A Christmas Carol Flashcards
(7 cards)
Scrooge (change)
Definition in the novella: A character who transforms completely from miserly to kind-hearted.
Key Evidence:
• Start: “A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!”
• Middle: Begins to feel guilt and fear. “Tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!”
• End: “He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew.”
Why it’s important: Scrooge’s change reflects the idea that redemption is possible, and kindness leads to happiness.
Poverty
Definition in the novella: Dickens highlights the harsh reality of Victorian poverty to encourage social reform.
Key Evidence:
• “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both…” – The Ghost of Christmas Present reveals these children to show society’s neglect.
• “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” – Scrooge’s cold response to the poor highlights the cruelty of the upper classes.
• Bob Cratchit’s family lives in poverty but shows love and unity, contrasting with Scrooge’s wealth and loneliness.
Why it’s important: Dickens uses poverty to criticize the lack of compassion in Victorian society and call for kindness and support for the poor.
Change
Definition in the novella: The possibility and importance of personal transformation.
Key Evidence:
• “I am not the man I was.” – Scrooge realises he can change and is desperate for redemption.
• The visits from the three spirits guide Scrooge through regret, fear, and empathy to change his ways.
• “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Scrooge’s promise shows complete change in attitude.
Why it’s important: Dickens promotes the idea that anyone, no matter how lost, can become a better person with effort and reflection.
The ghosts
Definition in the novella: The three Spirits represent memory, charity, and warning.
Key Evidence:
• Ghost of Christmas Past: “Would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give?” – Challenges Scrooge’s rejection of his past.
• Ghost of Christmas Present: Generous, joyful, but also stern – shows the Cratchits and Ignorance & Want.
• Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: Silent and terrifying – shows Scrooge the consequences of dying unloved.
Why it’s important: The ghosts act as moral guides, showing the effect of Scrooge’s actions and helping him to transform.
Supernatural
Definition in the novella: Used to create fear, wonder, and teach moral lessons.
Key Evidence:
• Marley’s Ghost: “I wear the chain I forged in life.” – A supernatural warning about selfishness and greed.
• The Spirits: Each ghost is symbolic and otherworldly, guiding Scrooge beyond natural experiences.
• The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: Its silence and shadowy form add a sense of mystery and dread.
Why it’s important: Dickens uses the supernatural to make readers reflect on morality, life, and death in an imaginative way.
Greed and generosity
Definition in the novella: Contrasting selfishness with kindness and giving.
Key Evidence:
• Scrooge at the start: “What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money?”
• Fred: Generous in spirit – “His wealth is of no use to him. He doesn’t do any good with it.”
• End of novella: “Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you.” – Scrooge becomes generous.
Why it’s important: Dickens shows that generosity brings happiness, while greed leads to isolation and regret
The cratchits
Definition in the novella: Represent the poor but loving and joyful family.
Key Evidence:
• “They were not a handsome family… but they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another.”
• Tiny Tim: “God bless us, every one!” – Symbol of innocence and hope.
• Bob Cratchit toasts Scrooge, despite being underpaid – showing forgiveness and goodwill.
Why it’s important: The Cratchits show that love and family are more valuable than wealth, and they contrast with Scrooge’s loneliness.
