevant characters and themes: Scrooge, family, poverty and the poor, redemption, greed and generosity, Christmas and tradition
• ‘I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man.’


  Dickens uses similes to explain how different Scrooge is feeling from stave 1. Due to him being as light as a feather it suggests Scrooge doesn’t carry as much with him anymore, such as his judgements and his old beliefs, which emphasises the change and redemption Scrooge has gone through throughout the novella. Dickens repeats the use of similes to emphasise this change. It is also evident that wrongful judgements and beliefs lead a person to be unhappy as when Scrooge is rid of these beliefs he is said to be ‘giddy’. Dickens uses this to explain to his readers that the poor and rich would both be better off is they helped one another and saw each other as equals due to it making everybody happier.

  Relevant themes and characters: Redemption, Scrooge.