Christmas Carol Quotes

Front 1

"Marley was dead, to begin with."

Back 1

High impact, mysterious, foreshadows. As paradox.

Front 2

"[the chain] was made of chashboxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds and heavy purses."

Back 2

Represents all Marley did was work. Stuck in Purgotory becuase didn't make the most of his time in earth and focussed on business.

Front 3

"It was a strange figure, like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man."

Back 3

Ghost represent past: Young = Memories, Old = Wisdom

Front 4

"Darkness is cheap and Scrooge liked it."

Back 4

Shows how cheap Scrooge is and how much he values money over human elements such as light and warmth.

Front 5

"What idol has displaced you? he rejoined. 'A golden one."

Back 5

Metaphor, Scrooge's most prized possesion used to be Belle but is now money (golden). Showing greed has over Scrooge's life and isloating him.

Front 6

"Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, 'my dear Scrooge how are you?'"

Back 6

Scrooge is isolated, mean, unapproachable.

Front 7

"Father is so much kinder than he used to be, that home's like heaven."

Back 7

Scrooge's dad was a negative influence and sent him to boarding school causing him to be isolated.

Front 8

"Unwatched, unwept, uncared for."

Back 8

Alliteration, dead man is isolated, no one cared about his death.

Front 9

"Why to a poor one most? Because it needs it most."

Back 9

The poorest people need the most help and support, opposite to Scrooge's veiw.

Front 10

"As well as golden goblets would have done."

Back 10

Shows that the cheap solution does just as well, Dickens highlighting superflous spending and materialsm, form over function.

Front 11

"Two young Cratchits went to fetch a goose with which they soon returned in high procession."

Back 11

Goose is a rare in Cratchit family. Although cheap bird family can only afford once a year, emphasises poverty.

Front 12

"The boy is ignorance. The girl is want."

Back 12

Minor Sentences - Want is a threat to Christmas. Ignorance represents a disconnected uppper class. Those in poverty are real people. Dicken's highlighting the route out of poverty is knowledge.

Front 13

"I should like to have given him something: thats all."

Back 13

Scrooge becomes more human, can be generous.

Front 14

"Oh kind spirit, say he will be spared."

Back 14

Scrooge showing sympathy for Tiny Tim, showing change from old self.

Front 15

"I will honour Christmas in my heart."

Back 15

Promises to embody Christmas values all year round. Christmas brings out the best in people.

Front 16

"I'm quite the baby."

Back 16

Metaphor, unsure of world with new perspective. Also suggests rebirth.

Front 17

"I will live in the past, the present and the future."

Back 17

New mantra: Will take all he has learnt into consideration when living his new life.

Front 18

"An intelligent boy!"

Back 18

Scrooge having positive, friendly interaction with child. Scrooge used to hate kids.

Front 19

"God bless us everyone!"

Back 19

Optimism/giving/selflesness. Tim represents innocence and purity.

Front 20

"Read upon the stone of the negelcted grave his own name. Ebenezer Scrooge."

Back 20

Dosen't uncover truth sooner because scared of confronting reality and dosen't veiw himself as miserable old man and didn't connnect with dead man.

Front 21

"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

Back 21

Using Scrooge's own words to describe solution to the poor. Everyones responsibility to look after.

Front 22

"Are there no prisons? And the union workhouses?"

Back 22

Narrow mindedness and Cruelty of Scrooge, dump the poor in Workhouses and Prisons.

Front 23

"Not a farthing less, a great many back payments are included."

Back 23

Scrooge making up for years of not donating. Taking social responsibility.

Front 24

"Bah Humbug!"

Back 24

Exclamation reinforces Scrooge is uncaning and does not enjoy Christmas which suggests he is miserable. It also demonstrates Scrooge's isolation and how he does not live his life to the fullest. He only cares about money which suggests he is greedy.

Front 25

"A merry Christmas and a happy New Year!"

Back 25

Exclamation from Scrooge highlighting his change. It contrasts with his saying; "Bah humbug!" which Scrooge used to say in response to Christmas related matters. It reinforces that Scrooge has learnt to appreciate Christmas and uphold its values. He is shown to be living life to the fullest.

Front 26

"Brave in ribbons."

Back 26

Description of Mrs Cratchit during preparations for dinner. Ribbons are typically cheap and looks tacky which suggests that whist they are struggling they are still making an effort to stand proud and are respectful of what they have. We can infer this through the adjective brave which has connotations of courage and confidence.

Front 27

"Derived from good by which I have not profited."

Back 27

The verb "profited" highlights that money in not the key to life and there are more important things than monetary profit.

Front 28

"Pity him."

Back 28

The verb expresses how Fred understands that Scrooge is missing out on a large portion of his life.

Front 29

"Squeezing, Wrenching, Grasping covetous old sinner!"

Back 29

Suggests Scrooge is a mean/evil old man which is reinforced through the negative connotations of the adjectives.