this exclamation
suggests that even the narrator is overwhelmed by how outrageously unpleasant Scrooge is
. The exclamation mark draws our attention to the description that follows. ‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!’ – the list of adjectives emphasise how awful he is.
What is a covetous old sinner?
A squeezing, wrenching, grasping,scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” – Narrator. Definition. The exclamation mark in “Oh!”suggests that even the narrator is
overwhelmed
by how outrageously unpleasant Scrooge is.
Why does Dickens list the verbs squeezing wrenching grasping scraping clutching to describe Scrooge what does this show us about him?
Selfish – ‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner’ repetition of action verbs in a asyndetic list
emphasizes how much he takes and wants to take from others; he will not give money to the charity men, saying ‘it’s not [his] business
‘.
What is an old sinner?
1 (Theol)
a transgression of God’s known will or any principle or law regarded as embodying
this. b the condition of estrangement from God arising from such transgression.
What does covetous old sinner suggest about Scrooge?
Dickens quite openly expresses his opinion of Scrooge (this is called authorial intrusion) when he sums
the money lender up
as ‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! ‘. … From the start, Dickens judges Scrooge, aligning him with wickedness and influencing his readers to mistrust him.
Why is Scrooge so grumpy?
He’s greedy, stingy, surly and, in the case of “A Muppet Christmas Carol. But it turns out there may be a big reason Scrooge is such a miser. The theory: Scrooge is so stingy
because he lived through the Napoleonic Wars and knows what economic hardship is really like
.
Why does Scrooge ask about prisons and workhouses?
The rhetorical questions “Are there no prisons?” “And union workhouses?” are used to show where
Scrooge believes the poor people belong
, suggesting that he believes his status suggests that poverty is not directly relevant to him, and that nothing to do with the poor matters.
How is Fezziwig generous?
Fezziwig showed
generosity of manner in exercising his authority over his employees with kindness
. Scrooge begins to realize that he has not followed Fezziwig’s example now that he assumes the role of boss.
What does Oh but he was a tight fisted hand at the grindstone mean?
He was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone =
He was a greedy man who forced others to work long hours and suffer
.
Why does Scrooge hate Christmas?
In Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas
because it is a disruption to his business and money-making
, but he also hates Christmas because that happy time of the year emphasizes how unhappy he is and recalls memories he would rather forget.
How is Scrooge cruel?
He is
considered cruel and selfish for chastising his employee, Bob Cratchit
, for burning too much coal at work. But another way to categorize his behavior is that of old-fashioned thrift. It’s not like Cratchit froze while Scrooge was sitting in his skivvies in the next room hoarding the heat.
How does stave 5 Mirror stave 1 in A Christmas Carol?
His not only shows that Scrooge had no Christmas spirit in Stave one but also that he does not care about his employee Bob Cratchitt. But in Stave five
his behaviour changes from being tight fisted to generous as he gives the Cratchitt family a large turkey as well as giving Bob a pay rise
.
How is Bob Cratchit described?
Bob Cratchit is
Scrooge’s clerk and works in unpleasant conditions without complaint
. He obeys Scrooge’s rules and is timid about asking to go home to his family early on Christmas Eve.
What’s Scrooge’s sister called?
Scrooge’s sister,
Fanny
, was based on Dickens sister Fanny whom he adored. Many of young Scrooge’s memories are those of Dickens and his sister.
What did Scrooge say about Fezziwig?
When the Spirit of Christmas Past questions Scrooge’s love for Fezziwig, Scrooge defends him, saying,
”He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil
. … The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.
What does Fezziwig value?
Through manner and deeds, Old Fezziwig symbolizes
all that is charitable and good within humankind
, and he serves as not only a mentor in Scrooge’s past, but a guide for Scrooge’s future. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Fezziwig symbolizes all that Scrooge is not.
