Paragraph 1: -
At the beginning of the extract, which is taken from Stave One of the novella, Scrooge is
described by Dickens to the reader; ‘The door of Scrooge’s counting-house was open, that
he might keep his eye upon his clerk’. Dickens skilfully depicts Scrooge as obsessed with the
concept of money and happiness. This is very clearly shown as Dickens includes ‘counting
house’ in this specific part of the novella. Dickens placing this sentence at the opening stave
of the novella immediately presents Scrooge to the reader as being a misanthropic man who
is obsessed with money and someone who believes that money brings happiness. Dickens
may include this at the opening stave of the novella to show the Victorian audience the
misconception about money brining happiness and show the audience that in actual fact it
doesn’t bring happiness and Scrooge is a very good example of the drawbacks when
members of society believe that money brings happiness. Moreover, Dickens employs the
euphemism of ‘he might keep his eye upon his clerk’ to show the very misanthropic nature
of Scrooge and how he is very cautious of others not doing the correct work as he is so
obsessed with the concept that money brings happiness.
Paragraph 2: -
As the extract progresses, Dickens uses the character of Scrooge to present the ‘put upon’
nature of Bob Cratchit; ‘…the clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one
coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room’. As stave
1 progresses Dickens further portrays Scrooge as very self-centred and focused on acquiring
the upmost amount of money. Dickens utilises the device of Bob Cratchit as a catalyst and to
clearly show the arrogance of Scrooge by keeping ‘the coal-box in his own room’ and not
allowing Bob to ‘replenish’ his fire. The utilisation of Bob Cratchit as a device to speed up the
presentation of Scrooge being an arrogant member of society further creates a sense of
arrogance surrounding Scrooge further reinforcing Dickens vital message, to the Victorian
audience, that money doesn’t bring happiness but in fact makes oneself arrogant and
misanthropic.
Paragraph 3: -
As the extract develops, Dickens presents Scrooge as a miserly and miserable man,
especially in his attitude to Christmas; ‘“A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!” … “Bah!”
said Scrooge, “Humbug!”’. As the extract further progresses Dickens utilises Fred, Scrooges
nephew, to juxtapose to show the reader the miserable and miserly nature of Scrooge.
Dickens specifically makes Fred juxtapose Scrooge to highlight to the reader how arrogant
and misanthropic Scrouge is specifically the quotation: ‘a merry Christmas… humbug’ show
the vast juxtaposition between Fred and Scrooge. Furthermore, the noun ‘humbug’ gives
connotations of deception and false information. Dickens may use this noun to create a
sense of ambiguity within the readers mind making them contemplate whether Scrooges
redemption will happen in the later stages of the novella.
Paragraph 4: -
At the end of the extract, Dickens uses others’ responses to Scrooge as a means of using his
central character as a critique of nineteenth-century values of greed and capitalism; ‘“What
right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”’
As the extract concludes Dickens effectively utilises the responses of others in the novella as
At the beginning of the extract, which is taken from Stave One of the novella, Scrooge is
described by Dickens to the reader; ‘The door of Scrooge’s counting-house was open, that
he might keep his eye upon his clerk’. Dickens skilfully depicts Scrooge as obsessed with the
concept of money and happiness. This is very clearly shown as Dickens includes ‘counting
house’ in this specific part of the novella. Dickens placing this sentence at the opening stave
of the novella immediately presents Scrooge to the reader as being a misanthropic man who
is obsessed with money and someone who believes that money brings happiness. Dickens
may include this at the opening stave of the novella to show the Victorian audience the
misconception about money brining happiness and show the audience that in actual fact it
doesn’t bring happiness and Scrooge is a very good example of the drawbacks when
members of society believe that money brings happiness. Moreover, Dickens employs the
euphemism of ‘he might keep his eye upon his clerk’ to show the very misanthropic nature
of Scrooge and how he is very cautious of others not doing the correct work as he is so
obsessed with the concept that money brings happiness.
Paragraph 2: -
As the extract progresses, Dickens uses the character of Scrooge to present the ‘put upon’
nature of Bob Cratchit; ‘…the clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one
coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room’. As stave
1 progresses Dickens further portrays Scrooge as very self-centred and focused on acquiring
the upmost amount of money. Dickens utilises the device of Bob Cratchit as a catalyst and to
clearly show the arrogance of Scrooge by keeping ‘the coal-box in his own room’ and not
allowing Bob to ‘replenish’ his fire. The utilisation of Bob Cratchit as a device to speed up the
presentation of Scrooge being an arrogant member of society further creates a sense of
arrogance surrounding Scrooge further reinforcing Dickens vital message, to the Victorian
audience, that money doesn’t bring happiness but in fact makes oneself arrogant and
misanthropic.
Paragraph 3: -
As the extract develops, Dickens presents Scrooge as a miserly and miserable man,
especially in his attitude to Christmas; ‘“A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!” … “Bah!”
said Scrooge, “Humbug!”’. As the extract further progresses Dickens utilises Fred, Scrooges
nephew, to juxtapose to show the reader the miserable and miserly nature of Scrooge.
Dickens specifically makes Fred juxtapose Scrooge to highlight to the reader how arrogant
and misanthropic Scrouge is specifically the quotation: ‘a merry Christmas… humbug’ show
the vast juxtaposition between Fred and Scrooge. Furthermore, the noun ‘humbug’ gives
connotations of deception and false information. Dickens may use this noun to create a
sense of ambiguity within the readers mind making them contemplate whether Scrooges
redemption will happen in the later stages of the novella.
Paragraph 4: -
At the end of the extract, Dickens uses others’ responses to Scrooge as a means of using his
central character as a critique of nineteenth-century values of greed and capitalism; ‘“What
right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”’
As the extract concludes Dickens effectively utilises the responses of others in the novella as
