Key quotations

• ‘Decrease the surplus population’

  Embedded and contextualised example: In Stave 1, Scrooge tells the charity collectors that it would be better if the poor died so that it would “decrease the surplus population".

  Reasons for learning it:

  • It’s very short and useful for linking to the context and message of the play, with links to the methods of repetition and structure
  • Dickens is himself quoting Thomas Malthus here - and this has important links to the context and message of the novel - Dickens is contesting Malthusian ideas about population ethics
  • Dickens has the Ghost of Christmas Present repeat these words back to Scrooge in Stave 3 as part of the structure of the novel

  Relevant characters and themes: Scrooge, poverty and the poor, greed and generosity, redemption
• ’As hard and sharp as flint… and solitary as an oyster’

  Embedded and contextualised example: In Stave 1, Dickens introduces the character of Scrooge as a man who is “as hard and sharp as flint” and “as solitary as an oyster”.

  Reasons for learning it:

  • Two short similes which capture Scrooge’s initial characterisation and are easy to analyse
  • Flint simile conveys how hard he is to know and like - flint is sharp, cold, hard to hold, impossible to cuddle - also links to the motif of heat/cold in the novel (Scrooge cannot start fires, unlike flint) and connects to his being described as cold earlier in this introduction
  • Oyster simile conveys the idea of solitude which characterises Scrooge’s life and the life of the greedy and selfish in general - oysters are hard and sharp like flint - oysters sometimes contain pearls

  Relevant characters and themes: Scrooge, poverty and the poor, greed and generosity, redemption
• ‘He was all in a glow… his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked

  Embedded and contextualised example: When Fred visits Scrooge in his office in Stave 1, he arrives “all in a glow” with “his eyes sparkl[ing] and his breath smok[ing].”

  Reasons for learning it:

  • It uses one of the key motifs in the play - heat/light (contrasted with cold/dark)
  • It establishes Fred as a foil character for Scrooge - he is all warmth compared to Scrooge, who was vividly described as cold.
  • The heat (smoke) and light (sparkle) seem to come from inside Fred, from his core, his soul - he is goodness personified

  Relevant characters and themes: Fred, family, greed and generosity, Christmas and tradition
• How does Fred describe Christmas in Stave 1?

  As a good, kind, and charitable time
• What does Fred mean by "open their shut-up hearts freely"?


  People become more compassionate and generous
• What does the metaphor of "shut-up hearts" signify in the context of Scrooge?

  It represents Scrooge's lack of compassion
• How does the phrase "people below them" relate to social class hierarchies?

  It highlights the disparity between rich and poor
• What are the key themes and characters relevant to Fred's view of Christmas?

  • Key themes:
  • Family
  • Poverty and the poor
  • Redemption
  • Greed and generosity
  • Christmas and tradition
  • Relevant character: Fred
• What does the railway imagery in Fred's speech symbolize?

  It symbolizes the shared journey of life and death
• What does Dickens want his readers to develop through Fred's attitude towards Christmas?

  A compassionate and charitable attitude
• How does Fred's view of Christmas contrast with Scrooge's perspective?

  Fred embraces generosity, while Scrooge is miserly
• What does the phrase "fellow passengers to the grave" imply about human existence?

  It suggests a shared mortality among all people
• Why is the adverb "freely" significant in Fred's description of Christmas?

  It emphasizes the voluntary nature of generosity
• What does the metaphor of the poor being "below" the rich signify?

  It reflects societal inequalities and class struggles
• ‘I wear the chain I forged in life’

  Embedded and contextualised example: When Scrooge asks Marley’s ghost about the chains he is wearing, he tells him: “I wear the chain I forged in life.”

  Reasons for learning it:

  • It’s short and essay to memorise
  • Repetition of the pronoun “I” is used to emphasise personal responsibility - used throughout this bit of direct speech
  • Chains as symbolic of the sins that a person commits in life - evocative of prisons - links to contextual ideas about debtors prisons - idea of selfishness as a moral crime

  Relevant characters and themes: Scrooge, Marley’s ghost, family, poverty and the poor, redemption, greed and generosity, the supernatural
• What does Marley say was his business?

  Mankind was his business
• What does Marley mean by saying "a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business"?

  Money is insignificant compared to morality
• What are the dual meanings of the noun 'business' in the context of Scrooge's conversation with Marley?

  • Work or profession
  • Moral responsibilities and concerns
• How does the metaphor of the drop of water in the ocean relate to Dickens' broader message?

  It shows money's insignificance compared to virtue
• What literary device is used with the phrase "a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean"?

  Metaphor
• What does the exclamation mark at the end of Marley's statement convey?

  It shows his passion for the message
• What are the relevant characters and themes in this excerpt?

  • Characters: Scrooge, Marley’s ghost
  • Themes: Family, poverty, redemption, greed, generosity, the supernatural