Scrooge

• In the opening, Scrooge is presented and miserly and misanthropic business who has hatred towards christmas and society
• Scrooges journey of redemption, where his character evolves as “good” and a man who “knew how to keep christmas well” - character development highlights that anyone is capable of change and that christmas is a time of compassion and charity which should be celebrated.
• Dickens presents Scrooge as an idealised man in the final stave. Dickens is often credited in playing a major role in shaping christmas celebrations - his altruistic (selfless concerns for others) and his emotional approach
• “ a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner‘

  asyndetic listing - highlights the extend of his greed

  the relentless verbs relate to him being miserly and selfish - characterises him as an unlikable character - makes it difficult for the reader to empathise him - unsympathetic narration
• “solitary as an oyster”

  simile

  “solitary” highlights scrooge’s isolation

  where an “oyster“ is hard and dark on the outside but something beautiful and valuable on the inside (pearls) - foreshadows later in the play that his hard exterior will be destroyed by the spirits to reveal the pearl within
• “I’m quite a baby”

  contrasts to dickens earlier in the play - “covetous old sinner”

  connotations of ”baby” - innocence - highlights the extent of his change

  alludes the the cycle of rebirth - transformation