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‘A Christmas Carol’ Quotation
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‘A Christmas Carol’
Character Link to quote, terminology and meaning
Scrooge 1. “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping,
clutching, covetous old sinner”
List to show he is obsessed with money – most actions are to do
with the hand to show he was “tight-fisted”.
2. “Solitary as an oyster”
Simile – to show how lonely and isolated he was
3. “He carried his own low temperature around with
him”
Metaphor – for his poor attitude and way he made others feel
when he saw them.
4. “Nobody stopped him in the street to say. ‘My
dear Scrooge, how are you?’ ”
Metaphor – for his dislikeable and unfriendly character.
5. “Bah! Humbug”
Exclamations – this is only repeated a couple of times but has
become iconic as a representation of Scrooge’s dislike of
spending and Christmas.
6. “Every idiot who goes around with Merry Xmas
on his lips... should be buried with a stake of
holly through his heart”
Tone – shows how dislikeable Scrooge is and how much he hates
Christmas as he has to stop making money for a day.
7. “Are there no prisons? Are there no
workhouses?”
Rhetorical Questions – suggesting the poor are at fault for having
no money and that they have a place in society (even though we
know prison and workhouses were terrible places)
8. “If they would rather die, they had better do it
and decrease the surplus population”
Metaphor – to show that poor people should die and free up
space for other people and for making more money.
9. “It’s not my business”
Tone – showing he isn’t interested in what happens to others.
THE CHANGE!
10. “I will honour Christmas in my heart. I will live
in the Past, the Present, and the Future. I will not
shut out the lessons that they teach.”
Repetition – showing how he has had an epiphany and is no
longer the miserly begrudging character he once was.
11. “I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an
angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy, I am giddy
as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to
everybody. Hallo! Whoop! Hallo!”
Repetition of the personal pronoun – shows his light hearted and
carefree attitude and his lack of care about money and material
shillings a week, and a wife and family, talking
about a merry Christmas. I’ll retire to Bedlam”
Statements – shows how little he pays Bob and how dismissive
Scrooge is of his cheerful nature.
3. “Tiny Tim hoped the people saw him in the
church, because he was a cripple, and
remember upon Christmas day, who made lame
beggars walk, and blind men see.”
Religious connotations – Tiny Tim reinforces Christian values of
charity, kindness and being thankful for what you have.
4. “Mrs Cratchit made the gravy hissing hot, Master
Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible
vigour, Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple
sauce...”
Listing – showing the family work together and that love is more
important than money and materialistic goods.
5. “There never was such a goose cooked.”
Hyperbole – showing they exaggerate the excitement of a goose
which is too small for them as a family but they are grateful
anyway.
6. “Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed
potatoes”
Adjective – shows that there isn’t enough food to go around
7. “God bless us every one”
Religious Imagery – Tiny Tim again reinforces charity and peace
and happiness to all mankind at Christmas time.
8. “Mr Scrooge. I’d give him a piece of my mind.
An
odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man” (Mrs
Cratchit)
Listing – the negative tone shows how unhappy she is with the way
that Bob is treated by his employer.
Belle 1. “Another idol has displaced me... a golden one”
Metaphor – to show that money has become more important to
Scrooge than his fiancé Belle.
2. “I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off, until
the master passion, Gain engrosses you”
Triplets – to show her disappointment in the change in him.
3. “May you be happy in the life you have chosen”
Statement – She wishes him luck and shows that she is leaving him
due to his money grabbing ways.
4. “No more! Show me no more!”
Repetition and imperatives – Scrooge can no longer watch his
previous self and the loss of the love he had for Belle.
5. “Now a comely matron sitting opposite her
daughter”
Adjectives – shows how she is happily married and satisfied with
her life but also highlights the happiness Scrooge has missed out
on.
Fred – nephew of
Scrooge
1. “What reason have you to be morose? You’re
rich enough.”
Questioning – shows the difference in attitude between Fred and
Scrooge and encourages Scrooge to be a happier more pleasant
man.
2. “I have always thought of Christmas as a good
time, a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time”
Listing – shows Fred’s love of Christmas and his clear difference in
attitude to his uncle.
3. “Don’t be angry Uncle. Merry Christmas!”
Short Sentences – showing that he is happy, like Christmas and
charitable.
4. “ If you should happen, by any unlikely chance,
to know a man more blest in a laugh than
Scrooge’s nephew, all I can say is I should like to
know him too.”
Narrative voice – reinforces how pleasant and nice Fred is.
5. “Scrooge’s offences carry their own punishment.
Who suffers? Himself!”
Dialogue – showing he understands that Scrooge is his own worst
enemy.
Minor Characters:
Fan
Fezziwig
Mrs Dilber, the
laundress and Joe
1. “I have come to bring you home dear brother...
home, home, home!”
Repetition – showing that he was loved and loveable once but
also reinforces the fact that his father didn’t want him around
2. “You are quite a woman, little Fan”
Exclamation – showing he loved and admired his sister when they
were young.
3. “Bless his heart; it’s Fezziwig alive again!”
Happy Tone – showing that he has fond memories of his old
employer.
4. “Yo ho there! Ebenezer! Dick! No more work
tonight!”
Jolly Tone – showing how charitable Fezziwig is by stopping them
from working to have a Christmas Party.
5. “He has the power to render us happy or
unhappy; to make our service light or
burdensome. The happiness he gives, is...as if it
cost a fortune”
Epiphany – Scrooge realises that happiness doesn’t have to cost a
fortune and that Fezziwig was a good employer.
6. “Who’s the worse for the loss of a few things like
these? Not a dead man I suppose.”
Tone – shows that he is reflecting on his behaviour towards Bob.
Ghost of Christmas
Present
1. “ A jolly giant who bore a glowing torch with a
cheery voice and a joyful air”
Description – showing his benevolent nature
2. “To a poor one most. Because it needs it most”
Repetition – to show the poor are in most need.
3. “I see a vacant seat. The child will die”
Short sentences – emphasise the hole that would be left in the
Cratchit family if Tiny Tim died.
4. “Will you decide what men shall live, what men
shall die? It may be in the sight of heaven, you
are more worthless and less fit to live than
millions like this poor man’s child”
Symbolism – The ghost is teaching Scrooge a lesson about
humanity.
5. “Scrooge was the ogre of the family and the
mention of his name cast a dark shadow”
Hyperbole – showing how the rest of the family felt about
Scrooge.
6. “The numbers of people on the way to friendly
gatherings”
Description – showing that even the poorest had love and
friendship.
7. “Even here... two men wished each other Merry
Christmas in their can of grog.”
Symbolism – even in the lowliest of places people showed
kindness and Christmas spirit.
8. “Yes/No game... a disagreeable, savage
animal. It’s Uncle Scro-o-o-o-ge!”
Adjectives – to show the family poking fun at Scrooge behind his
back.
9. “They are Man’s. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is
Want. Beware for I see that written which is
Doom.”
Symbolism – giving us a lesson about the nature of humans and
the dark path that this will lead humanity down.
Ghost of Christmas
Yet to Come
1. “It was shrouded in a deep black garment which
concealed its head, its face, its form and left
nothing visible except one outstretched hand”
Symbolism – describing the ghost like he is the grim reaper
2. “Ghost of the Future. I fear you more than any
spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose
is to do me good, I am prepared to bear you
company with a thankful heart.”
Epiphany – Scrooge recognises that he needs to listen to the
ghost and this is the first time that has happened.
Each stave in three words: Stave 1: Cold, selfish and message
3. “I don’t mind going (to the funeral) if a lunch is
provided.”
Emotive Language – showing that the businessmen don’t care
that Scrooge is dead they are only after a free lunch.
4. “Old Scratch has got his own at last hey?”
Rhetorical Question – showing his nickname isn’t particularly well
respected.
5. “So I am told... Cold isn’t it?”
Rhetorical question – others speaking about Scrooge with no
feeling.
6. “He frightened everyone away from him when
he was alive, to profit us when he was dead, ha,
ha!”
Mocking tone – showing that nobody cares about his death.
7. “If there is any person in the town who feels
emotion caused by this man’s death, show that
person to me, Spirit, I beseech you!”
Desperate tone – Scrooge is begging the ghost to show someone
will miss him.
8. “It would be bad fortune to find so merciless a
creditor. We may sleep tonight with light hearts,
Caroline!”
Relieved tone – creditors of Scrooge are relieved they are not in
debt to him any more as no one could be worse.
9. “I am sure none we shall none of us forget Tiny
Tim”
Repetition – grief at the death of Tiny Tim.
10. “A churchyard, overrun by weeds, the growth
of vegetation’s death not life – a worthy place!”
Triplets – showing nobody ever visited Scrooge’s grave or cared.
11. “Scrooge crept towards it, trembling, and
following the finger, read upon the stone of the
neglected grave his own name, Ebenezer
Scrooge.”
Complex sentence – reveals his emotion at seeing how little
anyone cares for him or remembers him.
Symbolised how family was more important than money – a tough situation was bearable with loved ones around you Shows the potential in life – Scrooge has money, but no family – if he wasn’t the way he was, he’d have a family Shows the significance of family at Christmas Shows the significance of meals and eating as a family – coming together of people for one social event Symbolise the social aspects of the family and importance of connecting with people – sit in a ring Ghost of Christmas Past Shows things haven’t always been so bad Show us what causes the changes in Scrooge Demonstrates to us that Scrooge has the potential to be good Shows us the importance of treating each Christmas as the last one – the loss of people cannot be recreated Symbol of aging and growing up – and the shortness of life (candle) Symbolises the impact our history has on our present Shows the importance of childhood and family relationships Shows us how we have a choice – follow love or follow money Ghost of Christmas Present Symbolises how rich the present is – important and valuable Contrasts with the past and future – both cold and sad Shows how warm and friendly the present is – convincing us of the necessity to celebrate Christmas Shows us a variety of Christmas experiences – highlighting how Christmas is an experience that all share – rich or poor; young or old Links to the heat and cold – he brings warmth Reveals what people are really experiencing at Christmas – uncovers the truth Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Shows us the danger of Scrooge not changing his ways Symbolises the unknown aspect of the future (faceless and voiceless) – we don’t know what will happen in the future Traditional view of a ghost Shows us a negative view of the world Symbolises our fear of being forgotten and not leaving a legacy Plays on our fear of dying – it is inevitable, but we don’t like to be reminded of it Poor / Rich We see negative and positive rich/poor characters, showing us the different types of people in society Dickens shows us how poor people survive – steal or work hard – very little choices The gentlemen from the charity highlight the hypocrisy of Victorian society – people thought that charity was enough to solve the problems Dickens show us through Tiny Tim’s fate how the rich and poor need each other – without they will fail / die Industrialisation made the rich richer and the poor poorer – made the gap wider Ignorance and Want Both are presented as children – showing us how the young are the most important aspect of society – they are neglected here Ironic names – the rich focus on their ‘wants’ and our ‘ignorant’ to their influence, while the poor lack education and want things Dickens believed in the power of education – he felt that education was the key to improving society. If children were educated properly, then they could succeed
Both characters are hidden from sight – the characters are hidden in under the clothes of Christmas Present symbolising how our focus on the present makes us forget those in need Belle – fiancée Belle represents a time when Scrooge was happy She symbolises a choice between money and happiness – she offered him a choice and he chose money She represents rejection – and as she rejected him, he rejects all affection Symbolises the start of Scrooge’s journey into loneliness Two different versions of Bella – happy with Scrooge and happy not being with Scrooge Highlights how happy she is without him Fred Shows how Scrooge’s cruelty is not a natural thing – it doesn’t run in the blood Contrast with Scrooge – shows us how someone should behave at Christmas Symbol of determination and positivity in the face of adversity Represents Scrooge’s link to humanity – through him he can be a normal person again Show us how family love in unconditional Symbolises the importance of family Themes: Isolation Emotional – Scrooge Physical – The Poor are separated from the poor – descriptions of the slums in Stave 4 Enforced – Workhouses and Prisons mentioned in Stave 1 Hot and cold used to highlight the different types of isolation – cold is usually associated with isolation Scrooge’s home represent isolation – different types – bed, bedroom, large house, empty street Family is often used in the story as the opposite of isolation The ghosts make sure Scrooge is not that alone in the story – they break the pattern Choices Scrooge is responsible for the choices in the novella – he is in control of his world Scrooge is responsible for his current unhappiness – if he made the right choices, he would be happy now Scrooge has more choice than other characters because he has money – money gives you choice The key choice in the book is the choice between material goods or people Christian view of sacrifice and charity at the heart of the choices in the play Family Two clear contrasting families – Scrooge / Cratchit (rich / poor) Happy events or positive moods occur when people are together as a family Family is linked to heat Family life is seen as healthy and good for you When Scrooge becomes part of a family, he becomes happy Scrooge cares more when he treats Bob and Tiny Tim as a family – an inclusive view of society – a responsibility to support one another Family accepts mistakes and past errors – Fred welcomes Scrooge back Forgiveness / Compassion Starts with a lack of compassion – refusal to help charities; ends with compassion and charity – reversal
