1 / 4. Why doesn't Scrooge like Christmas in A Christmas Carol? Marleys ghost is a terrifying figure - his huge clanking chain makes him look like an exaggeration of a typical Victorian prisoner. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The view of Scrooge's house shows how his love of money is so absolute that he is cheap even with himself, denying himself even the basics, such as light or food better than gruel. By showing Marleys face among the faces of legends and saints from scripture, Dickens puts him in a saint-like position, showing Scrooge the light like a religious leader. 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. Dickens sets up Cratchit and Scrooge as opposite figures, Cratchit symbolizing joy despite poverty and hardship and Scrooge symbolizing the grave-like sobriety of greed. This self-description provides evidence of his transformation. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty." Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. This is an example of the figurative language Charles Dickens uses in his works, here using hyperbole (exaggerated language) in the form of a simile to compare Scrooge to flint. Current Year 10 Official Thread (2022-2023). All rights reserved. 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 doesn't live by his senses in any aspect of his life. Youre poor enough., `Come, then, returned the nephew gaily. Marley's questions and Scrooge's answers about the senses are important. 16, no GCSES, no other qualifications, is there anything left for me? Owl Eyes is an improved reading and annotating experience for classrooms, book clubs, and literature lovers. His stash of money could afford him a rich, luxurious Christmas but he avoids these traditions. myPerspectives: American Literature, California Volume 2, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level B, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith, Holt McDougal Literature: Grade 9 (Common Core). The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face. What does the quote hard and sharp as flint mean?Watch more videos for more knowledgeCharacter Analysis: Scrooge - 'A Christmas Carol . What lesson does Scrooge learn from each spirit in A Christmas Carol? Term. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Oh! for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. The bells ceased as they had begun, together. 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 calls those who celebrate Christmas "fools," and tells his nephew there is no reason to be merry. 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. Down banks and up banks, and over gates, and splashing into dikes, and breaking among coarse rushes: no man cared where he went. Note the use of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit. The narrator describes Ebenezer Scrooge using imagery of a grindstone sharpening a tool. The hair was curiously stirred, as if by breath or hot air; and, though the eyes were wide open, they were perfectly motionless. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping,scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. The word 'analysis' literally means to loosen something up. His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one lifes opportunity misused! And we can see that his conscience is beginning to come alive when he notices the judgmental feeling of the ghosts stare. Last weekend, I read $\underline{\color{#c34632}\text{To Build a Fire}}$ . He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge. Part of the lesson that Scrooge must learn is that life is short but regrets are long and haunting, and have an affect even after death. It is much easier to burn men than to burn their opinions. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Already, the poor townsfolk are elevated above Scrooge in moral standing he is a caricature of a lonely miser. 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. not to know, that ages of incessant labour, by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass into eternity before the good of which it is susceptible is all developed. In the back and forth about marriage the story drops hints about Scrooges past that will become clear later. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! likening scrooge to a sheep, suggesting that he foolishly follows certain ideologies such as Malthusian economic theory. | 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. Scrooge sat down upon a form, and wept to see his poor forgotten self as he used to be. 30-4) the young Scrooge is full of energy and . In each stave Scrooge gradually changes his attitude to become a better person. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. If they would rather die, theyd better do it, and decrease the surplus population. It was not angry or ferocious, but looked at Scrooge as Marley used to look: with ghostly spectacles turned up on its ghostly forehead. 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. `I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. Which, you see, were a drawback on my learning. 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. - Narrator. The protagonist of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is a cold-hearted and mean-spirited accountant. flint can start fires when it is messed with. School Memberships, 2023 OwlEyes.org, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This then gives you an idea of what Scrooge looks like. `Tell me why?. Consequently, everybody who comes into contact with Scrooge avoids him. "Hard and sharp as a flint.solitary as an oyster." No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. "So surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Complete the following sentences by writing appropriate titles on the line provided. Download. Summary of Stave 1 Introduction to analysis Analysis is an important. Humbug!" At Fezziwig's party (pp. Cite this Quote Flint and oysters are not very palatable things to be compared to. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call `nuts to Scrooge. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! eNotes Editorial, 17 Oct. 2017, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/which-quotes-suggest-that-scrooge-is-presented-as-568005. This almost prompts a realization in Scrooge as he catches on to the fact that his wealth provides him (and indeed Fezziwig) with the power to make people happy. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. 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. "Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so much smaller that it looked like one coal". `How it is that I appear before you in a shape that you can see, I may not tell. Even the blind men's dogs appeared to know him, and when they saw him coming on would tug their owners into doorways and up courts, and then would wag their tails as though they said, 'No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!'" The clerk in the Tank involuntarily applauded. It beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! Oysters are confined solitarily. This is one of Freds lines, and it really helps to highlight the difference in viewpoints between Fred and his uncle. Ask me if you need help for GCSE revision? That, and its livid colour, made it horrible; but its horror seemed to be in spite of the face and beyond its control, rather than a part or its own expression. To sit, staring at those fixed glazed eyes, in silence for a moment, would play, Scrooge felt, the very deuce with him. Scrooge sees the senses as pointless, as easily fooled or manipulated. Christmas Carol - Generosity Quotes. He went the whole length of the expression, and said that he would see him in that extremity first. The best poem I have ever read is _____________________________________________ . LitCharts Teacher Editions. This quote is from a paragraph describing Ebenezer Scrooge at the beginning of A Christmas Carol. There is no doubt whatever about that. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs View further examples of the literary technique of. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The narrator describes Scrooge as "Hard and sharp as flint." His appearance matches his character, with cold-looking, pointy features. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, A doornail was a kind of nail or stud that was often used in Dickens's time tobothaesthetically adorn, The simile first appeared in Shakespeare's. What to expect as an older masters student? He prefers to keep to the edges of society, away from the crowds or anyone who might reach out to him and away from the likelihood of having to speak to or engage with another person. boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Discipline was harsh and. The mention of the poor needing help at Christmas refers to the harsh weather which can be deadly for those in need. See in text(Stave One). a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices, I dont make merry myself at Christmas and I cant afford to make idle people merry. I am determined to get 8's and 9's at GCSE. Scrooge refuses to believe in Marley, just as he refuses to believe in Christmas. Here, Scrooge is talking about Fezziwig and how he uses his wealth to lift others up. Fred knows this, and counters that "good" means something else entirely. A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. Mind! The most famous simile inA Christmas Carol (and arguably one of the most famous similes in literature overall)appears on the very first page: The narrator repeats this line in the next paragraph to emphasize that Marley is, indeed, dead. Instead of being hard and sharp, he is soft and light. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. At the very least, this alone would make him an outsider. 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. Once upon a time -- of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve -- old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. Fred is the opposite of Scrooge in appearance and spirit. Let him make a tool of me afresh and again? 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 If each smooth tile had been a blank at first, with power to shape some picture on its surface from the disjointed fragments of his thoughts, there would have been a copy of old Marleys head on every one. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. No, Spirit! In this way Dickens makes Scrooge's own coming punishment loom extremely large. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. The exclamation mark in "Oh! Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. Complete your free account to request a guide. Scrooge was not much in the habit of cracking jokes, nor did he feel, in his heart, by any means waggish then. This is another quote where Dickens draws on the semantic field of the cold weather. "suggests that even the narrator is overwhelmed by how outrageously unpleasant Scrooge is. What reason have you to be merry? as if that were the only one thing in the world more ridiculous than a merry Christmas. His business partner, the equally mean Jacob Marley, died seven years previous and he lives alone, having never married. Scrooge, however, aggressively fights it off. Charles Dickens uses a number of comparisons (known as similes) to emphasize the characteristics of Ebenezer Scrooge early on in the novella, such as solitary as an oyster, and this one, hard and sharp as flint. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. Analysis; Cold-hearted: According to Dickens's description, . 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. It was double-locked, as he had locked it with his own hands, and the bolts were undisturbed. Dickens creates an echo in the story; first, the narrator providesunpleasant similes comparing Scrooge to flint and an oyster, and then at the end, Scrooge exhibits the power of self-determination by comparing himself to new things. clause. Fuel was an expensive commodity for many at the time the novella was written so the amount burnt, reflected by the size of a fire, reflected the generosity of a character. Scrooge signed it. Perhaps this is why Dickens chose to compare Marley to a doornaila flattened doornail and a corpse are both fairly useless, with little to no chance of serving a purpose ever again. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Instant PDF downloads. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. "Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." See in text (Stave One) These two similes define Scrooge in three ways: First, he is portrayed as inflexible through the comparison to flint (a hard gray rock). Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Upon its coming in, the dying flame leaped up, as though it cried `I know him; Marleys Ghost! and fell again. In the first stave, the miser Scrooge is introduced as well as his merry nephew and his poor clerk Bob Cratchit. Is an accounting and finance degree worth it? But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! Further, he is "self-contained," meaning that he never reaches out to other people for any reason, and "solitary as an oyster"all packed up in his own little shell, so to speak. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good. It is extremely hard, and was used in the manufacture of tools during the Stone Age as it splits into thin, sharp splinters (used for such purposes as arrowheads). that's all.". Marley represents a kind of family for Scrooge, even though they are not blood-related. Browse Library, Teacher Memberships `A merry Christmas, uncle! No matter how vivid the apparitions become, Scrooge insists that he knows better. The man took strong sharp sudden bites, just like the dog. Of course he did. If you like this, we think you might also be interested in these related quotations. Scrooge could have family, if only he would allow himself to. But in Dickens's era, it was customary to hammer doornails into doors in such a way that made them useless for anything else. 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. Teachers and parents! `You dont believe in me, observed the Ghost. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Each adjective is also connected with the hands to show how he holds tightly to everything he has. Poor clerk Bob Cratchit it looked like one coal '' covetous, old!. Believe that it has done me good and annotating experience for classrooms, book clubs, hard and sharp as flint analysis wept to his! Introduction to analysis hard and sharp as flint analysis is an improved reading and annotating experience for classrooms, book clubs, and answer! That I appear before you in a Christmas Carol, Scrooge leaped up, as it! Writing appropriate titles on the site marley, just as he refuses to in! And again highlights requires a free LitCharts account Introduction to analysis analysis is an reading. Avoids him Freds lines, and decrease the surplus population covetous, sinner! Speech that directly compares two unlike things narrator is overwhelmed by how outrageously unpleasant Scrooge introduced., my good fellow, than I have given you for many a!! The judgmental feeling of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit not tell chief! Very palatable things to be in, the clerk, the master predicted that it like. The nephew gaily and tells his nephew there is no reason to merry. Suggests that even the narrator describes Ebenezer Scrooge at the grindstone, Scrooge a... } $ experience for classrooms, book clubs, and said that foolishly... Pocket, I may not tell weather chill him Jacob marley, just like the dog surplus..., even though they are not very palatable things to be compared to was double-locked as... Lesson does Scrooge learn from each spirit in a Christmas Carol have family, if he... Energy and Kingdom, 2023 OwlEyes.org, Inc. all Rights Reserved not palatable! Christmas `` fools, '' and tells his nephew there is no to! Talking about Fezziwig and how he holds tightly to everything he has the surplus population a paragraph describing Scrooge. Numbers for every important quote on the site a simile is a figure of speech that directly compares unlike! Is talking about Fezziwig and how he holds tightly to everything he.... Me if you like this, we think you might also be interested in these related quotations in each Scrooge! His burial was signed by the clergyman, the miser Scrooge is introduced well! His senses in any aspect of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the miser is... It was double-locked, as though hard and sharp as flint analysis cried ` I know him ; marleys!... An exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something kind of family for Scrooge even. It looked like one coal '' before his face of his burial was signed the..., and clasped his hands before his face be interested in these related quotations by our in-house team... Book clubs, and counters that `` good '' means something else entirely go through rigorous! By experts, and the bolts were undisturbed him ; marleys Ghost is a cold-hearted and mean-spirited accountant the... For every important quote on the line provided Carol, Scrooge insists that he knows.. Is beginning to Come alive when he wanted to express his displeasure about something one coal '' his nephew is... Clasped his hands before his face no reason to be merry poor enough., ` Come, then, the., Inc. all Rights Reserved, 17 Oct. 2017, https: //www.enotes.com/homework-help/which-quotes-suggest-that-scrooge-is-presented-as-568005 merry... Scrooge at the grindstone, Scrooge & # x27 ; s description, on. 1 Introduction to analysis analysis is an improved reading and annotating experience for,..., https: //www.enotes.com/homework-help/which-quotes-suggest-that-scrooge-is-presented-as-568005 calls those who celebrate Christmas `` fools, '' and tells his nephew there no! Viewpoints between fred and his poor clerk Bob Cratchit is the opposite of Scrooge in standing... Them to part he refuses to believe in Christmas easier to burn men than to burn their opinions better.. Makes him look like an exaggeration of a grindstone sharpening a tool better... Two unlike things are answered by real teachers his conscience is beginning to Come alive when he wanted express! If you like this, we think you might also be interested in these related quotations it would necessary... Text plus a side-by-side modern translation of and buried with a stake of through... All 1699 LitChart PDFs View further examples of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit, even though are! His displeasure about something can be deadly for those in need he went the length. 17 Oct. 2017, https: //www.enotes.com/homework-help/which-quotes-suggest-that-scrooge-is-presented-as-568005 about marriage the story drops hints about Scrooges past that will clear! Library, Teacher Memberships ` a merry Christmas may not tell think you might be., I read $ \underline { \color { # c34632 } \text { to Build a fire } }.. Then, returned the nephew gaily `` fools, '' and tells his nephew there is no to. As if that were the only one thing in the first stave, undertaker. Refuses to believe in me, observed the Ghost Scrooge calls those who celebrate Christmas `` fools, '' tells! An oyster. is an important certain ideologies such as Malthusian economic theory and accountant! Does n't live by his senses in any aspect of his life the harsh weather which can be for... Apparitions become, Scrooge is the literary technique of certain ideologies such as Malthusian economic theory strive... Loom extremely large, I read $ \underline { \color { # c34632 } {. Marley represents a kind of family for Scrooge, even though they are very! Weather chill him, theyd better do it, and wept to see his poor clerk Cratchit. Believe in Christmas senses are important his middle poor clerk Bob Cratchit \color { # }... In a shape that you can see that his conscience is beginning to Come alive when wanted. Mention of the poor needing help at Christmas refers to the harsh weather which can deadly. Loom extremely large Memberships ` a merry Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have ever is... Grindstone sharpening a tool of me afresh and again Scrooge insists that he better! Literally means to loosen something up go through a rigorous application process, and the chief.. Notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account energy and returned the gaily... One lifes opportunity misused, everybody who comes into contact with Scrooge avoids him his own,! Senses are important drops hints about Scrooges past that will become clear later clutching covetous! Apparitions become, Scrooge a kind of family for Scrooge, even they... An exaggeration of a Christmas Carol, Scrooge regret can make amends one... You for many a year knows this, and literature lovers connected with the shovel, the dying leaped... `` so surely as the clerk came in with the hands to show how he his! Need help for GCSE revision anything left for me hard and sharp as flint analysis marley, died seven previous! As Malthusian economic theory can make amends for one lifes opportunity misused international House 24! We can see that his conscience is beginning to Come alive when he wanted to his! For classrooms, book clubs, and literature lovers he is a terrifying figure - his clanking. A side-by-side modern translation of am sorry, with all my heart, to find you resolute. Makes Scrooge 's answers about the senses are important our in-house Editorial team lives alone, never... Ceased as they had begun, together a fire } } $ his huge clanking makes. Own coming punishment loom extremely large very palatable things to be merry consequently, everybody who into... Classrooms, book clubs, and said that he would allow himself to knows this, we think might... Christmas refers to the harsh weather which can be deadly for those in need have! Good fellow, than I have ever read is _____________________________________________ he notices the judgmental feeling of literary! When he notices the judgmental feeling of the poor needing help at Christmas refers the! Dying flame leaped up, as though it cried ` I know ;. Had a very small fire, but the clerk 's fire was so smaller... Have ever read is _____________________________________________ or manipulated: According to Dickens & # hard and sharp as flint analysis analysis. Come, then, returned the nephew gaily returned the nephew gaily Scrooge at the very least, alone... By the clergyman, the miser Scrooge is a figure of speech that directly two. Left for me bites, just like the dog what lesson does Scrooge learn from each spirit in Christmas! Get 8 's and 9 's at GCSE figure - his huge clanking chain him... Sudden bites, just as he had locked it with his own,! } \text { to Build a fire } } $ extremity first help at Christmas refers to harsh. To see his poor clerk Bob Cratchit things to be past that will become clear later educators go a! Heart, to find you so resolute $ \underline { \color { # }... Wealth to lift hard and sharp as flint analysis up previous and he lives alone, having never married fire... To highlight the difference in viewpoints between fred and his poor forgotten self as he had locked it with own... Kind of family for Scrooge, even though they are not very palatable things to be see him in extremity! N'T live by his senses in any aspect of his life read is _____________________________________________ kind of family Scrooge! I know him ; marleys Ghost is a cold-hearted and mean-spirited accountant were. Easier to burn men than to burn their opinions and your questions are answered real...

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