A Christmas Carol Flashcards
(26 cards)
‘Solitary as an oyster’
‘Solitary as an oyster’ -Simile
Oyster-Metaphor- Oysters have a hard outer shell reminiscent of harsh and hard characterisation that we have seen of Scrooge. Scrooge has banished himself from society but still has the potential to open up which the Ghosts will help him to do. Oysters also have a Pearl inside it which is valuable. Scrooge has a lot of wealth and showing he will share his wealth once he opens up. Shows change is possible.
Solitary -Noun- Coveys a sense of loneliness, he is completely isolated and has no one as he cuts himself off from society.
‘I’m as light as a feather’
‘I’m as light as a feather’- Simile
Scrooges transformation, has been on path to redemption and has recognised the error of his ays.
‘Light’-free form burden of greed, no longer weighed down buy the poor choices he’s made. His idolisation of money and material possessions has gone. And has been enlightened by the fact there is more to life than money. He’s like a feather floating through the streets sharing his Christmas spirit. The fact that it’s a simile draws a parallel in the similes being used, draws attention to the change in his character. Scrooge proceeds to correct the mistakes he made in Stave 1 demonstrating even the worst type of people in society can change. 2) he’s avoided wearing the chains he forded in life, he will not be punished for his sins as he’s redeemed himself.
‘I wear the chains I forded in life’
No fog clear and bright.
‘I wear the chains I forged in life’
‘I wear the chains I forged in life’
Marleys penance for a life of sin is to be imprisoned by his chains.
‘I’- Repletion of pronoun- reveal how Marley accepts responsibility for the consequences of his actions.
‘Forged’-verb- made in fire, Marley made these chains for him self.
‘Chains’-Metaphor- Reveals his ignorance and lack of social responsibility, as well as the chains Marley carries the burden of guilt . He ignored the needs of the poor and now is punished by carrying chains and ‘cash boxes’
‘If they world rather die said Scrooge they had better do it and decrease the surplus population ‘
‘If they world rather die said Scrooge they had better do it and decrease the surplus population ‘
As a result form Industrial Revolution machines replaced people so people flooded the cities for work
‘They’- Pronoun- created distance between poor and himself, harsh and confrontational language doesn’t use euphemisms.
‘Surplus’ -Noun- links to Malthusian Thearoy that population will exceed the food on earth. ‘Surplus’ was on panflet of Crisis. Dickens directly criticises Malthus.
‘Population’-Noun- doesn’t show any care for the poor and dismisses them as a group of people to get rid of. Highlight social divide and how ignorant he is to plight of the poor.
‘Decrease’- verb- Cold and economical language shows how Scrooge only cares about money.
Quote repeated back to Scrooge in stave 3 whith the Ghost of Christmas present, when he sees individual suffering Dickens puts a face on poverty (Tiny Tim) so people care
‘In a dismal little cell … a sort of tank’
‘In a dismal little cell … a sort of tank’
Metaphor:
‘dismal’-adjective-hopeless
‘little’-adjective-emphasizes cramped working conditions.Scrooge, as an employer, does not care for the comfort or happiness of his employee.
cell-noun-Bob imprisoned by his poverty as he cant complain about his working conditions in the fear of scrooge firing him
‘sort of tank’-metaphor-fish tank= scrooge watching him as he assumes the worst in the poor. he needs tp be watched incase he is lazy or steals.
‘tried to warm himself at the candle’
‘tried to warm himself at the candle’
‘tried’-verb-evokes a sense of desperation, desperate to get warm as he cant ask scrooge for more coal. Makes reader feel bad for Bob as hes making the best out of a bad situation.
‘candle’-noun-symbolism- Dickens tries to create sympathy for the poor. D tries to get the elite to care for the poor and recognize their social responsibility
Bob lacks physical warmth due to scrooge, but he gains comfort and warmth from his family.
Scrooge=cruel employer links to ‘hard and sharp as flint’ and fezziwig
‘In a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome and his eyes sparkled and his breath smoked’
‘In a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome and his eyes sparkled and his breath smoked’
‘and’=sendetic list
‘glow’-motif-juxtaposition- fire= suggest he is warm and has lots of Christmas spirit, juxtaposed to scrooge.
‘handsome’-adjective-attracted to his kindness
‘sparkled’-verb-links to idea that they spark something religious in scrooge, light imagery of goodness and purity, Fred juxtaposes Scrooge’s description as ‘red’ eyed – spiteful.
Fred is ANTITHESIS of scrooge.
‘that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light’
‘that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light’
motif of light symbolism how the ghosts intends to enlighten scrooge about his past
‘bright’‘clear’-adjectives-reinforce idea that the ghosts may remind scrooge of things he has tried to forget and make them clear again
fact that light sprung from ghosts head suggests the ghost is knowledgeable and that scrooge has a lot to learn from him.
‘They took to their stations shaking hands with everyone individually’
‘They took to their stations shaking hands with everyone individually’
‘shaking hands’- symbolism-He respects his workers as individuals with thoughts + feelings.
‘individually’-adverb-Shows he cares and respects for individuals, juxtaposed to scrooge who sees the poor as a ‘population’
Fezziwig sees it as his duty to take care after his workers.
ANTITHESIS OF SCROOGE
‘Leave me! Take me back! Haunt me no longer!’
‘Leave me! Take me back! Haunt me no longer!’
‘Leave’-Imperative verbs- Scrooge wants to stop seeing his mistakes, he doesn’t want to learn. Hard for scrooge to acknowledge he’s the cause of his own misery. Not fully accepting the need to change.
‘The passion has taken route’
‘The passion has taken route’
Scrooges love of money took everything from him, like Belle and his other relationships
‘golden’
‘Conduct me where you will… let me profit’
‘Conduct me where you will… let me profit’
‘Conduct’-imperative verbs- Ghost of past has had significant impact on scrooge, previously imperative verbs where used to cover up his mistakes now its being used to find them. Scrooge knows he has to change.
‘let’-imperative verb-urgency, he would like to learn
‘profit’-noun-shows shift in perspective, he recognizes value in other things now not just money.
‘active little crutch’
‘active little crutch’
‘active’-adjective-emphasizes he keeps on going despite the hardship he faces, resilient attitude to make the reader feel sorry.
‘little’-adjective-symbol of poverty
‘crutch’-noun-The crutch supports Tim but doesn’t help his situation just like Bob’s job and salary which supports their family but does not improve their quality of life.
‘as good as gold’
‘as good as gold’
Simile/idiom- The cratchets are genuine and hardworking people unlike the ‘surplus’ population scrooge describes in stave 1
‘gold’-noun-Not value in money but in positive out look.
Tiny Tim very significant in novel, he has a physical disability but does not complain about the hardship he faces.
‘twice turned gown….. but brave in ribbons which are cheap’
‘twice turned gown….. but brave in ribbons which are cheap’
‘twice turned gown’-has to do with old clothing cant buy new clothes
‘brave’-adjective-repeated phrase, Mrs C hides their level of poverty from the children as she wants them to enjoy Christmas not worry about money. puts up a brave face.
‘ribbons’-noun-used to decorate old clothes to make it seem new highlighting level of poverty
‘cheap’-adjective-restricted budget
Can clearly tell Mrs Cis part of deserving poor unlike the ‘surplus population’ in S1. This creates sympathy for the poor.
‘golden goblets’
‘golden goblets’
Simile-alliterative-highlights cratchets appreciate what they have
‘founder of the feast’
‘founder of the feast’
Alliteration-give all the credit to scrooge
‘feast’-irony-incredibly grateful for what they have as its not a feast but is ‘sufficient’
Mrs C challenges this, Dickens tries to show case Mrs C’s strength. she challenges those in power
Dickens undoubtedly tries to create sympathy
‘Where angels might have sat, devils lurked glared out menacing’
‘Where angels might have sat, devils lurked glared out menacing’
‘angels’-noun-children born innocent to this world but society corrupts them.
‘devils’-noun-Society creates its own evils, by not supporting the poor, the poor have no chance but to turn to evil things for a living. Dickens feels educating the poor can solve this issue
‘Glared’-verb- Children are angry as lower class frustrated they are being exploited and are being taken advantage of
Sledge hammer blow of play
‘The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached.’
‘The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached.’
‘phantom’-noun-significant first intro= hes different to other ghosts, can argue hes the most significant ghost as he their to give scrooge a fright, perhaps image of grave yard which could hint to impact later on in S4
List of adverbs- emphasizes how serious his arrival is. His message is that if scrooge does not change his ways people will be happy he dies. Bad Victorian death
‘Lead on! the night is waning fast and it is precious time’
‘Lead on! the night is waning fast and it is precious time’
‘Lead’-imperative verb-repeated, willing to fallow even though hes scared.
‘!’-eager to learn
‘waning’-verb-going away=highlights he urgently needs and wants to change, he wants journey of redemption
‘precious’-adjective-thinks time with ghost is valuable, he starts to see value in other things now
a;though hes scared he still wants to learn, preciously he didn’t want to accept the need of change he tried to ‘hide the light’ now wants to fallow the ghosts’
‘I hope to be another man’
‘I hope to be another man’
He wants to go back to the prelapserian self and wants to be kinder. Hope for a new beginning.
‘i may sponge away the writing on this stone!’
‘i may sponge away the writing on this stone!’
‘sponge’-metaphor- Scrooge has absorbed all the lessons by the ghosts and he is trying to cleanse himself of his sinful behavior.
Seeing the image of his death has caused scrooge to reflect on himself and be metaphorically reborn to a much kinder man
Ghosts have always offered a helping hand back on the path of redemption- scrooge finally grabs the hand, he wants to change.-‘he caught the spectral hand’
‘i’m quite a baby’
‘i’m quite a baby’
metaphor-scrooge has been reborn by the site of his death=’‘i may sponge away the writing on this stone!’
‘No fog, no mist;’
‘No fog, no mist;’
Pathetic fallacy-he has shed his sins in search of salvation. He becomes a better version of him self
Scrooge is no longer arrogant and can see the suffering of the poor.
