Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, `My dear Scrooge, how are you? Instant PDF downloads. Scrooge doesn't live by his senses in any aspect of his life. Finally, he is not only isolated from others, but he also keeps to himself in his own world, contained within his own shell. the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol. Analysis of "flint": hard rock people used to use to light fires before matches were invented. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population". Teachers and parents! This is an odd simile. 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. In other words, Scrooge is not alone; many people, while perhaps less obviously awful than Scrooge, share his sinful failings. 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. Much good it has ever done you!, There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round. he walked through his rooms to see that all was right. They often `came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.". You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. This idea recalls Marley's role as a sort of tool in Scrooge's business. You are fettered, said Scrooge, trembling. Humbug! but stopped at the first syllable, A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas. The narrator describes Scrooge as "Hard and sharp as flint." His appearance matches his character, with cold-looking, pointy features. 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 happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! How is the theme of isolation presented in A Christmas Carol? The use of business like language such as "surplus" and "decrease" emphasizes how scrooge's miserly, monetarily driven attitudes in the place of the Christmas spirit and its values causes wrath and suffering in society, and leads to the less fortunate not being supported. Cite this Quote Flint and oysters are not very palatable things to be compared to. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Though Fred is poor (though not as poor as Cratchit), his attire is colorful and he is generous and sociable with his Christmas provisions. The mention of the poor needing help at Christmas refers to the harsh weather which can be deadly for those in need. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Already, the poor townsfolk are elevated above Scrooge in moral standing he is a caricature of a lonely miser. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. `We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner, said the gentleman, Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back, `At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, said the gentleman, taking up a pen, `it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Instant PDF downloads. wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed". --------------------------------------------------------, "He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars". 1. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, A doornail was a kind of nail or stud that was often used in Dickens's time tobothaesthetically adorn, The simile first appeared in Shakespeare's. By showing Marleys face among the faces of legends and saints from scripture, Dickens puts him in a saint-like position, showing Scrooge the light like a religious leader. 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. Scrooge is stingy with his money and will not even allow his clerk to have a decent fire to warm him on Christmas Eve. Write the kind of sentence in the blank using these abbreviations: dec. (declarative), imp. Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one lifes opportunity misused! How could it be otherwise? In the first stave, the miser Scrooge is introduced as well as his merry nephew and his poor clerk 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. Scrooge could have family, if only he would allow himself to. `Youll want all day to-morrow, I suppose? said Scrooge. Scrooge sat down upon a form, and wept to see his poor forgotten self as he used to be. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now! The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. "No," said scrooge, "no. Flint and oysters are not very palatable things to be compared to. Through a visit one Christmas Eve by the ghost of Marley and three subsequent spirits, Scrooge is awakened to his meanness and the impact it has on others. A merry Christmas to everyone.". Christmas is a time of family, and despite his scary appearance, we get the feeling that Marley is here to help. The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. Fred is the opposite of Scrooge in appearance and spirit. It was double-locked, as he had locked it with his own hands, and the bolts were undisturbed. 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. Instead of being a crotchety old man, he feels like a schoolboy. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Though it seems threatening, he is offering Scrooge a very tangible way to improve his fate. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. 1 / 4. Flint is a type of ground that makes it difficult for life to grow kind of like how scrooges character allows no imaginations to grow. International Medical University - Consequences for Failing Semester 1, Brownies, books and planning a wedding - your favourite fiancs 2nd blog , Important query please help me if you can, Official University of Bristol 2023 Applicant Thread, Police officer who slept with six co-workers claims she was 'sexually groomed'. Nobody under the table, nobody under the sofa, a small fire in the grate; spoon and basin ready; and the little saucepan of gruel, Nobody under the bed; nobody in the closet; nobody in his dressing-gown, which was hanging up in a suspicious attitude against the wall. Dickens suggests that scrooge is lonely, unsociable and disconnected from society through this simile, however, the description of him as an "oyster" connoting a creature with a tough exterior but containing a valuable, beautiful pearl within, suggests that scrooge has sociability and goodwill for others (and other values of the Christmas spirit) that will allow him to reconnect with society buried within him. 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. Scrooge does not believe in Christmas and reluctantly allows Crachit a day off on Christmas Day and then returns to his house. Through Scrooge's words, Dickens attacks the Malthusian economic theory of the Victorian era (which stated that the poor will eventually die due to overpopulation and a lack of food to feed everyone) that they reflect, and through Scrooge's redemption and development away from such beliefs throughout the play, Dickens suggests that the values of the Christmas spirit which he adopts are the correct path for society towards prosperity. Note the use of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit. Youre rich enough., Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. 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. Last weekend, I read $\underline{\color{#c34632}\text{To Build a Fire}}$ . It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. This then gives you an idea of what Scrooge looks like. No, no, no. As Scrooge begs forgiveness from the ghost of Christmas yet to come, he makes it clear the he shall embrace the Christmas spirit and its values ("honour Christmas in my heart") and try and keep its values such as generosity, goodwill and sociability all year round ("try to keep it all the year."). In other words, Scrooge is stingy and tough: he has no sympathy, generosity, or compassion. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever. The word 'analysis' literally means to loosen something up. The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste, and moaning as they went. I want to be an Architect, what GCSEs should I do? Oh! These include Scrooges cold nature, the power of wealth, and loss. "Hard and sharp as flint." BEFORE CHANGE Shows his personality. Indeed, Scrooge has become a new man. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. I defy himif he finds me going there, in good temper, year after year, and saying, Uncle Scrooge, how are you? If it only puts him in the vein to leave his poor clerk fifty pounds, thats something. Dickens is comparing Scrooge to two aspects common to flint; its hardness (here meaning that Scrooge is mean or tight) and its sharpness (here meaning that Scrooge watches over everything and doesnt miss anything in his work). Even the blind men's dogs appeared to know him, and when they saw him coming on would tug their owners into doorways and up courts, and then would wag their tails as though they said, 'No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!'" A Christmas Carol is a widely studied book filled with memorable quotes. What projects have you done related to STEM? 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. A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The power of light and music to shine through the winter gloom is a visual way of showing the moral of this story. Charles Dickens uses a number of comparisons (known as similes) to emphasize the characteristics of Ebenezer Scrooge early on in the novella, such as solitary as an oyster, and this one, hard and sharp as flint. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirits nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. This makes me think that Scrooge would have very sharp features, a pointy nose and always has a scowl on his face. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Describe the two children who emerge from the second spirit's robe in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Consequently, everybody who comes into contact with Scrooge avoids him. Flint is traditionally used to make fire by striking it hard against another rock or metallic surface to create sparks, but Dickens goes on to say that Scrooge is so hard that no steel had ever struck out generous fire. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!". Stave One. "If they would rather die", said scrooge ,"they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population". `I wonder you dont go into Parliament., `Dont be angry, uncle. (Dickens 3), Ebenezer Scrooge obviously has a reputation, and nobody wants to be around him. the other rooms being all let out as offices. Use correct capitalization. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. such was I! To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir., `And the Union workhouses demanded Scrooge. The brightness of the shops where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp heat of the windows, made pale faces ruddy as they passed. Whatever the genre. Struggling with distance learning? This self-description provides evidence of his transformation. Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern; beguiled the rest of the evening with his bankers-book, He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased partner, it must have run there when it was a young house, playing at hide-and-seek with other houses, and forgotten the way out again. He took us home and hammered us. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! The clerk in the Tank involuntarily applauded. a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? 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. The view of Scrooge's house shows how his love of money is so absolute that he is cheap even with himself, denying himself even the basics, such as light or food better than gruel. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. What to expect as an older masters student? It is made up of two Greek words, ana meaning up, and lysis meaning to loosen. This gives the perception of Scrooge being a very cold character, a word also associated with being mean. The Spirit pointed from the grave to him, and back again. He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge. Be here all the earlier next morning. Scrooge and Cratchit both live on routine. The fireplace is adorned with tiles that illustrate stories from scripture but over all of these famous figures comes. This girl is Want. Spirit! he cried, tight clutching at his robe, hear me! They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. "What then? A doornail is notably small and insignificant, but it can be used to build things. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. Flint is a form of the mineral quartz, which occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalk and limestones. Leading up to this moment it appears as if Scrooge already fears that this is the case, but that does not detract from the tension that Charles Dickens can create here. (Dickens 6). Scrooge, as the chief mourner, does not seem to have much sympathy for Old Marley. 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