Theme - Isolation Flashcards
(13 cards)
Did Scrooge ostracised himself away from society?
Yes Scrooge is an outsider in society and is a victim to his own, self inflicted loneliness. No one necessarily pushed Scrooge away.
In the begging of the novel the narrator describes Scrooge as “secret and self contained and solitary as an oyster” what is the sibilance?
Similar to that of a snake which suggest something sinister. This is a biblical allusion as it alludes to the snake in the tree which tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Dickens may be trying to say that isolation can be deadly.
The quote “secret and self contained and solitary as an oyster” suggests what? (semantic field)
The phrase used also creates a semantic field of isolation, through this instantly the reader understands the kind of person that Scrooge is. There is also polysyndetic listing which is used to make the adjectives used more powerful with each adjective the reader is given a deeper understanding of Scrooge and his character.
Scrooge’s isolation is also shown through the social interactions within the novel. In the Victorian times people were extremely cordial____( example of how he isolated himself)
With each other, greeting people was apart of the culture. In Scrooge’s description it says that “Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say…My dear Scrooge, how are you?”, Scrooge purposefully isolated himself from society and this same behaviour is mirrored through the people around him. The fact that people no longer try to greet Scrooge shows the extent to which he has isolated himself. The people in Scrooge’s neighbourhood were aware of the kind of person Scrooge was and so did not make an effort to try and involve him.
Example of how Fred his nephew never gives up on him even after Scrooge insults him what does Fred do?
Fred still invites Scrooge to “Come! Dine with us to-morrow.” Although Scrooge tries and is successful with isolating himself Fred is persistent with his uncle and in the end it pays off as Scrooge joins the dinner party which is a sign of his dramatic change.
How does Scrooge change from someone who was once a “solitary as an oyster” becomes a “social butterfly”(Fred’s dinner party)
He attends Fred’s dinner party saying “it’s I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in Fred?” This question holds a lot of tension as it contains in it all the insults Scrooge gave to Fred and the lifetime of exclusion but Scrooge is finally ready to come back.
What does dickens illustrate from the quote “it’s I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?”
That it’s never too late too come back and that no one has to isolate themselves. This is part of a socialist ideology which is based on inclusion and making sure that everyone in society is valued and treated fairly.
How does the ghost of Christmas past show us how Scrooge a misanthropic person is made in stave 2?
The reader is taken to see Scrooge in his schoolboy days as Scrooge witnesses “A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still.” Through this the reader is shown that since his childhood Scrooge was “neglected”. This clearly had a big impact on him as he “sobbed” and “wept to see his poor forgotten self as he used to be.” The emotive language gives the reader a chance to see Scrooge in a vulnerable state and see the major impact that loneliness has had on Scrooge.
What’s the first instance that shows Scrooge does have feelings?
at the start the narrator tries to paint Scrooge as unfeeling saying that “External heat and cold had little influence on him”.this also foreshadows there are more changes / transformations.
What’s scrooges isolation caused by later in his adult years?
Greed- when his fiancée at the time belle says that an “idol” has displaced her a “golden one”, this means that his need for money had become priority instead of nurturing the relationships he has in life.
When belle finally says I hope “you happy in the life you have chosen!” What does Scrooge realise?
That he chose money and greed over everything else through these scenes dickens intends to show the readers how choosing greed can lead to isolation.
What’s an example of how capitalism can cause isolation? In stave 1
when the portly gentlemen arrive looking for money for charity Scrooge says that
“It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s.” This reflects the capitalist ideology which Dickens was highly critical of, instead he believed in charity and helping those in need. This capitalist ideology leads to isolation as it means that people should only focus on themselves and not take interest in others.
Why does Scrooge use the word business to talk of a person’s life?
This suggests that Scrooge’s life was business he is noted as an
“excellent man of business”, the focal point of Scrooge’s life was money and greed. It’s what motivated him and why he was never satisfied.
