Stave 4

• “ deep black garment"

  • Dickens uses a semantic field of blackness, which contrasts the previous two Spirits as they were both associated with symbols of light.
  • This is interesting, as the motif of light was used to represent positivity and Christmas spirit.
  • Therefore, the absence of light suggests that Scrooge’s future will be bleak and unpromising, presenting the idea that he needs to repent and exhibit Christmas spirit in order to prevent these consequences
• “concealed its head, its face, its form” ,“mysterious presence”

  • This introduces the idea of anonymity, perhaps to allude to the uncertain and indefinite nature of the future.
  • It is also interesting to note that instead of speaking the Spirit “pointed onward with its hand”.
  • This is the only interaction Scrooge has with the Spirit which is significant as its hand may represent the hand of time.
  • This emphasises both the importance and power of time, presenting the idea that Scrooge’s immoral actions will have repercussions.
• "I am not the man i was"

  • Scrooge is acknowledging his growth and evolution as an individual. He has moved away from his selfish and miserly ways and has embraced a more compassionate and generous outlook on life.
  • This statement serves as a declaration of Scrooge's commitment to living a better and more fulfilling life, one characterized by kindness, empathy, and goodwill towards others.
• "i will live in the past the present and the future"

  • no longer wants to be confined by his past mistakes or consumed by regrets.
  • he recognizes the value of living in the present moment and embracing the possibilities of the future.
  • Scrooge is acknowledging the interconnectedness of these different time periods and the importance of learning from the past, appreciating the present, and planning for the future.
  • signifies Scrooge's acceptance of personal responsibility and his desire to actively participate in shaping his own destiny.
• "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. He always did."

  • The words of the charwoman, who disgusts Scrooge, in the rag 'n' bone man's shop reflect the views to which Scrooge subscribed at the start of the novella when he declared that the poor were not his 'business' implying that his only business was himself.
  • As readers, Dickens is allowing us to reflect on how far Scrooge has come in learning the lesson - and perhaps asking us to reflect on our own learning.
• • Old Joe is introduced in Stave Four of the novella, when the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come takes Scrooge to witness the aftermath of his death.
  • He is a pawnbroker who owns a shop in a “foul” area of the town. The three thieves bring Scrooge’s stolen belongings to his shop to try and make a profit.
  • Dickens uses a harsh and blunt tone during his descriptions in this passage which heightens the immorality that occurs in ‘old Joe’s’ shop
• “half-naked, drunken, slipshod, ugly"

  • asyndetic listing
  • adjectives appear relentless and the narration seem unforgiving.
  • continues by describing the “whole quarter” as a place which “reeked with crime, with filth, and misery”.
  • “whole” he highlights that there were no exceptions, furthering the intense criticism of the place.
  • Like many social reformers, Dickens believed that crime is often a result of poverty and misery. He intends us to be repulsed by the place
  • presenting this realistically and descriptively, Dickens is able to ensure that his message is accurately conveyed to the reader.
• Through Joe, Dickens illustrates the cycle of poverty and informs the reader of how repulsive it can be.

  symbolic representation of poverty and the impact of economic hardship on individuals and society

  • his occupation as a pawnbroker in a £foul " area highlights the economic desperation faced my many individuals
  • he profits from the misfortune of others by selling their belongings often too people who are impoverished and struggling to make ends meat ;underscores the exploitive nature of poverty and lack of opportunities for the disadvantaged
• “She was thankful in her soul to hear it… (but) prayed forgiveness in the next moment, and was sorry”

  • Dickens ensures that he presents Caroline and her family as good people, stressing that although Caroline was “thankful” that Scrooge had died she was “sorry” for feeling that way.
  • emotion is mirrored in her husband as Dickens writes that he felt “ashamed” of the “delight” he felt at the news.
  • highlights just how “merciless” Scrooge was as, if people as Caroline felt happiness towards his death, he must indeed have been a horrible man.