Another similar technique Dickens uses is descriptive words to mirror Scrooge’s character, mood and the mood of the book. In the first chapter “melancholy” is repeated and in the fifth chapter the word “chuckle” is repeated. The words are repeated so the reader associates it with something else that is repeated which is the presence of the main character. This is not as effective as other techniques because other techniques are more effective and overshadow the descriptive words. This is a subtle implicit technique. The word “melancholy” is a word associated with glumness and sadness; this is unlike the word “chuckle”. When someone chuckles, it shows that they are being amused and feel pleasure. This is exactly the opposite of melancholy. By using two words that are completely opposite Dickens emphasises the change. Dickens spent most of his life in London; he could be referring to London when he says “melancholy”. If so, then when he says “chuckle” in the last chapter, maybe that is what he wants London to be associated with. He wants London to change just like Scrooge does, by looking at its past which was full of culture and home to one of his influences (Shakespeare), its present which is full of poverty and solitude and its future which could be a empty, poor, greedy and unkind city. If I was making a modern day version of A Christmas Carol I would film the first part showing just the roads and the residential areas of London but in the final part show London in all its glory by including sites such as Big Ben or the London Eye. This would show not only a new outlook of London (which would reflect the new outlook Scrooge has on life) but that this is what London should be associated with: amazing sites.
Another technique that is used in the first chapter and the fifth is pathetic fallacy. In the first chapter the weather is described as “cold” and “biting”. In the fifth chapter, the weather is described as “jovial” and “bright” which is how Dickens wants Scrooge to be seen in the last chapter. Pathetic fallacy is very effective for the reader because humans usually judge and decide their moods based on the weather so it is easy for them to assess someone else’s mood or character based on the weather. If someone is cold, they are seen as evasive and as a non-caring person this is unlike the word jovial which is associated with candid, outgoing caring people. The use of opposites again emphasises the change Scrooge undergoes. Dickens may have used the weather to show change because Dickens thinks you can change just like the weather changes – easily. From this point you can say that change is quick or he wants it to be quick, the change that he wants is the poverty and unkindness of London. Dickens was a theist and weather was seen to be controlled by God. By showing good weather, it’s as though Dickens is saying, God now approves of Scrooge. Dickens chose to do this because he disliked the institutions of God in England (such as Church of England and Roman Catholic Church) and by showing someone who has been approved by God but has no affiliation with the church (like him) it aided his purpose of showing that you can be good without being a clergy man. If I was making a film of A Christmas Carol, I would use pathetic fallacy to set mood (of not only Scrooge but the film) however I would never show Scrooge in the rain or cloudy weather, this would put forward the idea that at heart Scrooge is good. This would also reinforce Dickens idea that no matter how far down the “nasty” side you are, you can change because there is always a bit of good in you.
Another technique that is used to show Scrooge’s change in the first and final chapter is people’s reactions and attitudes toward him while he is walking down the street. In the first chapter, while Scrooge is walking down the road people are repulsed by him, in fact “no man, woman” or “child” dared to speak to him. In the last chapter, Scrooge is described as “irresistibly pleasant”. By showing Scrooge doing the same thing (walking down the street) but people treating him differently, it gives the reader an idea of how to react to him. Scrooge has been turned from someone you run away from to someone who you can’t help but stopping for conversation. This is very effective because humans tend to follow what a majority do and they also tend to follow someone if they are friends with them. The narrator appears to be a friendly person so we are more likely to listen to him than the spawn of Satan. The reader will then follow what the narrator thinks of Scrooge. Dickens is well known for having a close group of friends and family, so maybe by showing how attitudes can change in the street, Dickens is encouraging us to get a close group of friends (by being irresistibly pleasant in the street). It’s as though A Christmas Carol is a guide book and Dickens is the preacher. This point would make sense seeing as Dickens didn’t like the institution of God, Dickens may think he is the alternative to the Church.
Dickens uses Scrooge’s use of questions to show change. In the first chapter, Scrooge only ever asks rhetoric questions such as “Are there no prisons?”. This is unlike the questions he asks in the last chapter, where they seem to be used in almost a pleading way such as “will you come and see me?” This technique works because it shows that Scrooge has changed from someone who doesn’t want an answer to someone who does. By this I mean that he changes from someone who wants to be left alone to someone who wants to converse. Scrooge no longer wants to be alone. Questions are a way of interaction which is something Scrooge didn’t want any of in the first chapter. This is a very implicit but effective technique. One could also say that Scrooge starts to ask questions to gain knowledge and even omniscience. Omniscience is associated with God, by showing Scrooge is going after what God has shows that he is in accordance with God. Dickens would have chosen this technique because he wanted to show that you can believe in God without having to be associated with the Church.
Scrooge’s accuracy is technique that is used in both the first and last chapter to show change. In the first chapter Scrooge is presented as someone who is pedantic and accurate, in fact his name alone is “good upon change”. However in the last chapter Scrooge is presented someone who isn’t pedantic and exaggerates. In fact he even says “I thank you fifty times”. Scrooge changes form someone who cares about every detail and things that don’t matter (such as language) to someone who doesn’t want to waste their time caring about things that don’t matter. This isn’t very effective for the reader because the idea of this changed isn’t emphasised or explicit at all. In fact Scrooge’s pedantic ways are only mentioned once. Dickens chose it none-the-less because Dickens wants to show that you don’t have to take everything literally. Some members of the church took everything the bible said literally. Dickens would obviously be against this seeing as he is against mild church associations. This again supports the idea that Dickens is preaching and offering an alternative to the Church’s way of life. To emphasise this technique in a film I would show Scrooge taking his time to write or sign a letter, making sure all the Ts are crossed and then at the end I would show him in a rush to sign a letter. This shows that he no longer cares about the small things.
What age Scrooge feels is used the show change. In the first chapter we know how old Scrooge is but not how he actually feels, this helps out perception that he is lonely. In the last chapter we do know how scrooge feels, he feels like a “baby”. When someone is described as a baby it means they are innocent, open minded, and means the person maybe starting a fresh. By showing Scrooge feels like he’s starting a fresh shows that he has changed and is going to be as good and kind as he can be (why else would you start a fresh if you didn’t intend on changing?). This is a very effective technique because Scrooge is presented as an old man in the first four chapters and to suddenly just change into a baby hits the reader hard and has a huge effect. I think Dickens chose the word “baby” not only because of all the conation I listed before but he had a good boyhood, so when he uses the word he is referring all the virtues and happiness he had while he was young.
The language used to describe is religious in the last chapter however it isn’t in the first. In the fifth chapter words and phrases such as “heavenly” (when describing the weather) and “God bless”. There is no religious language in the first chapter. By using religious language it is showing that Scrooge is now acting in accordance with God. Scrooge has been turned from a man of self to a man of God. This technique is effective to Dickens’ audience but not so much the modern audience. I say this because today’s society isn’t as religious as Dickens’, this makes a difference because his audience would have picked up on religious words, but today’s audience would rather assume “heavenly” was associated with cakes than Christ. Dickens chose this technique because he believed in God and by showing someone who also believes in God do good deeds it may encourage others to do good deeds as well. Dickens also chose this technique to show that you can be a theist without having to be associated with the church and it doesn’t make you any less of a good person.
Onomatopoeia is used in the last chapter to show a pleasant and audible change. In the fifth chapter “clang, clash, dong, ding” are used to describe church bells. However the first chapter no onomatopoeia is used to describe anything. This shows change because the idea of change in sound and language is reflected in Scrooge. Onomatopoeia is often used to show pleasantness so by using it in the fifth chapter and not the first it shows that Scrooge is now pleasant and he has changed from the nastiness (silence). Dickens used this because he knew that onomatopoeia is noticeable to hearing because it sticks out from the norm, the reader isn’t likely to hear clangs and clashes everyday. Dickens also used it because he wanted the reader to know that the change would be noticeable just like the onomatopoeia is. This is very effective because it isn’t obvious to the reader, the reader is unaware that it gets their attention but it does and links them to the idea of pleasantness.
In comparing and contrasting the different range of techniques used to show Scrooge’s change I have found more similar (ones that have been used in both chapters) than different ones. I think this is because the use of opposites and being aware of what Scrooge was like in the past enables us to contrast and see how much Scrooge has really changed (which a fair amount). A Christmas Carol did match some of my expectations; it is universally friendly, in the fact that it doesn’t offend any nationalities. In fact I think this was even an apology, Scrooge is a snob at the start and Dickens described Americans as “snobs” so by showing Scrooge’s change maybe Dickens is saying America has changed from its uptight ways. It also matched my expectations in the fact that he did try to encourage others to be charitable and that they didn’t have to be associated with God to be a good person. One thing that didn’t match my expectations was that Scrooge was not so much of an optimistic man at the start however I agree with how Dickens showed the journey of change. This however was risky at the time seeing as chapters went for sale weekly or monthly to make it cheaper for poor people to buy the novel, so if they see a depressing main character they may not invest in the idea. Dickens also showed his good boyhood by referring to his childhood and showing that Scrooge also had a good childhood. This book was overall more optimistic which is what I expected (in order for Dickens to get his popularity back).
