They were not a handsome family, they were not well dressed, their shoes were far from being waterproof, their clothes were scanty, and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbroker's. I am the Ghost of Christmas Present, said the Spirit. The spirit says he likes to sprinkle his incense on the poor because they need it most. You know he is, Robert. Mrs. Cratchit admits to worrying that there wouldn't be enough food to go aroundfunds, as always, are tightbut everyone compliments her thrift. It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor mans child. Also, how she had seen a Countess and a Lord some days before, and how the Lord "was much about as tall as Peter"; at which Peter pulled up his collars so high, that you couldn't have seen his head if you had been there. For Scrooge, the less fortunate man is his clerk, Bob Cratchit. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew Discuss Scrooges transformation in A Christmas Carol. To any kindly given. A smell like an eating-house and a pastrycooks next door to each other, with a laundresss next door to that. The Grocers. Dickens warns society of the grim future that awaits humanity if people fail to respond to the plight of the poor. Course Hero. There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer air and brightest summer sun might have endeavoured to diffuse in vain. And Martha warnt as late last Christmas Day by half-an-hour. Heres Martha, mother. said a girl, appearing as she spoke. Oh, a wonderful pudding. Remember, short, precise quotations are best. The miners, lighthouse keepers, and sailors all embody companionship, something Scrooge is lacking at the beginning of this journey. A Christmas Carol quotes and analysis. Murdaugh, 54, faces the possibility of life in prison after being found guilty of two counts of murder and other charges related to the shooting deaths of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul, 22 . they were not a handsome family analysis Yet Bob insists that without Scrooge, he wouldn't have a job at all. V Even though they are abysmally poor, their home is warm and merry, a sharp contrast to wealthy Scrooge's bleak home. It was succeeded by a breathless pause, as Mrs Cratchit, looking slowly all along the carving-knife, prepared to plunge it in the breast; but when she did, and when the long expected gush of stuffing issued forth, one murmur of delight arose all round the board, and even Tiny Tim, excited by the two young Cratchits, beat on the table with the handle of his knife, and feebly cried Hurrah. Martha, who was a poor apprentice at a milliners, then told them what kind of work she had to do, and how many hours she worked at a stretch, and how she meant to lie abed to-morrow morning for a good long rest; to-morrow being a holiday she passed at home. The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party which was not dispelled for full five minutes. Can you link this to harmony?). Come in, and know me better, man. Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head before this Spirit. 29 terms. In Course Hero. 4 Mar. Girded round its middle was an antique scabbard; but no sword was in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust. To create this emotional response, Dickens had to portray pure, nearly faultless characters whom even heartless readers (like Scrooge himself) would want to help. Oh, no, kind Spirit. In addition, Dickens uses alliteration to highlight the idea of love and family. The very gold and silver fish, set forth among these choice fruits in a bowl, though members of a dull and stagnant-blooded race, appeared to know that there was something going on; and, to a fish, went gasping round and round their little world in slow and passionless excitement. When Scrooge and the spirit first step onto the streets, the reader is given a long description of busy shops and bustling shoppers: These descriptions create a mood of indulgence and gluttony. Then all the Cratchit family drew round the hearth, in what Bob Cratchit called a circle, meaning half a one; and at Bob Cratchits elbow stood the family display of glass. O The message of this stave is to enjoy the holidaysbe merry with friends and familybut don't forget those less fortunate. They stop briefly at the deserted village "where Miners live, who labour in the bowels of the earth" to watch the workers enjoying a family party; then to the coast, where two lighthouse men exchange a Merry Christmas; then to a ship on the "black and heaving sea" where each sailor "hum[s] a Christmas tune." Look upon me. Scrooge reverently did so. Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool. The band name is ambiguous. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows him memories of the man he used, Dickens A Christmas Carol presents a warning to society through the representation of characters and the journey and transformation of the notorious miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. Through quick-fire questions, it's revealed that Fred is thinking of "a rather disagreeable animal, a savage animal, an animal that growled and grunted sometimes, and talked sometimes, and lived in London, and walked about the streets ." The guests laugh uproariously as they determine that the "animal" is, in fact, Fred's Uncle Scrooge. You seek to close these places on the Seventh Day. said Scrooge. The Handsome Family's greatest gift lies in its tremendous talent for painting vivid, sometimes terrifying pictures with every word NPR. Copyright 2016. The Waltons they ain't. Both have a history of mental illness. There was nothing of high mark in this. Tiny Tim's family didn't have a lot of money or extra means, yet they loved each other and had a sense of gratefulness for what they have. The vision of Scrooges clerks family the Cratchits paints an intricate example of the beauty of family. (Teachers response: consider also the rhythm created by the alliteration. God bless us every one. said Tiny Tim, the last of all. His view goes hand in hand with the teachings of the Bible. Course Hero. "A Christmas Carol Study Guide." L Course Hero. Bob arrives home soon after, carrying his youngest son, Tiny Tim, on his shoulder. They are perhaps best known for their song "Far from Any Road" from the album Singing Bones, which was used as the main title theme for the first season of the 2014 crime drama True Detective. Ebenezer Scrooge is a hard-hearted businessman who thinks that the less attention he pays to mankinds problems the better. ", "I'll drink his health for your sake and the Day's," said Mrs. Cratchit, "not for his. The house fronts looked black enough, and the windows blacker, contrasting with the smooth white sheet of snow upon the roofs, and with the dirtier snow upon the ground; which last deposit had been ploughed up in deep furrows by the heavy wheels of carts and waggons; furrows that crossed and recrossed each other hundreds of times where the great streets branched off; and made intricate channels, hard to trace in the thick yellow mud and icy water. Aaliyah_a_r. However, on Christmas Eve, Scrooge gets a start that begins to jolt him into seeing the errors of his ways. Another way Dickens promoted family is: as we know, the ghost of Christmas present was a huge and jolly ghost who loved Christmas and everything about it! The spirit tells him bluntly, "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die." Horrified, Scrooge asks how the "wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable" children can be helped. J _ Throughout the novel, Dickens presents the Cratchits as the ideal loving family. '"They were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being waterproof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have know. Not coming. said Bob, with a sudden declension in his high spirits; for he had been Tims blood horse all the way from church, and had come home rampant. She doesn't understand why Fred continues to engage with his nasty uncle. And it comes to the same thing. I seek. exclaimed the Spirit. I dont think I have, said Scrooge. 10 terms. THF was formed in 1993 by husband-and-wife Brett (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Rennie Sparks (bass, banjo, vocals) along with drummer Mike Werner. Did you enjoy this article? There was nothing of high mark in this. Jurors have heard evidence about Mr. Murdaugh, 54, his family's legal influence in the region . Hallo. God bless us. Which all the family re-echoed. When Scrooge finally experiences a family celebration at Fred's, he finds that he enjoys himselfso much so that, like a child, he begs the spirit to let him stay longer. There was nothing of high mark in this; they were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being waterproof; their clothes were scant; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a Pawnbroker's. They were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being water-proof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of . Sit ye down before the fire, my dear, and have a warm, Lord bless ye. No, no. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. Subscribe to our newsletter that way you dont miss it! As Scrooge and the spirit travel across the country, traveling farther and farther away from civilization, they are able to find the Christmas spirit everywhere: in a mining village, in a lighthouse, even on a ship in the middle of the ocean. When he opens the door to the adjoining room to investigate, he sees that the room has been transformed: it is decked floor to ceiling in decorations, "so hung with living green that it looked a perfect grove": glistening berries, holly, mistletoe, and ivy hang festively from the greens, glistening in the light of thousands of tiny mirrors. Scrooge feels deeply moved by the family's tenderness despite their crippling poverty and asks what will become of precious Tiny Tim. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come changed this mindset by showing Scrooge the most severe consequences of his cold hearted actions. Play this game to review Literature. Gentlemen of the free-and-easy sort, who plume themselves on being acquainted with a move or two, and being usually equal to the time-of-day, express the wide range of their capacity for adventure by observing that they are good for anything from pitch-and-toss to manslaughter; between which opposite extremes, no doubt, there lies a tolerably wide and comprehensive range of subjects. They were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being water-proof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbroker's. Award-winning media studio. "a direct response to Scrooge's lack of Christmas spirit. Mrs Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple- sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny corner at the table; the two young Cratchits set chairs for everybody, not forgetting themselves, and mounting guard upon their posts, crammed spoons into their mouths, lest they should shriek for goose before their turn came to be helped. (Teachers response: this is a strong argument, although needs more detailed analysis to strengthen its position. Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits of Charles Dickens's novella A Christmas Carol. say he will be spared. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race, returned the Ghost, will find him here. Its feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare; and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles. He urges Scrooge to "Come in! Finally, Dickens promotes family and love when, in the novel, scrooge starts off as a nice young boy but society had changed him, corrupted him. Dickens describes them: They were not a handsome family; they were not well dress; their shoes were far from being water-proof;But, they were happy, grateful, pleased. Their family is struggling and Tiny Tim, the youngest member of the Cratchit family, is crippled. In reaction to this, Scrooge had closed himself off and become cold and impenetrable by any kindness. Some of the key things we discussed are. Wouldnt you. I. cried the Spirit. Privacy policy Long life to him! Continuing down the road, Scrooge and the spirit arrive outside Bob Cratchit's home. Page 49. Scrooge finds himself whistling along to the Christmas songs he remembers from his time in boarding school. Have study documents to share about A Christmas Carol? You would deprive them of their means of dining every seventh day, often the only day on which they can be said to dine at all, said Scrooge. They were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being water-proof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbrokers. The "Christmas spirit" of generosity and joy is sprinkled directly from the spirit's torch, immediately transforming quarrels and sadness into cooperation and joy. The spirit orders Scrooge to "touch [his] robe," and instantly they leave the decorated room and are standing in the middle of the street on Christmas morning. There was nothing of high mark in this. Nor was it that the figs were moist and pulpy, or that the French plums blushed in modest tartness from their highly-decorated boxes, or that everything was good to eat and in its Christmas dress; but the customers were all so hurried and so eager in the hopeful promise of the day, that they tumbled up against each other at the door, crashing their wicker baskets wildly, and left their purchases upon the counter, and came running back to fetch them, and committed hundreds of the like mistakes, in the best humour possible; while the Grocer and his people were so frank and fresh that the polished hearts with which they fastened their aprons behind might have been their own, worn outside for general inspection, and for Christmas daws to peck at if they chose.