stave 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 worthy place!"

  • The exclamative sentence of his grave being "a worthy place" is a form of karmic retribution - Scrooge's frugal and miserly existence has been justly punished.

  • A Victorian reader would seek comfort in Scrooge's justly punishment due to their strong religious beliefs and the idea of eternal damnation and judgement from God was a fearful one in society. Scrooge's punishment reinforces that being full of covetousness will lead to eternal damnation.
• ‘unwatched, unwept,

  uncared for’ ‘overrun with grass and

  weeds”

  The asyndetic list of adjectives and the repeated negative prefix ‘un’ creates a sense of overwhelming neglect and pity.

  Scrooge’s lack of care in life results in loneliness in death. The words ‘overrun’ and ‘grass’ and ‘weeds’: create a sense of neglect and abandonment. ‘Weeds’ take what they need from

  other plants to grow, often at the detriment to nature around it = representative of Scrooge’s treatment of others
• “lighted cheerfully’,

  ‘green a place

  Juxtaposition: of the deaths and graves of Tiny Tim and Scrooge highlight the dichotomy of death: Scrooge’s misanthropy will be reflected in death, whereas Tiny Tim is buried in a ‘green’ heavenly or Eden place where he is remembered and valued by family. TT’s death has a sacrificial function: he dies in order for Scrooge to change
• Oh, tell me I may

  sponge away the writing

  on this stone!’

  The exclamatory sentence highlights Scrooge’s desperation and emotion – he is determined and committed to change. The verb ‘sponge’ reflects Scrooge’s desire to reverse the consequences of his actions and undo his lonely death