Grade 9 GCSE English Lit notes for A Christmas Carol
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Scrooge
used to represent the rich in the Victorian era
metaphor for the bourgeoisie used to challenge their political beliefs
gives the novella an allegorical message
He is the embodiment of all that ruins Christmas spirit: sel shness and a lack of consideration.
used to represent the theme of repentance and redemption- he changes his ways after seeing the
detrimental impact his actions are having on families like the Cratchit’s and is exposed to the
horrors in which the deprived live.
symbolic of the rich and aristocratic members of society who are ignorant to the misfortunes of the
poor
Dickens uses Scrooge to encourage moral change in the wealthy by showing them the harmful
effects their actions have on the poor and impoverished.
“you will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door nail”
repetition of Marley being dead: could make the reader suspicious
Looking at the syntax “emphatically” is in isolation in between two commas representing Scrooge’s
seclusion from society
Door nail has connotations of uselessness showing that Marley is now useless and can't
change his fate but will try to teach Scrooge the moral lessons he wasn’t able to learn in life so
Scrooge doesn’t share the same fate.
“Squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!”
Scrooge is described using a list of pre- modifying adjectives. “Squeezing” literally means to
rmly press. This could be a metaphor for the idea that Scrooge and therefore the upper class,
aristocratic society squeezes all the resources out of the poor.
Symbolically this could mean to have a damaging or restricting effect on someone. Therefore the
allegorical message being presented here is that the ruling classes are oppressing the rights of the
poor. They aren't being educated and therefore can’t get themselves out of the vicious cycle of
poverty.
“Grasping” and “clutching” link to “squeezing” and reiterate the notion that Scrooge is holding
onto his wealth and position with a tight st and is unwilling to share as is demonstrated when he
turns away the philanthropists.
Asyndetic list is employed here to show the harsh, uncharitable, unforgiving, sinful nature of
Scrooge - he's described using adjectives with negative connotations.
Scrooge is the epitome of everything wrong with society so by setting him up as an archetypal
villain and constructing him as a foil to Fred who's shown to be giving and charitable, it could be
interpreted that through the character of Scrooge, Dickens wants to revolutionise society and
disprove Malthusian principles.
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