A Christmas Carol Flashcards
(18 cards)
CONTEXT
Charles dickens was born in1812,
Worked from age 11
Dad was in debt prison
Wanted less divide between social classes
Rich business men exploited workers
Still like this in some countries
Victorian
Enjoyed xmas with family
Set in 1800’s
Novel said to encourage traditional christmas-bringing peace and goodwill to all classes
Dickens didnt agree with poor law in 1834
Message: soend xmas with family
Social responsibility
Ignorance and want represent rich literally
Themes
Responsibility
Change
The supernatural
Theme of responsibility
Dickens felt everyone had responsibility fir those around them
Fred believes everyones equal
Mankind was my business- marley
Scrooge learns to take responsibility for the poor near the end of the novel
Dickens had little repsect for the church and its counter poverty movements
Tiny tims life is scrooges responsibility
Theme of change
Dickens presents a positive- everyone can change
Emphasises scrooges initial extreme behaviour and rejection for anything that makes him happy
D wants us to change our attitudes
All ghosts encourage change
Theme of supernatural
Beyond human ir scientific explanation
Set in normal situation so more likely to accept supernatural
Reader tries to make common sense explanation
Convince us marleys dead
Time travel
Key ideas
Feminist: scrooge is sexist Archetype: scrooge is villian and hero Psychologist: ego and superego split novel Ego is desire to make money Superego leads him to epiphany
N vs N: xmas past shows us scrooge was once innocent experience changed behaviour. Misery not innate
Deconstructive: fred is scrooges foil
SCROOGE QUOTES
“Hard and sharp as flint”
“As solitary as an oyster”
“No warmth could warm nor wintry weather chill him”
“But your always a good man of business”
“The cold within him froze his old features”
“I am as light as feather”
“I am as giddy as a school boy”
“If he be like to die… decrease the surplus population”
“What reason do you have to be merry, your poor enough”
FRED QUOTES
“A merry christmas uncle! God save you”
“His eyes sparkled”
“A kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time”
“God bless it”
“I am sorry for him; i couldnt be angry at him if i tried”
MARLEYS GHOST
“As dead a doornail”
“I wear the chain i forged in life”
“Mankind was my business”
“You will be visited by three spirits”
BOB CRATCHIT QUOTES
“Founder of the feast”
“But the clerks fire was so very much smaller”
“He ran home to camden toward as hard as he could pelt”
TINY TIM QUOTES
“God bless us everyone”
“…it might be pleasant to then to remember upon christmas day, whi made lame beggars walk and blind men see”
“A merry christmas to all”
GHOST QUOTES
Past:
“Like a child”
“Fresh green holly in its hand”
“From its crown sprung a bright clear jet of light”
“With summer flowers”
“Like a child, Yet not so like a child as like an oldman”
Present:
“On its head it wore no other than a holly wreath”
“Come in!”
“If he be like to die, he better do it and decrease the surplus population”
“More than 1800”
“The house fronts looked black enough”
Future:
“Scatter misery and gloom”
“Shrouded in a deep black garment” semantic field of depression
“Slowly, gravely, silently”
“I fear you more than any spectre i have seen”
Scrooge character
Mean at begining
Leavers workers cold and exploited
Is antagonist to fred
Poor should die
Changed behaviour and supports cratchits n visits fred
CENTRAL PROTAGONIST: everything about him
Tims second father
Freds character
Scrooges nethew Abtithes of scrooge showing how he should behave Holds jolly family cmas party Kind to bob anout tim Welcomes scrooge without question Moutbpeice for dickens views on xmas
Marley character
Scrooges business partner We know hes dead Weighed down by chains Awakens scroige tk seriousness Warns s of ghosts
Bob character
Represents lower class
Loving father
Good natured
Dickens doesn’t dwell on how tim died, just that scrooge caused it
Tim character
Jesus like figure, died for scrooges sins
Grateful for life despite being poor and disabled
Ghosts character
Past: Stave 2 Young and old(ethermal) Ligjt cant be put out Gentle Quiet Inperitive verbs
Present:
Prothetic
More humble in presence
Shows ignorance and want
Future:
Scary
