Key quotes analysis - ACC Flashcards
(5 cards)
“Solitary as an oyster”
Metaphor: Scrooge is forced to be lonely - the oyster symbolises capitalism.
Animalistic simile: Scrooge has a hard shell which protects him but also isolates him from humanity. Through the various supernatural visitations the shell is cracked and Scrooge’s goodness is revealed.
This represents and gives hope to society because if someone like Scrooge can change (misanthropic and miserly) everyone can change.
“I wear the chains I forged in life”
Metaphor: shows Marley’s suffering due to his own choices (lack of generosity)
Personal pronoun: emphasises personal responsibility - key message to society, we all have the potential to change.
Foreshadows that if Scrooge doesn’t doesn’t change he is going to get face the consequences of his actions
Dickens criticises the Victorian obsession with profit and status and promotes charity.
Fear is a catalyst which is inserted in the story through the Gothic elements.
“smooth white sheet of snow upon the roof, dirtier snow upon the ground”
(GoCPresent takes Scrooge around to show him Christmas celebration)
Pathetic fallacy - the setting mirrors the society
Juxtaposition - the smooth snow = the rich upper class which sit untouched and look down to the dirtier snow = the working class
Highlights the class divide present in society
“There is nothing on which is so hard than poverty”
(Argument with Belle)
Hyperbole; Scrooge was forced to become misanthropic as he didn’t want to experience poverty again.
Poverty - could symbolise lack of family, love, money.
context: Dickens experienced poverty first hand himself, so he uses Scrooge to reflect his experience.
Fear is a catalyst for Scrooge’s redemption (through the supernatural), but the fear of being poor was also a catalyst for his character deterioration at the start of the novella.
“They were not well dressed, but they were happy, grateful and pleased with one another”
Goes opposite the idea of materialism being a source of happiness - in capitalism
Cratchits shows how you dont need money to be happy - as long as you have good relationships you will be happy.
The Cratchits are a Christian family and they celebrate Christmas - Dickens uses this to promote religion as he presents the Cratchits as happier than Scrooge even if they are poor.
Scrooge is foil to the Cratchits because he is not religious so he is miserly.
