A Christmas Carol Quotes

A CHRISTMAS CAROL QUOTES
‘…secret, and self-contained, and as solitary as an oyster.’ (STAVE 1)
 Scrooge chooses isolation.

 In 1843 England, this would have been strange and suspicious behaviour.
 Sibilance: Repeated ‘sss’ can suggest slyness and danger.
 Sibilance slows down the pace of the text – important description!
 The simile ‘solitary as an oyster’ suggests that Scrooge is surrounded by people but
still alone and ‘oyster’ suggests that his hard outer shell stops people from building
close relationships with him. However, oysters are also famous for pearls, which
means that Scrooge has value hidden inside.
‘A solitary child, neglected by his friends.’ (STAVE 2)
 Scrooge’s solitude this time is not by choice.

 It shows him being abandoned at boarding school after his mother died, because his
father will not care for him.
 This neglect is a source of most of his issues later in life.
 This shows a connection between Scrooge’s childhood trauma and his present awful
way of treating people, as he is afraid to make relationships with others out of fear
that they will abandon him too eventually.
‘“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus
population.”’ (STAVE 1)
 No empathy for the poor because he does not interact with them.
 Stereotype that the poor were criminals or lazy.
 New Poor Law: unemployed able – bodied people were sent to the workhouse. Sub –
human living and working conditions for men, women and children.
 Malthusian theory: urbanisation leads to over population and starvation, his theory
was twisted to justify sending the poor to workhouses.
 In stave 3, the Ghost of Christmas Present says the same words against Scrooge,
which makes Scrooge, realise the consequences of his words reflected in Tiny Tim’s
suffering. Because of that, Scrooge now has empathy for the struggles of the poor.
‘I wear the chain I forged in life…’ (STAVE 1)
 Marley’s chain is made from the tools of his trade.

 Marley and Scrooge value money over everything else.
 The poor are the ones who suffer from their greed.
 Dickens’ father was sent to debtor’s prison and he wanted to show it to the world,
that is why he wrote it in this book.
 Scrooge and Marley were pretty much the same person and have lived very similar
lives so Marley’s fate is a preview of what will happen to Scrooge if he continues
down the same path.
 This also shows that Marley is trapped in a type of purgatory; like in Victorian society
was a place between heaven and hell.
‘Mankind was my business.’ (STAVE 1)
 Marley is delivering a message about social injustice.

 Dickens believed that those in positions of wealth and power should support the
poor.
 Scrooge sees the world only in terms of money and business, so he cannot
empathise with the poor.
‘The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune.’ (STAVE 2)
 Scrooge mentions his apprentice boss, Mr. Fezziwig here.

 Until now, business and money controlled Scrooge’s perspective of life.
 Scrooge defends Mr. Fezziwig because he remembers the appreciation he felt as an
employee.
 Scrooge’s turning point on the value of money and being a good employer.
 In Victorian times, employers decided the wage and working environment of their
employees.
‘I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master passion, Gain,
engrosses you.’ (STAVE 2)
 Belle breaks up with Scrooge because of his obsession over money.

 This shows that Scrooge has become a servant to making money but he was not
always this way.
 This should be Scrooge’s wakeup call, but his past issues stop him from making a
change.
 Scrooge sees Belle as another person who is abandoning him.
 This results in him shutting himself off from the world even more and focusing on
making money.
‘If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.’ (STAVE 3)
 Scrooge takes a special interest in Tiny Tim.

 Tiny Tim has the opposite of Scrooge’s childhood.
 Tiny Tim is poor but loved by his father.
 Scrooge wants him to experience what he never had.
 Scrooge’s paternal instincts have been activated.
 Tiny Tim is the most significant factor behind Scrooge’s transformation.
 Scrooge sees that he can save Tiny Tim’s life just by being a better employer.
 Thousands of children have suffered from poverty, neglect, illness and starvation –
Scrooge wants to change that.
 Dickens’ lesson: innocent and vulnerable are the victims of society.
‘I mean to give him the same chance every year, for I pity him.’ (STAVE 3)
 Fred refuses to give up on his uncle.

 Scrooge chooses to be alone as there are still people who want to be part of his life.
 Pity for a mean, selfish, rich man?
 Fred still sees the good in Scrooge; he knows that he lost his way over the years.
 When Scrooge is ready, Fred will welcome him back into his life.
 Fred represents hope for Scrooge’s future.
 He give Scrooge a chance every Christmas because it is a time associated with
forgiveness and family.
 Fred is Dicken’s example of the ideal ‘good’ person; he acts on what he says.
‘This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both…but most of all beware this boy,
for on his brow I see that written which is Doom’ (STAVE 3)
 Ignorance of the rich towards the struggles of the poor.

 Political unrest: 1789 French Revolution, 1848 Revolutions.
 Poor revolted against the rich due to mistreatment.
 The rich were a minority – perhaps it was in their best interest to be kind and
generous?
 Dickens believed education could break the cycle of poverty.
 Education meant learning a trade rather than turning to crime out of desperation.
 Ragged schools: provided free education to poor children in the 19th century.
‘I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.’ (STAVE 4)
 Scrooge’s present actions are affected by his experiences.

 Change means resolving his abandonment issues.
 Scrooge’s actions will now affect his future and the future of others, i.e. Tiny Tim.
 Scrooge shows that he understands the Ghosts’ lessons through this quote.

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL QUOTES

‘…secret, and self-contained, and as solitary as an oyster.’ (STAVE 1)

 Scrooge chooses isolation.

‘A solitary child, neglected by his friends.’ (STAVE 2)

 Scrooge’s solitude this time is not by choice.

‘I wear the chain I forged in life…’ (STAVE 1)

 Marley’s chain is made from the tools of his trade.

‘Mankind was my business.’ (STAVE 1)

 Marley is delivering a message about social injustice.

‘The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune.’ (STAVE 2)

 Scrooge mentions his apprentice boss, Mr. Fezziwig here.

 Belle breaks up with Scrooge because of his obsession over money.

 Scrooge takes a special interest in Tiny Tim.

 Fred refuses to give up on his uncle.

 Ignorance of the rich towards the struggles of the poor.

 Scrooge’s present actions are affected by his experiences.

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