Stave 1- Quotes Flashcards
(6 cards)
“Marley was dead; to begin with”
Colon for pause to create dark tone atmosphere - what’s going to happen…- Foreshadowing: It hints that death is not the end and Marley will return in ghostly form and prepares the reader for supernatural events and makes the reader feel engaged -hyperbolic insistence used not to deceive, but to prepare the reader for the supernatural and to add dry humour.
“Hard and sharp as flint”
Simile “as” comparing scrooge to flint - Effect: This emphasizes how emotionally cold, tough, and unyielding Scrooge is. Like flint, he is hard, sharp, and used to start fires and not easily affected or changed by others - connotation could have potential for warmth - image helps readers immediately understand Scrooge’s harsh character/ demeanour
“Scrooge… covetous old sinner!”
Adjective: “Covetous” meaning someone who is greedy for wealth or possessions, Effect: Shows Scrooge as deeply selfish and obsessed with money, even to the point of sinfulness. It highlights how he values wealth above people or morality ( miser) - Noun: “old sinner!” Combines age with moral judgment. “Old” suggests he’s been like this for a long time, “Sinner” implies religious and moral failure — he’s not just unpleasant, but spiritually corrupt Dickens uses this to criticise greed as a moral failing, not just a personality flaw - Dickens positions Scrooge as the opposite of Christian charity and kindness, especially important in a story themed around redemption and Christmas values links wealth obsession to sins.
“Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!”
Asyndetic Listing are actions written without conjunctions which is called asyndeton. creates a rapid flow of negative traits, making Scrooge seem greedy - Violent Verbs all aggressive and physical. These show that Scrooge doesn’t just hoard money he actively takes from others - Alliteration & Sibilance repeated ‘s’ and ‘c’ sounds create a harsh, hissing tone. Adds to the unpleasant image of Scrooge, making him sound snake-like, sneaky, and cold - adjective: greedy / morally corrupt.
“Marley was as dead as a door-nail.”
Simile: compares Marley’s death to a doornail. Dickens wants to make it clear he’s dead - Metaphor: dead create dry humour Sets a playful but clever tone / friendly which contrasts with the grim topic of death - Dickens emphasizes Marley’s death so the reader accepts the ghost as real, not just a dream or trick.
“Solitary as an oyster”
Simile: compares Scrooge to an oyster, emphasises Scrooge’s isolation. He lives alone, avoids people, and keeps emotionally closed off just like an oyster is closed inside its shell - Metaphor (Implied Potential)
An oyster might be closed and hard on the outside, but it can contain a pearl.
Suggests that although Scrooge is solitary and unfriendly, there may be something valuable inside him foreshadowing his transformation - symbolism: how hard Scrooge is emotionally - Tone / Mood is quiet and reflective, not angry or harsh. It paints Scrooge as lonely rather than just cruel helping the reader to pity him, even early on.
