A Christmas Carol

• Isolation introduction

  · Scrooge is presented as successful in his ostracization from society. · Scrooge is an outsider in society and is victim to his own , self - inflicted loneliness No one necessarily pushed Scrooge away, instead he ostracised himself from society .
• "secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster."

  "A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows"


  point: description shows how Scrooge's yearning for isolation is so omnipotent that it even has an impact on physical appearance.

  
  

  Dickens uses the conceit of the relentless cold to illuminate how Scrooge's internal apathy and yearning for isolation is so omnipotent, it even has an impact on his physical appearance.

  
  

  ·simile to emphasise how Scrooge locks himself away from society, alone and unwelcoming.

  
  

  · The use of sibilance adds a sinister tone.

  
  

  · 'solitary' is used again later when we see Scrooge's childhood and suggests that he is lonely and unhappy -albeit out of choice.

  
  

  · Dickens is suggesting to the reader that money does not make you happy.

  
  

  · it could also be argued that the oyster simile suggests a softer interior - or at least the potential for a pearl foreshadowing Scrooge's transformation.

  
  

  · His appearance includes red eyes and blue lips is unappealing and even sinister. The Victorian readership would have understood this unattractive appearance to denote an unattractive character. (personality wise)

  
  

  · Scrooge's grey hair is metaphorically referred to as frost - he is such a cold hearted character that it is reflected in his physical appearance.
• "kinder" man "like heaven"

  "golden" idol. "Our contract is an old one"


  point: Dickens the explores reasons behind Scrooge's intentional isolation. Fanny + Belle

  "kinder" man "like heaven"

  
  

  Fanny: comes to take Scrooge home from boarding school-their father is now a "kinder" man and that their home now feels "like heaven".

  · simile as it highlights the great power family can have, emphasising its importance.

  
  

  · Scrooge "mournfully" shakes his head before Fanny arrives- reader understands that he feels great sorrow at her death.

  Her absence a profound effect on his character, when he is reminded of her kindness he is "uneasy" and begins to reflect on his relationship with Fred.

  
  

  · This is a remarkable change in his character, (considering his behaviour in the opening stave). Infer that the absence of Fan had negative effects on his personality.

  
  

  Belle: When Scrooge is taken to see Belle, his once fiancée, she reveals that she has been replaced by a "golden" idol.

  · This is in reference to Scrooge's "passion" and pursuit of money.

  
  

  · Belle says "Our contract is an old one". noun 'contract' reflects the language of business - reflecting the change that Scrooge has undergone.

  
  

  · noun 'idol' shows that Belle believes Scrooge is so enamoured of money that he worships it.

  
  

  · Dickens also suggests that, through his adoration of a false god, he is no longer a good christian.

  
  

  · Scrooge's inclination towards money over relationships has damaged his opportunity to kindle love and start his own family.

  
  

  · In Victorian times, most of the readers would have been christian and would therefore heap additional judgement on Scrooge who needs to repent.

  
  

  · The reader shown that Scrooge was not always so greedy. He was content to be poor with his girfrend now that the golden idol has replaced her, he is not so content. Scrooge's obsession with money has gone so far as to destroy relationships
• "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!"

  
  

  "make up the fire and buy another coal scuttle"


  point: Scrooge is the antithesis of lonliness in stave 5, he becomes a paradigm of morality and benevolence as he undergoes a rebirth.

  
  

  · Scrooge's reaction to discovering it is not too late

  
  

  · The multiple similes emphasise Scrooge's joy and elation at his second chance.

  ·The repetitive structure and short exclamations create the sense that he cannot put into words how happy he is.

  
  

  · It could also show that, as it has been so long since he was happy, he finds it difficult to describe.

  
  

  · The innocence of the 'angel' and the 'schoolboy' contrast with the hellish image of Marley's ghost, showing the reader that he will be saved.

  ·"feather" no longer worried about money, contrast to Marley ghost

  
  

  · Dickens message to try and spread the Christmas joy as there were ones in Victorian London like

  
  

  · Anaphora; 'I am' redefining himself

  
  

  · Motif of fire representing how scrooges new warmth and that his cold-hearted Malthusian attitudes have melted away

  · Creating heat, spreading kindness and Christmas spirit.

  
  

  · Correcting his mistakes in a cyclical structure- becoming a better, kinder employer

  
  

  · Links to stave 1- contradicts beginning where he would only make a small fire and intimidate Bob Cratchit

  
  

  · Inspires society to become more generous. Dickens message is that the upper class have the power to make change
• Family

  introduction:

  Dickens' greater agenda to popularise an emotional element to Christmas.

  he emphasises the importance of family during the festive time.

  
  

  · He emphasises ideas surrounding family by exploring them in detail, highlighting the positive effects that family can have while also explaining the negative consequences which could arise due to the absence of family.

  
  

  This introduces the idea that the absence of family may be one of the key factors which contributed to Scrooge's initially abhorrent characterisation.
• "heated himself" "a glow" "external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge" "cultivated the kindness of life"


  Point: From his introduction to the novella, Fred generates a positive atmosphere which affects both Scrooge and the tone of narration. spotlight the power and value of family.

  
  

  · Prior to his arrival Dickens focuses on cold, gloomy imagery. Fred's arrival introducing warmth to the stave.

  
  

  · This is significant as- "external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge" suggests that Fred's virtue is stronger than the forces of nature.

  
  

  spotlight the power and value of family.

  
  

  Dickens emphasises that it is Scrooge who isolates himself from his family. he refuses Fred's invitation to "dine" with him on Christmas.

  this directly links to his downfall- highlighted by the Ghost of Christmas Present who takes him to Fred's party.

  
  

  · There, he acknowledges that if he had experienced a loving family "years ago" then he might have "cultivated the kindness of life".

  
  

  This presents the idea that a supportive family is instrumental in the development of a person and so the concept of family should be seen as paramount in society.
• "kinder" man "like heaven"

  "golden" idol. "Our contract is an old one"

  Negative affects of an absent family
• Mrs Crachits "twice turned gown but brave in ribbons"

  
  

  "God bless us, Every one!"


  Point: Dickens constructs the Cratchits to be a relatable presentation of the lower class.

  He idealises their family by focussing on their unity, happiness and strength despite their financial struggles.

  This conveys the idea that poverty is not a barrier to happiness.

  
  

  · Mrs Cratchit makes the most of what she has got. Mrs Cratchit dresses up for Christmas lunch, even if her best clothes are worn out

  
  

  · Metaphor for their noble and optimistic outlook on life. They have to overcome many hardships.

  
  

  · Mrs Cratchit is in attempt to look formal.

  
  

  · Juxtaposes Scrooge- happy and no money

  depicts the impoverished as being resourceful (this runs contrary to the way the rich describe them)

  
  

  · making do with what one has sounds like an awful lot like hard work, buying new clothes seems like the lazy option- the poor still have pride and try to maintain standards despite their poverty,

  
  

  · Dickens uses Cratchits to put a face to poverty. Makes readers sympathetic as they feel close to Cratchits.

  
  

  · Highlights reality and suffering sending wave of realisation over scrooge- he needs to change his harmful, mistreating attitudes.

  · Spirit then repeats what scrooge said to portly gentlemen which sparks his transformation/ redemption.

  
  

  · The religious focus of Tiny Tim's statement presents him as an exemplary child who embodies the spirit of Christmas.

  
  

  · heightened "every one" is compassionate and caring, both traits which further the endearing nature of his character.
• Supernatural Introduction

  · During the Victorian era, the Gothic genre began to permeate literature. Dickens branded 'A Christmas Carol' as a ghost story, perhaps because it was a popular tradition to read ghost stories during the festive time.

  · The supernatural is a key theme in the novella as it provides a logical structure to the plot.

  Dickens uses the Ghosts as catalysts to Scrooge's transformation whilst also serve to heighten the dramatic effect of the novella. This effective because they introduce a greater consequence to Scrooge's actions, increasing the importance and urgency of his redemption.
• "Marley was dead", "i wear the chain I forged in life"


  Scrooge's late friend

  first explicit indication of supernatural within this Novella. Dickens utilities Marley to begin Scrooge's transformational journey.

  
  

  The narrator repeatedly emphasises the fact that "Marley was dead", perhaps to heighten the effect of the appearance of his Ghost.

  
  

  "i wear the chain I forged in life"

  · Marley is used as a warning and to frighten scrooge into change

  
  

  · Present tense "wear" shows ongoing drudgery of acting out consequences of being a miser.

  
  

  · Verb "forged" implies Marley's actions in life had dire implications in death- he made it himself. Sense of responsibility

  
  

  · "Chain"- noun- used as a symbol and metaphor for consequences of selfishness- he's a prisoner, tied down and forced to walk the earth.

  
  

  A powerful symbol of how many can be weighed down by greed and lack of compassion.

  
  

  Connotations of imprisonment. This is what Marley is trying to warn Dickens' readers to avoid through excising charitable acts towards other people in society, especially poor people like Bob Cratchit.

  
  

  · "I" he's accepting personal responsibility and liabilities for his negligence of the lower class

  
  

  · The chain is "ponderous" long, many bad decisions

  
  

  · Used to Frighten rich, Christian audiences
• Scrooge "could not hide the light"

  Ghost "gently" speaks

  "one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs"

  
  

  "Another idol has displaced me... a golden one."

  "Our contract is an old one"


  Ghost of Christmas Past Aiding scrooges redemption:

  The celestial presentation-symbol of hope and spiritual awakening for Scrooge.

  It's light is emblematic of hope, and as it burns so bright, it reinforces how Scrooge cannot escape this moral, spiritual awakening that will lead to his redemption.

  
  

  
  

  · As the ghost's light is emblematic of hope, as Scrooge "could not hide the light" it foreshadows how Scrooge cannot escape his redemption.

  
  

  · The ghost of Christmas past exchanges the most dialogue out of the 3 ghosts.

  
  

  When showing his childhood-"gently" speaking and guiding Scrooge's inner repressed childhood emotions and traumas- Scrooge's troubled psyche is fully explored within his past

  
  

  · The ghosts can be seen to be physically reflections of scrooges anxieties- the ghosts of the past physically representing his childhood reflects this was a fear of Scrooge's.

  
  

  · supernatural incarnations of Scrooge. when the ghost has "one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs", its metamorphosis (physical transformation) be symbolic of how Scrooge's transmogrification (change in a surprising manner) is imminent.

  
  

  "Another idol has displaced me... a golden one."

  "Our contract is an old one"

  Same notes as before
• "Yellow, meagre, ragged, staggering, wolfish"

  Dialogue "Have they no refuge?"- changing

  · "But most of all beware of the boy"


  Ghost of Christmas present: marks the shattering of Scrooge's selfish ignorance.

  He forces Scrooge to see the detrimental consequences of his selfish attitude on the weak, innocent and vulnerable.

  
  

  Ignorance and want topic sentence

  Dickens uses the plight and poverty of Ignorance and Want in attempt to shed light on the lives of the poor, in contrast to the lives of the rich aristocrats in Victorian society, like Scrooge

  
  

  "Yellow, meagre, ragged, staggering, wolfish"

  · Adjectives evoke sympathy due to reckless state of the children- children should represent innocence and purity.

  
  

  · semantic field of grotesque language/ "scowling" and "wolfish" connotate to animalistic behaviour which represents the dehumanisation of the poor as society relies on secondary institutions such as workhouses to provide for them. Similar to zoos.

  
  

  · Dialogue "Have they no refuge?"- changing

  
  

  · "But most of all beware of the boy"

  Above all ignorance is the main driving force that is the root of the problem.

  If we choose not to be ignorant then we can educate the poor then they will continue to live in the cycle of poverty.

  it's one thing to want something everyone wants luxuries in society we all endeavor to have the best quality of life however being ignorant to your own avaricious selfish attitude is the problem plaguing our society that Dickens is trying to highlight

  
  

  · Dickens was familiar with workhouses and their dangerous conditions as he was sent to one at the age of 12.

  He also campaigned for educational rights for children.
• "phantom".

  " deep black garment which concealed its head".

  "The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached."


  Ghost of Christmas Yet to come:

  Used to secure change

  
  

  · The last spectre to arrive is described not as Ghost but as a "phantom".

  
  

  draws parallels between the ghost and the Grim Reaper who is a personification of death.

  · The reaper is a well-known symbol of death and so by likening the two characters Dickens establishes a sense of doom through the spirit.

  · Additionally, this "phantom" is death personified and so is a direct contrast to the previous two spirits (being silent and completely inhumane).

  
  

  · This heightens the tensions before the climax of the novel, adding gravity to the situation that Scrooge is in.

  
  

  "The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached."

  
  

  · Creates a solemn tone to reflect the contents of the stave and an eerie atmosphere of the unknown.

  
  

  · The adverb, "gravely," foreshadows the revelation of Scrooge's tombstone.

  
  

  · Characterized as "Silent", forces Scrooge to realize for himself

  
  

  · The ghost's movement is slow, serious and silent, reflecting the silent, undetectable approach of the future as a whole.

  
  

  verb "gravely" describing the ghosts approach, being ominous and foreshadowing of death, could also reflect the "doom" of Victorian society that Dickens portrays as coming in the future if society does not become more in tune with the Christmas spirit and its values
• Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?

  decrease the surplus population"


  · Scrooge's reaction to the charity men serves as a microcosm (a person/ idea representing a bigger group of people and ideas) for the upper classes relationship with the rest of society

  
  

  · Scrooge questions why he is morally obliged to give, this giving the Victorian reader an insight to the reason they lived in a destitute society- the rich don't believe it is their duty to give

  
  

  · His Malthusian views are prevalent

  
  

  · Scrooge believes that if poor people cannot sustain themselves, they should go to one of the services the govenment runs to deal with the unemployed.

  (But these are very corrupt)

  Once someone entered a workhouse, the only way to be granted permission to leave was to find a job working outside, from within the workhouse walls. Scrooge shows his lack of compassion for the poor by believing that people should go to one of these, rather than the wealthier people aid them.

  
  

  · rhetorical question shows that Scrooge believes in the stereotypes that all the working class people are criminals. So those in poverty should suffer. Suffering is irrelevant to him

  
  

  · Believes his taxes are donations.

  
  

  · Repetition- Condescending tone, introducing/ insight us to scrooge's cruel personality

  
  

  · Dickens's father went to Debtors prison so wanted to spread the message to Victorian audiences aren't all criminals. Dickens also stayed in a workhouse- he had great sympathy for the people currently seeking refuge in them.

  
  

  · Scrooge is unable to see the poor with any humanity, instead sees them as mere numbers contributing to the "surplus population".

  Also implies that he would rather the poor die as he says that by him not donating would "decrease the surplus population"

  Selfish attitudes as he is thinking about how the poor is an inconvenience to him
• "the whole quarter reeked with crime, filth and misery"- Stave 4


  Language used shows moral and hygienic corruption of lowest-class parts of society.

  
  

  · Triple emphasises how dire the conditions are and the ongoing problems if the rich don't change their ways

  
  

  · The fact this area is new to scrooge emphasises how ignorant he is to problems in society. "Most of all beware of the boy"

  
  

  · Like many reformers, Dickens believed crime was a result of poverty and social neglect so was commenting on the ignorance of wealthy Victorians who ignore those who are less wealthy than them.

  
  

  · Many Victorians died due to the air quality + lack of medical understanding
• "frightened everyone away from him when he was alive, to profit us when he was dead! Ha, ha, ha!"- Stave 4


  · Dickens highlights how in Scrooges death, having been miserly and unsociable in life and not forming any meaningful relationships with others ("frightened everyone away from him when he was alive")

  
  

  or supported the deserving poor (e.g. the Cratchits) in any way

  
  

  has had nobody to protect his worldly possessions or care for his corpse, and in his death, has only benefited the undeserving poor and the criminals and immoral in society: "to profit us when he was dead".

  
  

  · The thieves having "laughed" "Ha, ha!" when trading with Scrooge's stolen possessions, Dickens emphasises how little care or respect people in society give to Scrooge when he is dead, and that many are actually glad for his death, while nobody is sad for it.

  
  

  · Dickens spends a considerable portion of his description focused on how the three people try to justify their actions.

  causes the reader to question the ethics of the situation, prompting them to reflect on the theme of morality.

  first assertion, through the charwoman, that "every person has a right to take care of themselves".

  This is immediately followed with the bitter "he always did", conveying a sense of resentment towards the man

  
  

  · Dickens then uses the insult "wicked old screw" to highlight that one of the reasons the thieves feel justified in their actions is the way Scrooge behaved when he was alive