A Christmas Carol

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With close reference to the text explain the different ways that scrooge changes after each encounter with the spirits and what methods Dickens uses to convey these changes in the novella.

‘A Christmas Carol’

At the time when dickens was writing the Christmas tradition was not nearly as important as it is today. The Christmas tradition gained popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria in England. One reason for this was that the monarchy supported it: Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband brought the German tradition of decorating the Christmas tree when he came to England.

Life in Victorian Britain for the poor and un-privileged was very hard as children were uneducated; they had very little money and therefore were unable to afford to go to school. Young children were being employed in factories and mines as chimney sweeps. Children were expected to help towards the family budget, often working long hours in dangerous jobs and low wages. On the other hand life for the richer and fortunate people was more relaxing and also benefitted them in many ways. Parents could afford to send their children to school to get a good enough education; some were very fortunate and were able to be tutored at home.

In Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’ the readers follow a story that highlights many Victorian issues through a message in his novella. Ebenezer Scrooge is a wealthy but mean and miserly old man, with his familiar cry of “Bah Humbug!”  Who believes Christmas is just a trick most people use to gain a day off work. On Christmas Eve, he was visited by four spirits who hoped of reforming Scrooges heartless and penny pinching ways as Christmas morning arrives.

In stave one of “A Christmas Carol” Scrooges outward appearance is compared to a scavenger. “The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eye red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice”. In this quote Dickens used adjectives to describe the character Scrooge, he list the features to show the audience what Scrooges appearance is like.

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Scrooge’s personality also matches with his appearance. “Hard and sharp as a flint, from which no steel had ever stuck out generous fire; secret, and self contained as an oyster”. The use of commas gives an effect to show his personalities and by listing the bad points. Scrooge has also been compared to dead wood which shows the audience that he has no personality at all. The phrase “self contained as an oyster” tells us the pearl inside an oyster is like his wealth as Scrooge keeps everything to himself and is happy being closed.

Scrooge believes that Christmas ...

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