This essay focuses on the protagonist of the novella: Scrooge and his idiosyncratic miserliness, and in particular the transformation of him as the novella progresses.
Introduction:
Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in the 19th century, when extreme poverty and social discrimination were prominent ...
• You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this question.
• You should use the extract below and your knowledge of the whole text to answer this question.
• Write about Scrooge’s attitude to others as shown throughout the novel.
• In your response you should:
• refer to the extract and the novel as a whole
• show your understanding of characters and events in the novel
• refer to the contexts of the novel (40 marks)
Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in the 19th century, when extreme poverty and
social discrimination were prominent in society. Dickens was a social reformer
and so created the character ‘Ebenezer Scrooge’ to reflect the ignorance and
miserliness of those richer. He uses Scrooge’s moral transformation to encourage
rich Victorians to help the poor and needy and take more moral and social
responsibility for the appalling injustice of the Victorian class system.
At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge is described as a cold, hearted
character and is described using the simile ‘as hard and sharp as flint’. This
perhaps reflects that Scrooge is tough and unfeeling with a hard exterior that
cannot be broken into. The adjective ‘sharp’ suggests that he is curt and harsh
when interacting with people. However, flint can create fire, which can be linked
with danger and anger representing that Scrooge is volatile and aggressive. A
deeper layer of meaning connotes that fire also provides warmth foreshadowing
Scrooge may become a more kind- hearted character later on in the novella.
Dickens also describes Scrooge as ‘secret, solitary and self-contained as an
oyster’. The noun oyster also illustrates that although oysters have a harsh and
sharp exterior similar to that of Scrooge, when it is broken into, you find a pearl,
beautiful and pleasant. This suggests that Scrooge has a little glimmer of hope
inside him. The sibilance of the simile also has connotations of the sea adding to
the imagery of the sea and the oyster, depicting that Scrooge is on a journey; a
journey to a better and more meaningful life.
Dickens successfully presents Scrooge’s callous attitude towards the poor
and his own nephew, Fred who arrives at Scrooge’s place of work, wishing
Scrooge ‘A merry Christmas’. Scrooge states: ‘What right have you to be merry?
What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.’ The nouns ‘right and
reason’ show that Scrooge thinks that being merry on Christmas is considered
unlawful and not considered proper if you are poor and he believes they need
justification to be happy. Dickens successfully demonstrates what kind of a
character Scrooge is that he think his nephew doesn’t deserve to be happy is he
doesn’t have money. The quantifier ‘enough’ implies that Scrooge is already
aware that his nephew is very poor but he chooses not to help him or do
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller f4timaha. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.85. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
