stave 5

• "I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's"

  "Second father"


  • Scrooge becomes altruistic and benevolent - his acts of atonement towards the Cratchits are exemplary of this.

  • As Scrooge symbolises social reform, his transmogrification in attitudes to the poor resembles how easy social reform would be for society if all individuals took accountability for their selfishness

  • Dickens uses Scrooge as a microcosm of the upper class to make them reflect on the immense positive impact if everyone adopted a social conscience - the deprivation of the lower classes would be alleviated.

  • Dickens highlights that the uniting of the classes, consequently eliminating social ills, would make society seem like a family, caring for the most vulnerable.
• "He went to church, and walked about the street."



  • His religious rebirth is clear as he actively seeks solace from God as he is relieved with his chance at redemption.• His religious rebirth is clear as he actively seeks solace from God as he is relieved with his chance at redemption.

  • Scrooge has now embraced the true Christian values of generosity, compassion, and helping the less fortunate.

  • The syntax of church being first highlights how he now understands the importance of religious teachings and how they provide an integral moral foundation to an individual.
• "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy."


  • Scrooge's elation at the chance to live the life he wished away is revealed by the triple simile.

  • "I am as light as a feather" is the antithesis of Scrooge in Stave 1 being "hard and sharp as flint". The juxtaposing similes highlight how he feels liberated from the burdens of once carrying his "own low temperature" and being misanthropic.

  • The religious simile "as happy as an angel." highlights how Scrooge feels that his redemption has left him back to the path of God and faith. He was previously a "sinner", embodying the seven deadly sins, yet his redemption has led to his restoration of religious morals - imperative to Victorian society.
• "Quite a baby"

  "As merry as a schoolboy."

  • Infantile language indicates his rebirth. Both "baby" and "schoolboy" connote to innocence and youth - Scrooge is showcasing how through repenting for his sins, he regained his ability to see the world in an untainted light with his new youthful innocence.

  • "Baby" is the start of life, signifying that Scrooge has gone from being an "old sinner" to the most innocent form of human life; the ultimate rebirth.

  • The idea of rebirth is salient in Christianity. It is believed that a rebirth indicated a person developing a strong personal and emotional connection with God.

  • Jesus Christ was reborn to provide salvation for mankind, perhaps suggesting that Scrooge's rebirth will provide salvation and relief for others.
• “The fog came pouring in” STAVE 1

  “No fog, no mist, clear, bright… Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky’“


  Motif: weather = mindset (tracks change in Scrooge from an ignorant misanthropic miser to philanthropic). The clear weather at the resolution to the novella symbolises his clear vision and compassion.

  ‘fog’ symbolises Scrooge’s blindness + ignorance. Dickens’ use of verb ‘pouring’ in Stave 1 could highlight how widespread issue is. The religious language in Stave 5 reveals his redemption +

  fulfilment of Christian values – value placed in clarity of mind rather than monetary value.
• “like one coal’ STAVE 1

  “Make up the fires’


  The imperative ‘make = urgency of change. Motif: fire =community. In Stave 1 Scrooge is misanthropic and Malthusian, lacking sense of community and social responsibility: by S5 he is ready to be warm, connect and recognises his responsibility .

  The juxtaposition of these two references highlight his change
• ”and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father”


  Relative clause: by including the additional information that Tiny Tim is saved, Dickens reminds us of the power that the wealthy have to help the poor. Motif: children = innocence. Phrase ‘second father’: Dickens reveals that we are also part of

  a wider family = society