A Christmas Carol GCSE Revision
- Created by: Abi
- Created on: 28-04-19 11:04
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- A Christmas Carol
- The Cratchits
- "White Comforter"
- White is the colour of a surrender flag, also the colour of innocence. He's innocent as he is so pure and hasn't been stained with ill-whims whereas, he's surrendering perhaps because it's a symbol of how they've had enough, they just want true, genuine happiness again.
- "Their clothes were far from waterproof"
- Furthers and prolongs their suffering, rain makes something cleaner and fresher again. The dirt on them (a metaphor for the mistreating and awful circumstances that they've had that day) whilst rain should be a bad thing, for them it is a good thing as it washes away the bad it is washed away by the rain, they use what they experience to make them better people. After rain comes sunnier skies, it refreshes them and makes them realise how grateful they are for even HAVING clothes, outside influences keep them humbled."Happy, grateful". They don't let what they experience phase them. as their clothes "aren't" waterproof it means that the rain always covers them
- "Brave in ribbons"
- Ribbons are a small touch- Mrs Cratchit is trying desperately hard to remain positive but it's so tough, the "ribbons" are holding her together just as they are holding her hair together.
- All she could afford, trying to put on a brave face, even luxuries like this would be hard to come-by, Christmas is clearly a very special day. It could also infer she just wants to pretend they are like a normal family for the day.
- "he tried to warm himself by the candle and failed"
- Nothing has ever happened to him before and so the fact he's now become so desperate indicates just how bad the situation has become, conditions are getting worse and worse every day but no-one appears to notice
- Normally the measly methods, despite how harsh they are, work and so "failed" shows how the conditions are starting to wear him out- he is losing his strong-will and determination and is hit by a barrier he cannot break down. It's too bad for him now. Not even his inner warmth can help him now.
- "it looked like one coal"
- As it's Winter it'd be impossible to stay warm which infers he has other methods of warmth for example, he may be staying warm from the warmth his soul radiates, his inner warmth. This emphasises what a lovely man he is, he's so friendly that warmth radiates from him.
- "White Comforter"
- Marley
- "I wear the chains i forged in life"
- "Forged" con notates to the idea he forcefully made it, he had the choice to make the right decision and yet, he ignored that chance; his ill-mannered- whims were unnecessary and he was a horrible man just for the sake of it. It shows how intricate his methods of money-grabbing were, he went far beyond necessary.
- when someone goes to jail chains are sometimes used(attached to the actual handcuffs), it is connotated that he is in purgatory, a far worse place than jail, going to prison for stealing something or money(their worst nightmare) is far lesser a crime to what they've done.
- "I wear the chains i forged in life"
- "say he will be spared"
- He sees that this child didn't create his own poverty, he was born into the harsh cycle and unable to escape and now as a result of collective mistreatment he will suffer from everybody elses ill-whims, Scrooge understands this hence why he has made it his own business. He sees his individual part.
- "have they no resource or refuge"
- It's a question yet it has a desperate tone as demonstrated as he "cried" it- it suggests exasperation, he's in uproar and feels passionately by it,"or"- by giving two options he's desperate they'll at least have one of them, he doesn't want to believe what he's seeing emphasises just how little they have and the question may not just be for the spirit but instead for himself , he's always believed they deserved little but now he's starting to question why with such intent implies he's starting to doubt that. Perhaps he's therefore also doubting other beliefs like whether he's making the right decisions as well. "From the foldings of its robe", As the spirit reveals them from his skirt this could be a metaphor for how they are literally hidden away from society because people don’t want to see them as they are an embarrassment to the country which could be symbolising the stupidity that stems from class divide, When children are not educated or acknowledged (Ignorance), they cannot be free to prosper and to give back to society so they cannot they break the cycle which the richer are so keen for them to do despite their own actions making it impossible.
- "child" highlights his youth and complete undeserving to die. Scrooges uproar suggests he now understands the significance and they are not generally the result of individual bad choices, and that he has, whatever his station in life, a moral responsibility to help those less fortunate than himself.
- Fred(Scrooges nephew)
- "His breath smoked again
- “Smoked again” links to the Industrial Revolution where people worked hard in factories and he mirrors that smoke and so mirrors the hard work that went into producing it so this is what a true working man of society, he posesses all of the qualities required; determination (through his ability to be positive in such harsh conditions), friendliness and care through the warmth he radiates. He mirrors the smoke coming out of the working factories which wasmaking Britain great.In contrast to the icy imagery of Scrooge, the nephew’s ‘breath smoked’: because the air was cold and his breath was hot as he was full of warmth and had been walking, warm breath on cold air produces a vapour (like smoke) condensing it- he has the power to condense all the metaphorical cold in the world if only everyone was like him.
- Fred has good cheer due to the christmas spirit, hence why his breath is "smoked" because on the inside he's so warm, Christmas season is an image or symbol of the more long-lasting changes that need to be created in the city of London
- "His breath smoked again
- "If they would rather die"
- "rather" is a verb and it imply he thinks they are making a conscience decision to be the way that they are as to "rather" be something implies a choice, it suggests he thinks they have another option."They" also derives a depersonalised link towards the poor, he is doing a collective grouping; he believes that they are all exactly the same. This could be a link to the 1834 poor law- Malthus' idea; by giving to the poor we were encouraging them to be greedy- Scrooge believed they were doing it all by choice-perhaps they are only like this because of a lack of education.
- "I'm quite a baby"
- Just like a baby (as babies are full of excitement and laughter)He is excited to treat people kindly and share his wealth. Babies are innocent- so is he- he is now pure as the darkness of his evil deeds have been wiped.
- The heavy weight of what he's done has been wiped- babies are so light-weight, connotates to the chains in stave 1 where he was weighed down by them.This quote shows the reader that after Scrooge has woken up he feels like a different person. The phrase "Quite a baby" could mean that he feels like he's been reborn because he feels like a completely different person. This could be because he feels really happy now and he can't remember feeling like that.
- The phrase "I'd rather be a baby" suggests that Scrooge has learnt his lesson and he would rather be a baby to make sure he doesn't repeat the same mistakes. The word baby has connotations of happy, innocent and care-free Scrooge could be using this word because he wishes he could start his life again as innocent and happy knowing what he now knows and having seen the mistakes he made. He's now found a better way of living life.
- "I am as light as a feather." Connotates to the feathers on the wings of angels.
- "I have been displaced by another idol...a
golden one"
- the use of "idol" infers Scrooge worships
money and sees it like a god, like a way out to everything and an answer to all
his problems, to the extent he's willing to sacrifice love and happiness for
it, just like how the majority of the people at the time were Christians who
saw God in the same way. This shows Scrooges love for money as whilst Belle should have been the most precious thing to him, now money is instead. Money dictates his actions and behaviour.
- " let me profit by it"
- "I have been displaced by another idol...a
golden one"
- the use of "idol" infers Scrooge worships
money and sees it like a god, like a way out to everything and an answer to all
his problems, to the extent he's willing to sacrifice love and happiness for
it, just like how the majority of the people at the time were Christians who
saw God in the same way. This shows Scrooges love for money as whilst Belle should have been the most precious thing to him, now money is instead. Money dictates his actions and behaviour.
- " let me profit by it"
- "profit"- reference to money, his money is still dictating his behaviour and language, it's still on his subconscious mind even if he doesn't realise it. However, the reference to money could symbolise his degradation of his old ways. He's using words that link to wealth to describe how he wants to change- it couldtherefore on a deeper level foreshadow how he will use his monetary wealth as a way to change (y helping Tiny Tim)
- " let me profit by it"
- the use of "idol" infers Scrooge worships
money and sees it like a god, like a way out to everything and an answer to all
his problems, to the extent he's willing to sacrifice love and happiness for
it, just like how the majority of the people at the time were Christians who
saw God in the same way. This shows Scrooges love for money as whilst Belle should have been the most precious thing to him, now money is instead. Money dictates his actions and behaviour.
- "profit"- reference to money, his money is still dictating his behaviour and language, it's still on his subconscious mind even if he doesn't realise it. However, the reference to money could symbolise his degradation of his old ways. He's using words that link to wealth to describe how he wants to change- it couldtherefore on a deeper level foreshadow how he will use his monetary wealth as a way to change (y helping Tiny Tim)
- "I have been displaced by another idol...a
golden one"
- " let me profit by it"
- the use of "idol" infers Scrooge worships
money and sees it like a god, like a way out to everything and an answer to all
his problems, to the extent he's willing to sacrifice love and happiness for
it, just like how the majority of the people at the time were Christians who
saw God in the same way. This shows Scrooges love for money as whilst Belle should have been the most precious thing to him, now money is instead. Money dictates his actions and behaviour.
- Everything that links to warmth is shared from other people which indicates the idea they support one another, they wouldn't have all of this if it weren't for each other especially: no-one is left enjoying the warmth on their own- they share it with other people- they like to share their resources (as they've all been provided by other people). They're safe from the harshness of outside, they protect each other. Perhaps it is metaphor of the warmth that is emitted from a person when they help someone in need, which they all are!! Hence why they're always surrounded by warmth. Light can help people to see, perhaps an extended metaphor for self-discovery, it helps them to keep sight on what's important perhaps? It shines light on family. They are each the thing that keeps a person going. The collective work helps them to appreciate one another. At Christmas Time all of their worries melt away as they are there for one another whereas, for Scrooge he is isolated and still remains angry towards the world as no-ones shown him what there is to be grateful for.
- Scrooge walks along with "the cold within him" which could be emphasising his lack of support for society, rather than radiating heat and warmth he radiates "cold" which highlights how uncohesive he is towards society as he does't support it by sharing warmth like everyone else but by sharing cold. "froze" suggests he's been this way for a while, it's been so long since he helped a person in need that now he's suffering from his ill-whims, he's become set in his ways and it will take a while before he can change back. When somethings "cold" it releases mist making everything foggy, his vision has become clouded, he's so used to isolating himself from society that he's lost sight of whats important, he only sees the world in terms of wealth and business as opposed to family and community like everybody else, he doesn't have people helping to shine light on them so he can appreciate what he has which shows it's impossible to find Christmas or any other time joyful unless there are people surrounding them a person and making them realise what they have. It's impossible to be happy without support.
- "It was a strange figure -like a child; her not so like a child"
- That it appears "strange" is a clear reference to the supernatural which infers it isn't real but the phrase "figure" implies that for Scrooge, his appearance is very much real. The contrast between youth and all the antithesis shows that want happens if our innocent child-years are still relevant to us as we age. We are born innocent and moral.
- "there sat a jolly giant"
- It shows the progression of life, he's now the person he wants to be.
- The Cratchits
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