fred

• key words

  • magnanimous
  • strong moral compass
  • epitome of morally pious citizen
  • benchmark for scrooges rebirth
  • optimistic
  • jovial
  • paragon of virtue
• dickens intents

  • foil to Scrooge - contrast in stave 1 shows he’s the benchmark for Scrooge’s moral rebirth
  • Reader can gauge the depth of his positive transformation in relation to Fred’s inherent morality
  • Dickins refrains from vilifying Fred and shows upper class individuals are capable of morality
  • Morality is not corresponding With social class rather the individuals
  • Upper class who fail to exhibit traits akin to fred must undergo spiritual and moral rebirth
• “All in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome, his eyes sparkled“


  • selfishness, kindness, regret
  • Motif of light embodied in characters such as belle, ghost of past and Fred signifies hope and enlightenment in the novella
  • Fred characterised as “glowing” and “sparkling” - embodies motif and is a beacon of hope for Scrooge
  • Unlike ghosts who directly confront scrooges past Fred’s magnanimous and compassionate nature offers a gentler path - hopeful example Scrooge may choose to emulate
  • Foil to Scrooge - highlights his misanthropic and miserly tendencies
  • Motif of light is stark contrast t Scrooge stave 1 - “darkness is cheap”/“frosty rime”
  • Juxtaposition of natures serves to emphasise scrooges remarkable transformation by stave 5
• “His offences carry their own punishment, i have nothing to say against him”


  • religion, selfishness, Kindness, regret
  • Biblical allusion “punishment” suggests deeper understanding of morality
  • Recognises scrooges moralities are gods duty to judge
  • Aligns fred with sense of divine order
  • Solidifies portrayal as a paragon of virtue and epitome of a moral pious citizen
  • Refuses to condemn scroooge and leaves space for divine justice
  • Embodies benevolence, compassion and strong moral compass
  • Embodies virtue of compassion towards uncle despite evident misanthropy and parsimony
• epitome of moral citizen

  • used to ignite social reform
  • “ i am sorry for him; I couldn’t be angry if i tried”
  • lexis of “couldn’t“ reinforces he is constructed as unable to be spiteful
  • only knows care and solicitous
  • confirms scrooge has become societies paradigm of redemption
• foil to Scrooge topic sentence

  • emphasises scrooges miserly qualities as Fred is benevolent, magnanimous and full of vitality compared to his cantankerous uncle
• foil to Scrooge - merry Christmas

  • “a merry Christmas uncle! God save you!”
  • Comma before “uncle” creates a pause
  • Shows sincerity and familial bond
  • Exclamative compound joy of festivities
  • Thrilled to be in presence of beloved family member
  • Stark contrast to Scrooges misanthropic attitudes - calls those who are festive “idiots” and should be “burried with a stake of holly through his heart”
  • constructs Fred to exacerbate Scrooges undesirable traits
  • scrooges pessimistic lexis surrounding death
• Foil to Scrooge - “twisting his face in the most extravagant Ways”


  • Fred’s elation described hyperbolically
  • “Squeezing, wrenching” - struggle to assimilate in a jovial society
  • Fred is “blessed in laugh”
  • Alludes to how Fred’s energy is infectious as god has blessed him
  • Foreshadows how freds abundance of benevolence will Eventually infect Scrooge
• motif of light

  • catalyses Scrooges enlightenment
  • interactions with ghost make him realise his immoral miserly interactions with bob and Fred
  • Fred’s interaction with Scrooge is pivotal in Scrooge understanding his wrong doings
  • motif of light juxtaposes semantic field of darkness in stave one - “darkness is cheap and scrooge liked it”/“frosty rime”/“he iced in his office”
  • scrooge thrived in being misanthropic and cold hearted
  • liked bitter darkness as he could be hidden and forgotten