Greed Flashcards
(7 cards)
Overview
Dickens uses A Christmas Carol as a vehicle to condemn the excessive greed shown by those belonging to a higher social status and the need to be more generous to those who require the most consideration. Scrooge is emblematic of such attitudes in the Victorian era, however his approach changes through the help of the ghosts who remind him that money is not as important as connection with others. Dickens had first hand experience of the clear divide between social classes and felt compelled to address this matter by discouraging acts of greed.
Beginning quotes
“it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel.”
“in life my spirit never roved beyond the narrow limits of our money-changing hole”
‘Scrooge had a very small fire but the clerks fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal
‘If they would rather die … they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population’
“I can’t afford to make Idle people merry”
Middle quotes
“Why to a poor one most?”
“This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both… but most of all beware this boy.”
“Every person has a right to take care of themselves. He always did.”
“It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral… I don’t mind going if a lunch is provided.”
Ending quotes
“I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit’s! He shan’t know who sends it.”
“Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it.”
“Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another I, Bob Cratchit!”
‘leaping from his stool … and therefore I am about to raise your salary!”
Beginning opening
At the beginning of the novella, Dickens presents greed as a dehumanising and isolating force that defines both Scrooge and Marley. Scrooge’s obsession with money leads him to reject all forms of kindness and comfort, even towards himself, and his refusal to donate to charity, highlights how his greed makes him dismissive
Middle opening
As the novella progresses, greed is shown to have a wider social impact, revealing the damage it causes to both individuals and communities. Scrooge begins to confront how greed has shaped his life and others’ perceptions of him.
Ending opening
As the novella comes to a close, Scrooge’s transformation shows Dickens’s moral message: greed can be overcome through compassion and action. Scrooge becomes the opposite of his former self—generous, warm-hearted, and selfless.
