A Christmas Carol - quotation analysis with complete
solution
'Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his
sole friend and sole mourner'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge's relationship with Marley.
The repetition of the word 'sole' emphasises the fact that Scrooge was all Marley had,
implying that the opposite was also true. Therefore, this shows the reader that Scrooge
is alone and friendless. In addition, Dickens sets up a clear link between the two - so
much so that Scrooge is willing to answer to either name. This then ensures that the
reader understands that Marley's fate will certainly also befall Scrooge if he does not
change.
'a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge.
The third person, intrusive narrator delivers an explicit judgement on the character of
Scrooge, ensuring that we cannot misinterpret Dickens' message that he is a bad
person. The listing of verbs here are all synonyms which emphasise the extreme
desperation by which Scrooge will hold on to every penny and show the lengths he will
go to.
Dickens creates an archetypal wealthy, selfish man in Scrooge to represents the poor
treatment by the wealthy of the poor. His explicit message is that the wealthy need to
change their views and behaviours.
'secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster."
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge
Dickens uses this simile to emphasise how Scrooge locks himself away from society,
alone and unwelcoming. The use of sibilance adds a sinister tone. However, the use of
the word 'solitary' is used again later when we see Scrooge's childhood and suggests
that he is lonely and unhappy -albeit out of choice. Dickens is suggesting to the reader
that money does not make you happy.
Finally, it could also be argued that the oyster simile suggests a softer interior - or at
least the potential for a pearl foreshadowing Scrooge's transformation.
'A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried
his own low temperature always about with him'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge
His appearance which includes red eyes and blue lips is unappealing and even sinister.
The Victorian readership would have understood this unattractive appearance to denote
an unattractive character.
Scrooge's grey hair is metaphorically referred to as frost - he is such a cold hearted
character that it is reflected in his physical appearance. The word 'always' explicitly lets
the reader know that he is unchanging.
'No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge
The use of anaphora here, through the repetition of the word 'no' shows that Scrooge
cannot be affected by outside influences. He is so unfeeling and cold that the weather
simply does not affect him - just as the plight of the poor does not affect him. Again,
, through the characterisation of Scrooge, Dickens is criticising the wealthy class and
their coldheartedness.
'It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal'
Stave 1 - pathetic fallacy
The use of pathetic fallacy, including the repeated emphasis of the ferocity of the cold
adds to the uninviting atmosphere directly reflecting the character of Scrooge who is
uninviting to both Fred and the portly gentlemen when they arrive. The word 'biting'
makes it seem vicious.
The fog is symbolic of Scrooge's inability to see the good around him - or to see the
truth, until he is shown the light by the ghosts. By the end of the novella, the fog has
cleared.
'Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it
looked like one coal.'
Stave 1
Dickens uses Scrooge to reinforce his message about the wealthy. He is presented as a
typical wealthy miser who treated the poor badly, only allowing Bob 'one coal' while
paying him so little that he cannot afford a coat. Dickens had first hand experience of
poverty when his father was sent to a debtor's prison and was explicit in his criticism of
the work houses and the poor law.
'He was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and
his breath smoked'
Stave 1 - description of Fred
Fred is a foil to Scrooge. Just as Scrooge's coldness of heart is reflected in a physical
coldness, so Fred's physical warmth reflects his warm heartedness. The word 'glow'
even seems to suggest that he radiates heat - showing that his goodness touches those
around him.
Christmas is a time when people 'Think of the people below them as if they really
were fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on
other journeys.'
Stave 1 - Fred's view of Christmas
Fred represents the spirit of Christmas and carries Dickens' message about collective
responsibility and how we should treat one another. The idea that we are all 'fellow
passengers' serves to emphasise the idea of the transience of life - we are all going to
die some day so we are more similar than we are different. The noun 'creatures'
reinforces the view that the wealthy see the poor as somehow less human - Dickens,
through the novel, shows the reader that this is not true and therefore the poor law,
which treats the poor as though they are less human, must be changed.
'I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!'
Stave 1 - Fred's view of Christmas
When Scrooge asks what 'good' Christmas does, it is clear that he is thinking of
monetary good - while Fred is thinking of kindness and goodness. Dickens is
juxtaposing the two views of the same word so that we side with the views advocated by
Fred.
'Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are
in want of common comforts"
solution
'Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his
sole friend and sole mourner'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge's relationship with Marley.
The repetition of the word 'sole' emphasises the fact that Scrooge was all Marley had,
implying that the opposite was also true. Therefore, this shows the reader that Scrooge
is alone and friendless. In addition, Dickens sets up a clear link between the two - so
much so that Scrooge is willing to answer to either name. This then ensures that the
reader understands that Marley's fate will certainly also befall Scrooge if he does not
change.
'a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge.
The third person, intrusive narrator delivers an explicit judgement on the character of
Scrooge, ensuring that we cannot misinterpret Dickens' message that he is a bad
person. The listing of verbs here are all synonyms which emphasise the extreme
desperation by which Scrooge will hold on to every penny and show the lengths he will
go to.
Dickens creates an archetypal wealthy, selfish man in Scrooge to represents the poor
treatment by the wealthy of the poor. His explicit message is that the wealthy need to
change their views and behaviours.
'secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster."
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge
Dickens uses this simile to emphasise how Scrooge locks himself away from society,
alone and unwelcoming. The use of sibilance adds a sinister tone. However, the use of
the word 'solitary' is used again later when we see Scrooge's childhood and suggests
that he is lonely and unhappy -albeit out of choice. Dickens is suggesting to the reader
that money does not make you happy.
Finally, it could also be argued that the oyster simile suggests a softer interior - or at
least the potential for a pearl foreshadowing Scrooge's transformation.
'A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried
his own low temperature always about with him'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge
His appearance which includes red eyes and blue lips is unappealing and even sinister.
The Victorian readership would have understood this unattractive appearance to denote
an unattractive character.
Scrooge's grey hair is metaphorically referred to as frost - he is such a cold hearted
character that it is reflected in his physical appearance. The word 'always' explicitly lets
the reader know that he is unchanging.
'No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him'
Stave 1 - description of Scrooge
The use of anaphora here, through the repetition of the word 'no' shows that Scrooge
cannot be affected by outside influences. He is so unfeeling and cold that the weather
simply does not affect him - just as the plight of the poor does not affect him. Again,
, through the characterisation of Scrooge, Dickens is criticising the wealthy class and
their coldheartedness.
'It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal'
Stave 1 - pathetic fallacy
The use of pathetic fallacy, including the repeated emphasis of the ferocity of the cold
adds to the uninviting atmosphere directly reflecting the character of Scrooge who is
uninviting to both Fred and the portly gentlemen when they arrive. The word 'biting'
makes it seem vicious.
The fog is symbolic of Scrooge's inability to see the good around him - or to see the
truth, until he is shown the light by the ghosts. By the end of the novella, the fog has
cleared.
'Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it
looked like one coal.'
Stave 1
Dickens uses Scrooge to reinforce his message about the wealthy. He is presented as a
typical wealthy miser who treated the poor badly, only allowing Bob 'one coal' while
paying him so little that he cannot afford a coat. Dickens had first hand experience of
poverty when his father was sent to a debtor's prison and was explicit in his criticism of
the work houses and the poor law.
'He was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and
his breath smoked'
Stave 1 - description of Fred
Fred is a foil to Scrooge. Just as Scrooge's coldness of heart is reflected in a physical
coldness, so Fred's physical warmth reflects his warm heartedness. The word 'glow'
even seems to suggest that he radiates heat - showing that his goodness touches those
around him.
Christmas is a time when people 'Think of the people below them as if they really
were fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on
other journeys.'
Stave 1 - Fred's view of Christmas
Fred represents the spirit of Christmas and carries Dickens' message about collective
responsibility and how we should treat one another. The idea that we are all 'fellow
passengers' serves to emphasise the idea of the transience of life - we are all going to
die some day so we are more similar than we are different. The noun 'creatures'
reinforces the view that the wealthy see the poor as somehow less human - Dickens,
through the novel, shows the reader that this is not true and therefore the poor law,
which treats the poor as though they are less human, must be changed.
'I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!'
Stave 1 - Fred's view of Christmas
When Scrooge asks what 'good' Christmas does, it is clear that he is thinking of
monetary good - while Fred is thinking of kindness and goodness. Dickens is
juxtaposing the two views of the same word so that we side with the views advocated by
Fred.
'Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are
in want of common comforts"
