ACC - greed Flashcards
(5 cards)
Introduction
A Christmas Carol is a powerful allegorical novella written in 1843, exploring the human transformation of the protagonist, Scrooge. Dickens structures the novella around three ghostly visits, each revealing a different stage of Scrooge’s moral journey and deepening the reader’s understanding of his transformation. Greed is presented as a destructive force that leads to misery and regret.
Paragraph 2 - Scrooge’s broken relationship with Belle
Greed is also shown to erode Scrooge’s capacity for love and emotional fulfilment. When revisiting his past, Belle accuses him of replacing her with “a golden one,” a metaphor that presents money as a false idol, which may disturb the reader as it suggests greed has replaced Scrooge’s morality. The use of religious language here implies that Scrooge’s devotion to wealth has become a kind of worship, displacing genuine human connection. This moment is pivotal, as it reveals the personal cost of his greed—not just the loss of Belle, but the loss of the life they might have shared. Dickens suggests that greed doesn’t only harm others; it robs individuals of the life they could have lived.
Paragraph 1 - Scrooge’s greed
From the beginning, Scrooge is characterised as the embodiment of greed. He is described as “tight-fisted” and “hard and sharp as flint,” both of which suggest not only his misery but also his emotional rigidity. The harsh consonants in “tight-fisted” reinforce his unwillingness to part with money, while “flint” implies a lack of warmth or empathy. His refusal to donate to charity and his begrudging treatment of Bob Cratchit illustrate how greed has stripped him of basic human decency. Dickens uses these descriptions to illustrate to the reader that greed is not just a personal flaw, but a barrier to moral and emotional growth.
Paragraph 3 - Scrooge’s death and tiny tim
Finally, Dickens uses the reactions to Scrooge’s death to expose the ultimate futility of a life driven by greed. The businessmen’s cold remark “It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral” is laced with irony. Despite his wealth, Scrooge dies unloved and unmourned. The lack of grief or respect shown by others reflects the emptiness of his legacy. In contrast, Tiny Tim, who has no wealth, is deeply mourned. This juxtaposition reinforces the idea that generosity and kindness, not money, are what give life meaning and value.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Dickens presents greed as a self-destructive force that alienates individuals from others and from their own humanity. Through Scrooge’s journey from isolation to redemption, the novella ultimately argues that true richness lies in generosity and human connection—not in material wealth.
