A Christmas Carol

• give 3 quotes from Scrooge


  'solitary as an oyster'

  'I can't afford to make idle people merry'

  'decrease the surplus population
• Analyse 'solitary as an oyster'


  'solitary' - lonely or chosen isolation

  'oyster' - hard exterior, inside is often something wonderful
• Analyse 'I can't afford to make idle people merry'


  'afford' - everything is about money. He is selfish.

  'idle' - rich assumed the poor were lazy
• Analyse 'decrease the surplus population'


  harsh view that the poor deserved to die

  the poor are not valued
• Why is Scrooge's name significant?


  his name is a characternym. It means 'to squeeze/compress'

  it represents Scrooge's character at the start.
• Give 3 quotes from marley's ghost


  'cash boxes, padlocks, ledgers'

  'I wear the chains I forged in life'

  'no rest. No peace. Incessant torture of remorse
• analyse 'cash boxes, padlocks, ledgers'


  items symbolise greed and capitalist selfishness
• analyse 'I wear the chains I forged in life'


  'chains' - links mean all bad deeds are intertwined and impact many.

  'forged' - strong. Consequence for sinners
• analyse 'No rest. No peace. Incessant torture of remorse'


  'torture' - extreme suffering

  'Incessant' - never ending

  'remorse' - wishes to repent and change but can't
• give 4 quotes from the ghost of christmas past.


  'a solitary child, neglected by his friends'

  'An eager, greedy...the passion had taken root'

  'a spring time in the haggard winter of life'

  'wrestled...seized the extinguisher with his cap
• anaylse 'a solitary child, neglected by his friends'


  'solitary' - chosen or abandoned

  sympathy as children are innocent
• anaylse 'An eager, greedy...the passion had taken root'


  adjectives show Scrooge is engaging with the spirit's message.

  'taken root' - Scrooge's change will grow
• analyse 'a spring time in the haggard winter of life'


  'haggard winter' - implies his life is hard

  he regrets not having a family
• analyse 'wrestled...seized the extinguisher with his cap'


  'wrestled' - verb implies Scrooge is uncomfortable with his past

  'seized' - forceful

  'extinguisher' - symbolises Scrooge not being ready to accept the truth
• Give 3 quotes from the ghost of christmas present


  'plenty's horn'

  'withered little hand'

  'this boy is ignorance. This girl is want. Most of all beware of the boy
• analyse 'plenty's horn'


  motif of food used throughout the novel to symbolise generosity/selfishness

  symbol of abundance in Roman and Greek mythology
• analyse 'withered little hand'


  tiny tim represents the suffering of all poor children

  'withered' symbolises the frailty of the poor.

  'little' creates sympathy as children suffering is an uncomfortable idea
• analyse 'This boy is ignorance. This girl is want. Most of all beware of the boy'


  'boy' and 'girl' - children used as symbols of innocence.

  'want' - the poor want basics. The rich are greedy.

  'ignorance' - poor uneducated. Rich ignorant to reality

  'beware of the boy' - ignorance will be the downfall of society
• give 3 quotes from the ghost of christmas yet to come.


  'slowly, silently, gravely approached.'

  'a very cheap funeral. I doubt lunch will be provided'

  'neglected grave
• analyse 'slowly, silently, gravely approached.'

  list of adverbs builds tension

  'silently' - Scrooge must work out the answers himself

  'gravely' ominous tones
• analyse 'a very cheap funeral. I doubt lunch will be provided'


  rich businessman portray capitalist ideology

  lack of genuine friendship
• analyse 'neglected grave'

  lack of care. No one to remember him

  Juxtaposes the place tiny tim is buried. 'green
• give 3 quotes from tiny tim


  'so glowing with good intentions'

  'light as a feather'

  'he was like a second father
• analyse 'so glowing with good intentions'


  juxtaposes the 'wintry chill' description from Stave 1
• analyse 'light as a feather'

  the burden of misery and selfishness has been lifted from Scrooge
• analyse 'he was like a second father'

  shows Scrooge's transformation

  symbolises the rich supporting the poor in society