The narrator describes Scrooge as "Hard and sharp as flint." His appearance matches his character, with cold-looking, pointy features. He took us home and hammered us. Oysters are confined solitarily. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. very low fire indeed; nothing on such a bitter night. The protagonist of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is a cold-hearted and mean-spirited accountant. Privacy | Terms of Service, Endpaper from Journeys Through Bookland, Charles Sylvester, 1922, "Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster". Scrooge sees the workhouses as a solution to a problem, and shuts out the idea that their inhabitants are real feeling human beings. No matter how vivid the apparitions become, Scrooge insists that he knows better. science pearson edexcel end of unit test higher. Be here all the earlier next morning. Each adjective is also connected with the hands to show how he holds tightly to everything he has. "No," said scrooge, "no. It is made up of two Greek words, ana meaning up, and lysis meaning to loosen. Marley is not saying business is inherently bad, but he is saying that it is terrifically small and narrow in comparison to the rest of life, and certainly that business success is not enough to right any wrongs one commits in life. I am determined to get 8's and 9's at GCSE. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. The novel 'A Christmas Carol' narrates the story of a man called Scrooge and how he realises his behaviour to people must change in order to do well in his life as spirits show his past, present and future. His greed is so extreme that he will not even spend the money to allow Cratchit to be warm in the office. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now! This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. - Scrooge, create, study and share online flash cards, "Oh! My partner is letting her friend sleep in her bed, am I overeacting? went down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve, and then ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt, to play at blindmans-buff. Before telling us the incident with the door knocker, In order to make this night stand out as a unique milestone in Scrooges routine existence, the narrator focuses first on Scrooge's sanity and the usual normality of his world. As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon, it was a knocker again. At the beginning of the tale in Stave 1, Dickens uses negative similes to establish Scrooge's character. By contrast, scenes of happiness and generosity are represented by large fires, such as that of a party in a scene from the past held by Fezziwig, where fuel was heaped upon the fire, so much so that the generous host had a positive light appeared to issue from Fezziwigs calves which shone like moons. Despite Scrooge's ill temper Fred generously and authentically invites him over. And I know I know my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child, we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it. When he gets home, Scrooge would rather save money and live in discomfort, keeping a very low fire for himself, described as nothing on such a bitter night to which he is forced to lean over just to extract the least sensation of warmth from such a handful of fuel. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. I lived rough, that you should live smooth. Scrooge keeps the fuel in his own room, frightening Cratchit into wearing extra clothing and trying to warm himself by a candle. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste, and moaning as they went. Scrooge doesn't live by his senses in any aspect of his life. `Because, said Scrooge, `a little thing affects them. Historical Context Once more? When Jack Cade leads a rebellion against the king, he declares that "if I do not leave you all as dead as a doornail, I pray God I may never eat grass more." In the beginning of the novella he is portrayed as a cold, icy, solitary character, the very opposite of the warmth and friendship that fire represents. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Scrooge and Cratchit both live on routine. Whether these creatures faded into mist, or mist enshrouded them, he could not tell. Introduction to analysis Analysis is an important. No, no, no. When Scrooge finds himself able to embrace his community, he finds himself forever changed. His only concern is the amount of money he can make for himself. Consequently, everybody who comes into contact with Scrooge avoids him. There were Cains and Abels, Pharaohs daughters; Queens of Sheba, Angelic messengers descending through the air on clouds like feather-beds, Abrahams, Belshazzars, Apostles putting off to sea in butter-boats, hundreds of figures to attract his thoughts -- and yet that face of Marley, seven years dead, came like the ancient Prophets rod, and swallowed up the whole. (exclamatory).\ Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large. Once upon a time -- of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve -- old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Leading up to this moment it appears as if Scrooge already fears that this is the case, but that does not detract from the tension that Charles Dickens can create here. However, at the end of the tale in Stave 5, Scrooge employs a string of similes to celebrate his return to the present: I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. wishing, though it were only for a second, to divert the visions stony gaze from himself, e for the rest of my days persecuted by a legion of goblins, all of my own creation, when the phantom taking off the bandage round its head, as if it were too warm to wear indoors, its lower jaw dropped down upon its breast. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! But alongside this caricature of Scrooge, through the wailings of the multitude he also paints a picture of a spirit realm thats full to bursting with chained-up repentors. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Through a visit one Christmas Eve by the ghost of Marley and three subsequent spirits, Scrooge is awakened to his meanness and the impact it has on others. Refine any search. External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. He is cold and greedy, not the kind of man people want to befriend. Ask me if you need help for GCSE revision? Scrooge is an outsider because that is the way he likes it. Scrooge! Already, the poor townsfolk are elevated above Scrooge in moral standing he is a caricature of a lonely miser. Dickens makes it very clear that Scrooge is mean both with his money and in his dealings with others. `Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years, Scrooge replied. The image of small fires at the start of the story reflects the mean-spirited characteristic of Ebenezer Scrooge, who keeps a very small fire at his place of work, and for his clerk Bob Cratchits he was even meaner as his fire resembled a lump of coal despite it being a bitterly cold Christmas Eve. Oh! who cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially. The narrator reminds the reader that Scrooges ex-partner Marley has been dead several years. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. The exclamation mark in "Oh!" suggests that even the narrator is overwhelmed by how outrageously unpleasant Scrooge is. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong. I have got a paragraph here from the book Christmas Carol explaining what scrooge was like. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! I revise four hours a day. Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the most famous characters created by Charles Dickens and arguably one of the most famous in English literature. In the present, Scrooge witnesses scenes of fires at Christmas time that bring happiness, many associated with the theme of eating food at this festive time, such as the brightness of the roaring fires in kitchens, parlours, and all sorts of rooms, was wonderful and the flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cosy dinner, He sees scenes associated with the coming together of family at this time of year, such as that of a miner and his family who are a cheerful company assembled round a glowing fire. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirits nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. The cold became intense. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. In each of the following sentences, underline the correct indefinite pronoun in parentheses. `Let me leave it alone, then, said Scrooge. Is an accounting and finance degree worth it? -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin. "Hard and sharp as a flint.solitary as an oyster." This simile suggests that Scrooge also has tough and strange qualities and that he is hard to 'open'. The use of similes helps an author to strengthen a description, and for the reader it helps to better visualize the scene in their heads. And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he was an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral, and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerks fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. Latest answer posted December 11, 2020 at 10:52:15 AM. This is not just a tale of one man's redemption; it is a kind of call to arms for all people to take to heart. the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? For characters like Fred and Bob Cratchit, Christmas represents the Christian ideal of goodness and moral prosperity, but Scrooge is at his. This makes me think that Scrooge would have very sharp features, a pointy nose and always has a scowl on his face. Refine any search. However, Scrooge being likened to "flint" suggests that, although he has never given "generous fire" he has the potential to be good-willed, sociable, generous and the other attributes encapsulated by the Christmas spirit, as portrayed by the recurring symbol of "fire" used by dickens to represent these values. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. A doornail is notably small and insignificant, but it can be used to build things. The truth is, that he tried to be smart, as a means of distracting his own attention, and keeping down his terror; for the spectres voice disturbed. Fred knows this, and counters that "good" means something else entirely. Youre quite a powerful speaker, sir, he added, turning to his nephew. If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlets Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot -- say Saint Pauls Churchyard for instance -- literally to astonish his sons weak mind. Scrooge signed it. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. LitCharts Teacher Editions. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. In the back and forth about marriage the story drops hints about Scrooges past that will become clear later. A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol. `Are they still in operation?, `They are. Here, readers are exposed to the ghost of Christmas yet to come. The ghost breaks the news to Scrooge that the person whose death has been talked about so callously was his own. Label each adjective clause adj. `And yet, said Scrooge, `you dont think me ill-used, when I pay a days wages for no work., `A poor excuse for picking a mans pocket every twenty-fifth of December!, But I suppose you must have the whole day. 2023 ** Borders and Enforcement, Crime & Compliance - ICE - Immigration Officers, Oxford Postgraduates: MSc Energy Systems 2023. It is required of every man, the Ghost returned, `that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. No, Spirit! I dont mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. What does the quote hard and sharp as flint mean?Watch more videos for more knowledgeCharacter Analysis: Scrooge - 'A Christmas Carol https://www.youtube.com/watch/qUZwAZHf8kYThe Muppet Christmas Carol - Scrooge - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch/4jzsKJvWiEIShlep Rocks Make a Comeback - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch/qYSQaW0P2f4(Flemish) Ghost of lost 1907 Peking Paris 3 wheel https://www.youtube.com/watch/KSMdv3aJENoHow to remove a splinter - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch/21lK38lr7L0How to Use the Fillet and Chamfer Tools in AutoCAD https://www.youtube.com/watch/D7KA1OnhDooSee how a baby recovers from malnutrition in conflict https://www.youtube.com/watch/vi_a5bYDrw8Loz's magnificent 7-tone fart symphony - the #1 https://www.youtube.com/watch/Tk-5RVMerfI he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again. Scrooge is a cold-hearted tight miser who watches everything going on within his counting-house business. The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. This might seem like a small detail, but regardless of whether or not the reader consciously juxtaposes these similes, they underscore Scrooge's transformation and provide evidence of a true change of heart. wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed". From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice, He carried his own low temperature always about with him. Much good it has ever done you!, There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round. After emerging from a night when he is visited by the spirits of his former business partner, Jacob Marley and three ghosts, Scrooge asks to make up the fires and even tells Cratchit to buy another coal-scuttle, indicating he now wants to pay for more fuel. These seven years, Scrooge is a cold-hearted tight miser who watches everything going on within his counting-house business problem! Its sacred name and origin got a paragraph here from the book Christmas Carol person whose death has been several! 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