Scrooge and Cratchit both live on routine. went down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve, and then ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt, to play at blindmans-buff. myPerspectives: American Literature, California Volume 2, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level B, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith, Holt McDougal Literature: Grade 9 (Common Core). Discipline was harsh and. Oh! What is the theme of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens? that's all.". The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. This almost prompts a realization in Scrooge as he catches on to the fact that his wealth provides him (and indeed Fezziwig) with the power to make people happy. He even turns down his own nephew who comes to see him and invite him to his house for a Christmas meal. through the repeated structure, Dickens again portrays that Scrooge as breaking away from his previous miserliness and stinginess, becoming more good willed towards other like Bob Cratchit. It suggests that even though cruelty seems to reign, the goodness embodied by the Christmas message can always find a way through, through the fog, through the keyhole. This might have lasted half a minute, or a minute, but it seemed an hour. When he gets home, Scrooge would rather save money and live in discomfort, keeping a very low fire for himself, described as nothing on such a bitter night to which he is forced to lean over just to extract the least sensation of warmth from such a handful of fuel. This idea recalls Marley's role as a sort of tool in Scrooge's business. The last line of A Christmas Carol is God bless us, everyone. Its spoken by the well-loved character Tiny Tim. The way the content is organized. for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. When they were within two paces of each other, Marleys Ghost held up its hand, warning him to come no nearer. The exclamation mark in "Oh!" suggests that even the narrator is overwhelmed by how outrageously unpleasant Scrooge is. The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. Note how Scrooge here condemns such fools to death, when over the next few nights it will be he who learns that he is condemned to a terrible death. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned -- they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there., `If they would rather die, said Scrooge, `they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. The narrator sets Scrooge up as the quintessential sinner, the most miserable man in the whole city. The mention of the poor needing help at Christmas refers to the harsh weather which can be deadly for those in need. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. Dickens fills this first Stave with superlative and vivid descriptions of Scrooges miserly character and in so doing sets him up for quite a transformation. Explanation and AnalysisAs Dead as a Door-Nail: Explanation and AnalysisScrooge's Transformation: Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Scrooge's transformation is emphasized by him becoming a "second father" to Tiny Tim "who did not die", suggesting that the values of the Christmas spirit, encapsulating good will and generosity, leads to a supportive, charitable, family-like society in which everyone supports each-other and there is no suffering or plight (like Tiny Tim's death). Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!". I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong. His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. Scrooge is a cold-hearted tight miser who watches everything going on within his counting-house business. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. In the present, Scrooge witnesses scenes of fires at Christmas time that bring happiness, many associated with the theme of eating food at this festive time, such as the brightness of the roaring fires in kitchens, parlours, and all sorts of rooms, was wonderful and the flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cosy dinner, He sees scenes associated with the coming together of family at this time of year, such as that of a miner and his family who are a cheerful company assembled round a glowing fire. The use of similes helps an author to strengthen a description, and for the reader it helps to better visualize the scene in their heads. Poulterers and grocers trades became a splendid joke; a glorious pageant, with which it was next to impossible to believe that such dull principles as bargain and sale had anything to do. Fred knows this, and counters that "good" means something else entirely. -Graham S. Scrooge sees "good" as referring solely to profits. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. Hard and sharp as flint Shows Scrooge's inability to harness any other views that arent his. Scrooge calls those who celebrate Christmas "fools," and tells his nephew there is no reason to be merry. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. Yet such was I! It is required of every man, the Ghost returned, `that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Dickens, as Scrooge learns lessons and truths from the ghost of Christmas past, portrays scrooge as beginning to change, breaking away from his miserly attitudes and becoming more generous, wanting to "give" the caroller "something", in contrast to his absolute selfishness, rejection of the Christmas spirit and lack of generosity from earlier. Struggling with distance learning? Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. I am not the man I was. This is not just a tale of one man's redemption; it is a kind of call to arms for all people to take to heart. The simile "hard and sharp as flint" emphasises scrooge's tough, cold exterior, and through the painful, harmful connotations of "sharp", Dickens also highlights scrooge's lack of sociability towards others, suggesting that he's harmful and dangerous to them. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. The cold became intense. Much good may it do you! Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Let him make a tool of me afresh and again? How could it be otherwise? (Dickens 6). For characters like Fred and Bob Cratchit, Christmas represents the Christian ideal of goodness and moral prosperity, but Scrooge is at his. A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there. not to know, that ages of incessant labour, by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass into eternity before the good of which it is susceptible is all developed. "No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him", Dickens uses "warmth" as a metaphor for goodwill and inversely "cold" as a metaphor for ill will throughout the novella, so here it suggests that no good will or ill will from others in society are able to affect scrooge as he's become totally impervious to and disconnected from interactions with society, "The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait". and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. monstrous iron safe attached to its ankle, who cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant, whom it saw below, upon a door-step. The door of Scrooges counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. It was not in impenetrable shadow as the other objects in the yard were, but had a dismal light about it, like a bad lobster in a dark cellar. eNotes Editorial, 17 Oct. 2017, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/which-quotes-suggest-that-scrooge-is-presented-as-568005. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Already, the poor townsfolk are elevated above Scrooge in moral standing he is a caricature of a lonely miser. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his. Scrooge is Hard and sharp as flint (p. 2). "To say that he was not startled, or that his blood was not conscious of a terrible sensation to which it had been a stranger from infancy, would be untrue.". Why doesn't Scrooge like Christmas in A Christmas Carol? Part of the lesson that Scrooge must learn is that life is short but regrets are long and haunting, and have an affect even after death. The truth is, that he tried to be smart, as a means of distracting his own attention, and keeping down his terror; for the spectres voice disturbed. Accessed 2 March 2023. (including. You have laboured on it, since. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. ", "If they would rather die.they had better do it and decrease the surplus population." What reason have you to be morose? he walked through his rooms to see that all was right. `What do you want with me?. https://www.youtube. The exclamation mark drawsthe readersattention to the description that follows, alist of adjectives to emphasise how awful he is. It is much easier to burn men than to burn their opinions. 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