Theme Quotes
Loneliness + Isolation Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole
residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner.’
- pg 7
liked to ‘edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human
sympathy to keep its distance,’ - pg 9
‘why cannot we be friends?” “Good afternoon,” said Scrooge.’ - pg 11
‘The water-plug being left in solitude, its overflowings sullenly congealed, and
turned to misanthropic ice.’ - pg 14
‘Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern;’ - pg 16
‘there he sat alone. Quite alone in the world,’ - pg 43
‘A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still.’ - pg 32
‘lonely boy was reading near a feeble fire;’ - pg 32]
‘stood outside the window, with an axe stuck in his belt, and leading by the
bridle an ass laden with wood. “Why, it’s Ali Baba!” Scrooge exclaimed in
ecstasy.’ - pg 33
‘he was, alone again, when all the other boys had gone home for the jolly
holidays’ - pg 34
‘“why wasn’t he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he’d have had
somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying
gasping out his last there, alone by himself.”’
‘A pale light, rising in the outer air, fell straight upon the bed; and on it,
plundered and bereft, unwatched, unwept, uncared for, was the body of this
man’
‘He lay, in the dark empty house, with not a man, a woman, or a child, to say
that he was kind to me in this or that, and for the memory of one kind word I
will be kind to him’
‘The only emotion that the Ghost could show him, caused by the event, was
one of pleasure.’
, Theme Quotes
Social Responsibility ‘But he couldn’t replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room;’ -
p.g 9
‘“Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to
stop them in their useful course,” said Scrooge. “I’m very glad to hear it.”’ - pg
13 (referring to Poor Law)
‘“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity,
mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of
my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my
business!”’ - pg 22
‘He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or
burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in… things so slight
and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ‘em up; what then? The
happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune.’ - pg 39
‘There are some on this earth of yours… who lay claim to know us, and who do
their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in
our name, who are as strange to us and all our kith and kin, as if they had never
lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.’ - pg 52
‘They are Man’s….And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. The boy is
Ignorance. The girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but
most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom,
unless the writing be erased.’ - pg 67
‘he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and
as good a man,’
‘“Thank’ee,” said Scrooge. “I am much obliged to you. I thank you fifty times.
Bless you!” He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the
people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned
beggars, ’