A Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol

By

Chris Diamond

Stave 1:

Scrooge’s character is established early in stave 1. Dickens shows his popularity by showing us his relationships with people in his surroundings. We can tell scrooge is unpopular as the narrator portrays him as a “Tight fisted hand at the grindstone.”

Scrooges name give us a similarity between the word scrounge what is to be tight with money and every opportunity to make money, this automatically helps us launch an understanding that he is tight with his money, what is necessary to associate him as nasty old man. When the narrator is describing Scrooge he uses words that help us negotiate an opinion that Scrooge is an aggressive and is detested by person. It helps us find out that scrooge is a bitter, mean, twisted, moody and selfish old man. The narrator Charles Dickens builds the foundation of our understanding of our knowledge that he is despised by referring to him as “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner” that helps us portray that scrooge is tight with his money. Dickens also tells us that he is “External heart and cold had little influence on scrooge” and also that scrooge says “no warmth, and no wintry winter cold chill scrooge.” In general scrooge is described to have poor relations with other people and literally he is a loner, but this is what he wants. Scrooge is known by people as a bitter old man, as when he walks down the street people avoid his wicked ways. In a way it as if scrooge wants to stay alone and he may enjoy being despised by others. Dickens goes on to mention how he was avoided on the street, “No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle” and that no one would dare give a greeting as they would only be ignored or been told “Humbug.” Scrooges relation to his nephew is a very dull it may even seem as he doesn’t want a relation and maybe he isn’t even seen as a relative. Scrooge shows no affection towards him by declining his invitation to dinner on Christmas day. Scrooge does all that he can to turn his nephew ideas on Christmas. Scrooge’s argument on Christmas is that they have “no right to be merry as you are poor enough.” And he said he lives in his word of fools. We can tell he wants to be alone by telling him to “keep Christmas in his own way” literally telling him to leave him alone. Scrooge’s relation towards the two gentlemen collecting money for a charity is that he instantly finds a defense of why he shouldn’t give money. He says that he shouldn’t give money because there are actually places for the homeless people to go scrooge feels “it’s none of my business” and he feels that “it’s enough for a man to understand his own business and not to interfere in others.” This also gives us ways of proving how cold hearted he is. Scrooge’s relationship with his employee Bob Cratchit is one where he mistreats poor bob. Scrooge neglects Bob and he thinks that he has to get his moneys worth for his work. The ways that Scrooge mistreats Bob Cratchit is by not allow him to put another coal on his fire he is told to “poke the ashes.” This shows his wicked and cruel side but Cratchit puts up with his evil ways because he believes it is because Scrooge is lonely. Scrooge is adamant about bobs time of work he finds a defense about why should he not work, his feeling is “you’ll want all day tomorrow I suppose” and he is disappointed when he says hell pay a day wages for no work. He still requires him in early the day after to make sure he earns that days money. The attitude of the narrator on Ebenezer Scrooge is giving us a sense of belief of his and others opinions of scrooge are. It explains that scrooge is a terrible person and that it is setting the scene for later on in the play when we are introduced to his past partner and old friend Marley or his ghost. Dickens uses language to associate and expose as cold hearted. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather could chill hum, is how he is described, be it is even suggested that is how he preferred it, or that he is lonesome and afraid of happiness. The language helps us feel our own opinion of scrooge, if it I one of hatred or feel a sense of compassion for him. We could feel a sense of anger against scrooge as he treats others on for his lack of feeling, but on the other hand we could feel sorrow for him as he is lonely and may not feel that way.

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Towards the end of the stave we are introduced to the ghost of Marley. This helps us acknowledge that Dickens is trying to put forward the suggestion that you will

Be punished after death. Marley’s ghost is trying to persuade if not trying to frighten scrooge in mending his wicked ways. When we are introduced we find out that the chain that Marley is wearing is due to his ways before he died, he tells scrooge that “your chain was the same length seven Christmas past.” This tells scrooge that over those seven years he ha labored and his chain ...

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