Key Quotes

• 1. 'Solitary as an oyster'

  Simile. 'solitary' links to the isolating effects of capitalism. The image of the oyster links to the outer shell that Scrooge puts up around himself to hide himself from the world. The inner pearl of goodness inside Scrooge is only revealed after the ghosts break down his outer shell of protection.
• 2. 'Decrease the surplus population.'

  Decrease and surplus are normally used in profit and balance sheets rather than human beings. This reveals Scrooge views life through a prism of money and thinks poor people can be written off like profits and losses.
• 3. 'Bah! Humbug!'


  This short blunt exclamation is important because it repeated throughout Stave 1 to show Scrooge's indifference towards Christmas. The phrase is then used later in the book by the ghosts as a way of punishing Scrooge for his selfish ways.
• 4. 'A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!'

  The list sentence emphasises Scrooge's negative qualities to the point where he becomes a caricature of greed. The words are harsh sounding to show his harsh view of humanity. 'Squeezing' suggests he is narrow minded while 'scraping' suggests his lack of generosity.
• 5. 'Hard and sharp as flint.'

  This simile compares Scrooge to a stone to indicate his lack of humanity. A secondary meaning could explore how flint is used to create fires to hint at Scrooge's later transformation into a warm character later in the novella.
• 6. 'Playing at hide-and-seek with the other houses'

  This metaphor reveals how Scrooge's home is hidden away from the other houses to symbolise the way he shuts himself from society. The reference to the childhood game of hide and seek hints at his childhood isolation which is revealed in stave 2.
• 7. 'Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern.'

  The repetition of melancholy in this sentence helps to emphasise the depressing and miserable routine of Scrooge's life.
• 8. 'Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.'

  This line captures Scrooge's love of saving money. The darkness is also a symbol for the lack of humanity, hope and generosity in his life.
• 9. 'The chain...was long, and wound about him like a tail.'

  Simile. Chain is a metaphor for how Marley is being punished for his sins in hell. The simile 'like a tail' gives the impression that the chain is strangling him or is almost animal like.
• 10. 'The fog came pouring in at every chink.'

  Pathetic fallacy. The foggy weather throughout Stave 1 is used to reflect Scrooge's clouded judgement of humanity and his inability to see or appreciate any love or joy in the world.
• 11. 'The figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness.'

  This quote is describing the ghost of Christmas Past. The key word is fluctuated because it means constantly changing to show how memories from the past flicker and reappear in Scrooge's mind to act as a catalyst for change.
• 12. 'A lonely boy was reading near a feeble fire'

  In this quote the reader starts to feel some sympathy for Scrooge when we discover he was forced to be isolated as a child due to his cruel father. The feeble fire he was forced to sit next to makes the reader think of the small fire he makes Bob Cratchit sit next to.
• 13. `Why, it's Ali Baba.' Scrooge exclaimed in ecstasy.


  This creates sympathy for Scrooge when we realise Scrooge's only friend was Ali Baba a fictional character in a book. The word ecstasy shows extreme joy and it is the first time the reader has witnessed Scrooge take pleasure in life.
• 14. 'Father is so much kinder than he used to be that home's like heaven!'

  This simile is said by Scrooge's sister Fan. It reveals his sister's good nature towards Scrooge while also inplying Scrooge's father has been cruel.
• 15. 'He [Fezziwig] has the power to render us happy or unhappy.'

  Scrooge comes to realise he has a responsibility to help his employees and his actions can make them happy or unhappy.
• 16. 'Another idol has displaced me...a golden one.'

  'idol' is used by Belle to show how she feels Scrooge has begun to worship money instead of her.
• 17. 'I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master-passion, Gain, engrosses you.'

  In this metaphor, Belle explains how Scrooge's good virtues have fallen off him one by one until he is left with only greed. She is aware his childhood poverty has led him to do everything he can to avoid returning to poverty to the extent that he ignores his fiancé.
• 18. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now!'

  Scrooge is beginning the process of change by reflecting on the harsh way he has treated Bob Cratchit.
• 19. 'Spring-time in the haggard winter of his life.'

  When Scrooge views Belle's new family the juxtaposition shows Scrooge's regret that he won't have the pleasure of looking after children when he is older in the winter of his life.
• 20. "Leave me! Take me back. Haunt me no longer!"

  This exclamatory sentence is said by Scrooge to show how uncomfortable and distressing he finds the final image of seeing Belle with a new husband.
• 21. 'Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face'

  In this quote the ghost of xmas present is presented as a friendly father Christmas figure to symbolise Dickens' belief that Christmas should be a time for generosity and benevolence.
• 22. 'bright gleaming berries glistened'

  This quotation is describing how Scrooge's room is transformed into a perfect Christmas scene to demonstrate how he should celebrate the joy of Christmas. The light imagery of gleaming and glistened show Christmas should be a time for celebration.
• 23. 'Exchanging a facetious snowball -- better-natured missile.'

  This quotation shows people in the street enjoying Christmas by having fun and throwing showballs to show Scrooge the Christmas fun he is missing out on by closing himself off.
• 24. Oh, a wonderful pudding!

  In this quotation, Bob Cratchit remarks on how gracious and thankful he is for the food at Christmas. Despite not having much money, The Cratchit family appreciate everything they do have.
• 25. 'Tiny Tim upon his shoulder.'

  This line could be a metaphor for how the cripple Tiny Tim is a heavy financial burden weighing down on the family.
• 26. 'I see a vacant seat'

  In this line, Scrooge is told that Tiny Tim will not survive into adulthood. This acts as a catalyst for his transformation.
• 27. 'They were happy, grateful, pleased with one another.'

  This quotation emphasises how the Cratchit family embody the Christian values of love, humanity and humility and how they make the most of what they have.
• 28. 'Every man among them hummed a Christmas tune.'

  This quotation is important for showing Scrooge that Christmas can be celebrated in all parts of the world. Even workers out at sea can still find time to share the Christmas spirit.
• 29. 'Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish.'

  This quotation is used to describe the two children of poverty Ignorance and Want. The list sentence emphasises the poverty of the children. Yellow suggests jaundice, meagre suggests weakness while wolfish suggests they are wild and untamed.
• 30. 'This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want.'

  These two children act as symbols for what will happen if the needs of the poor are not met. The ignorance could also link to Scrooge's ignorance towards the poor.
• 31. The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached.'

  This quotation describes the movements of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to come. The list of 3 adverbs create a solemn tone to prepare Scrooge for the serious message he is about to be given.
• 32. 'Shrouded in a deep black garment'

  The described of the ghost of Christmas yet to come is described as similar to the grim reaper which matches the message he has to share about Scrooge's death.
• 33. "It's likely to be a very cheap funeral,"

  This quotation shows the lack of care and compassion that Scrooge's colleagues in the city have towards his death. Like Scrooge they are more concerned with the costs than anything else.
• 34. 'The whole quarter reeked with crime, with filth, and misery.'

  In this quotation, Scrooge is shown the poorest parts of the city to show the suffering of the poor. It is in this scene that he sees people looking through his possessions for things to sell.
• 35. 'We may sleep tonight with light hearts.'

  In this quotation we see a couple showing emotion at Scrooge's death because it means their debt no longer has to be paid off. They are the only people to show emotion at his death.
• 36. ' "My little, little child!" cried Bob.'

  In this quotation the repetition of Bob captures his emotional breakdown when he reflects on Tiny Tim's death. Scrooge finds this scene especially distressing to watch.
• 37. 'Quiet. Very quiet. The noisy little Cratchits were as still as statues.'

  The repetition of quiet and the simile shows how much the Cratchts were affected by Tiny Tim's death. In a wider sense it shows how poverty has a negative affect on the lives of the poor.
• 38. 'Read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name, Ebenezer Scrooge.'


  This quotation is the moment Scrooge finally realises the dead person who he has been shown in Stave 4 has been him all along.
• 39. 'The kind hand trembled.'

  The Ghost of Christmas Yet to come does not speak. His only method of communicating is through his finger. The finger trembling could be a sign his visit is coming to an end.
• 40. 'Assure me that I yet may change these shadows'

  In this quotation Scrooge wants the ghost to promise that he can alter his future by altering the way he lives his life. The ghost disappears to leave Scrooge is suspense with his request unanswered.