Wed a deal of work to finish up last night, replied the girl, and had to clear away this morning, mother., Well! This girl is Want. Scrooge promised that he would; and they went on, invisible, as they had been before, into the suburbs of the town. It has been done in your name, or at least in that of your family, said Scrooge. Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 213. At least you always tell me so., What of that, my dear! said Scrooges nephew. He then looked at the knocker with great affection. If you had fallen up against him (as some of them did), on purpose, he would have made a feint of endeavouring to seize you, which would have been an affront to your understanding, and would instantly have sidled off in the direction of the plump sister. 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. and know me better, man!. He doesn't do any good with it." What is Scrooge shown in Stave 3? The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full five minutes. Passing through the wall of mud and stone, they found a cheerful company assembled round a glowing fire. Do go on, Fred, said Scrooges niece, clapping her hands. There was first a game at blind-mans buff. Mrs. Cratchit voices her dislikes, and refers to Scrooge as an "odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man." The family feels this way toward Scrooge because Mr. Cratchit works hard as his employee but is paid little and treated poorly. Despite these circumstances, Bob Cratchit represents the opposite qualities of Scrooge including kindness, generosity and the love of his family members. (c) Copyright 2012 - 2023 The Circumlocution Office | All Rights Reserved | Built by The Circumlocution Office using WordPress. Whats the consequence? Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 83. "Spirit," said Scrooge submissively, "conduct me where you will. Are there no workhouses?. With this in mind, Scrooge asks the Spirit what will become of Tiny Tim in the future. Once home, he falls asleep only to be awakened by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future who torment him with visions. Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse! If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blest in a laugh than Scrooges nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him too. He regards Cratchit merely as an expense and resents having to pay his miserable wages. Oh, perfectly satisfactory! For his pretending not to know her; his pretending that it was necessary to touch her head-dress, and further to assure himself of her identity by pressing a certain ring upon her finger, and a certain chain about her neck; was vile, monstrous! The Daughters of the Late Colonel: X, 185. One half hour, Spirit, only one!. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die. But she joined in the forfeits, and loved her love to admiration with all the letters of the alphabet. For his pretending not to know her; his pretending that it was necessary to touch her head-dress, and further to assure himself of her identity by pressing a certain ring upon her finger, and a certain chain about her neck; was vile, monstrous! Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head before this Spirit. How does Dickens show this to be true? 5. I wish I had him here. And I no more believe Topper was really blind than I believe he had eyes in his boots. It was strange, too, that while Scrooge remained unaltered in his outward form, the Ghost grew older, clearly older. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. 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 couldnt have seen his head if you had been there. then all the Cratchit family drew round the hearth in what Bob Cratchit called a circle. For, the people who were shovelling away on the housetops were jovial and full of glee; calling out to one another from the parapets, and now and then exchanging a facetious snowballbetter-natured missile far than many a wordy jest laughing heartily if it went right and not less heartily if it went wrong. Perhaps, the Almighty may decide Scrooge to be "surplus," less worthy to live than "millions like this poor child. Indeed, I think he loses a very good dinner, interrupted Scrooges niece. It was a Game called Yes and No, where Scrooges nephew had to think of something, and the rest must find out what; he only answering to their questions yes or no, as the case was. He is especially emotionally affected by Tiny Tims poignant words and behavior, by seeing how much the child is loved and how much he loves others, even when his own lot in life is so difficult. Is it a foot or a claw?, It might be a claw, for the flesh there is upon it, was the Spirits sorrowful reply. All sorts of horrors were supposed. I dont think I have, said Scrooge. Explicit reference to poverty in the Cratchit family, Scrooge is concerned about the fate of Tiny Tim, Metaphor, Scrooge is essentially the opposite the family, he begged like a boy to be allowed to stay, Scrooge rediscovers his inner child and has enthusiasm again, two children, wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable, List of postmodifying adjectives, vivid image of the horrid children, "This boy is Ignorance. Latest answer posted December 04, 2020 at 2:51:25 PM. Scrooges nieces sisters, and all the other ladies, expressed the same opinion. Spirit, said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, tell me if Tiny Tim will live., Dickens illustrates powerfully how allowing aperson to witness a scene can exert a powerful influence on a one's heart. He wouldnt catch anybody else. 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. The Daughters of the Late Colonel: IX, 184. Charles Dickens speech to Metropolitan Sanitary Association. I am sure he loses pleasanter companions than he can find in his own thoughts, either in his mouldy old office, or his dusty chambers. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.. Scrooge was the Ogre of the family. He looked down on every human being who did not share his own values. What we're witnessing here is a remarkable change in attitude. It was strange, too, that while Scrooge remained unaltered in his outward form, the Ghost grew older, clearly older. It was his own room. Ill give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast! Then Bob proposed: A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. I dont think I have, said Scrooge. After finally allowing him to leave for the night, Scrooge. He dont lose much of a dinner.. The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full five minutes. " His wealth is of no use to him. So Martha hid herself, and in came little Bob, the father, with at least three feet of comforter exclusive of the fringe, hanging down before him; and his threadbare clothes darned up and brushed, to look seasonable; and Tiny Tim upon his shoulder. Scrooge is a miserly, cruel employer who treats the father of the Crachit family cruelly everyday but particularly on Christmas Eve. The Daughters of the Late Colonel: II, 177. look here! But they know me. Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle. The Daughters of the Late Colonel: VII, 182. Spirit, said Scrooge submissively, conduct me where you will. Here, the flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cosy dinner, with hot plates baking through and through before the fire, and deep red curtains, ready to be drawn to shut out cold and darkness. He believed it too!. For, he wished to challenge the Spirit on the moment of its appearance, and did not wish to be taken by surprise, and made nervous. It was his own room. Then up rose Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchits wife, dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons, which are cheap and make a goodly show for sixpence; and she laid the cloth, assisted by Belinda Cratchit, second of her daughters, also brave in ribbons; while Master Peter Cratchit plunged a fork into the saucepan of potatoes, and getting the corners of his monstrous shirt collar (Bobs private property, conferred upon his son and heir in honour of the day) into his mouth, rejoiced to find himself so gallantly attired, and yearned to show his linen in the fashionable Parks. Bob said he didnt believe there ever was such a goose cooked. For they were a musical family, and knew what they were about, when they sung a Glee or Catch[11], I can assure you: especially Topper, who could growl away in the bass like a good one, and never swell the large veins in his forehead, or get red in the face over it. Mrs Cratchitdressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons, which are cheap, and make a goodly show for sixpence. Forgive me if I am wrong. The brisk fire of questioning to which he was exposed, elicited from him that he was thinking of an animal, a live animal, rather a disagreeable animal, a savage animal, an animal that growled and grunted sometimes, and talked sometimes, and lived in London, and walked about the streets, and wasnt made a show of, and wasnt led by anybody, and didnt live in a menagerie, and was never killed in a market, and was not a horse, or an ass, or a cow, or a bull, or a tiger, or a dog, or a pig, or a cat, or a bear. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. A smell like a washing-day! Instructor: Lauren Boivin. The Spirit did not tarry here, but bade Scrooge hold his robe, and passing on above the moor, spedwhither? But they didnt devote the whole evening to music. Ha, ha! laughed Scrooges nephew. This boy is Ignorance. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Oh God! Are spirits lives so short? asked Scrooge. Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. A place where Miners live, who labour in the bowels of the earth, returned the Spirit. After it had passed away, they were ten times merrier than before, from the mere relief of Scrooge the Baleful being done with. The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full five minutes. An old, old man and woman, with their children and their childrens children, and another generation beyond that, all decked out gaily in their holiday attire. And bide the end!. The Importance of Being Earnest: Act II, 62. And at the same time there emerged from scores of bye-streets, lanes, and nameless turnings, innumerable people, carrying their dinners to the bakers shops[5]. But they didnt devote the whole evening to music. By this time it was getting dark, and snowing pretty heavily; and as Scrooge and the Spirit went along the streets, the brightness of the roaring fires in kitchens, parlours, and all sorts of rooms, was wonderful. Want to create or adapt OER like this? God bless us!. Ghost of Xmas Past "A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still - Scrooge sobbed." Why, wheres our Martha? cried Bob Cratchit, looking round. Bob Cratchit thenmakes a toast to the health of Mr. Scrooge, "the Founder of the Feast." Scrooge started back, appalled. At last the dishes were set on, and grace was said. 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. It was his own room. But even here, two men who watched the light had made a fire, that through the loophole in the thick stone wall shed out a ray of brightness on the awful sea. Hark! They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment. His wealth is of no use to him. If you had fallen up against him (as some of them did), on purpose, he would have made a feint of endeavouring to seize you, which would have been an affront to your understanding, and would instantly have sidled off in the direction of the plump sister. And your brother, Tiny Tim! They were a boy and girl. These held the hot stuff from the jug, however, as well as golden goblets would have done; and Bob served it out with beaming looks, while the chestnuts on the fire sputtered and cracked noisily. Scrooge! said Bob; Ill give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!The Founder of the Feast indeed! cried Mrs. Cratchit, reddening. As the last stroke ceased to vibrate, he remembered the prediction of old Jacob Marley, and lifting up his eyes, beheld a solemn Phantom, draped and hooded, coming, like a mist along the ground, towards him. 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. That was the cloth. The Cratchits show that when it comes down to it, you don't need money to be happy. The old man, in a voice that seldom rose above the howling of the wind upon the barren waste, was singing them a Christmas songit had been a very old song when he was a boyand from time to time they all joined in the chorus. It is the Ghost of Christmas present who takes Scrooge to view how the Crachit family celebrates Christmas. I was only going to say, said Scrooges nephew, that the consequence of his taking a dislike to us, and not making merry with us, is, as I think, that he loses some pleasant moments, which could do him no harm. So surely as they raised their voices, the old man got quite blithe and loud; and so surely as they stopped, his vigour sank again. Have you had many brothers, Spirit?. Why, bless your heart alive, my dear, how late you are. said Mrs Cratchit, kissing her a dozen times, and taking off her shawl and bonnet for her with officious zeal. However, his offences carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say against him., Im sure he is very rich, Fred, hinted Scrooges niece. As they move on with the spirit of Christmas future, the image of the Crachits and Tiny Tim remain with Scrooge who continues to be distressed by what he has seen of Tim's illness. It ends to-night., To-night at midnight. It has been done in your name, or at least in that of your family, said Scrooge. The two young Cratchits laughed tremendously at the idea of Peter s being a man of business; and Peter himself looked thoughtfully at the fire from between his collars, as if he were deliberating what particular investments he should favour when he came into the receipt of that bewildering income. Hurrah! He was not the dogged Scrooge he had been; and though the Spirits eyes were clear and kind, he did not like to meet them. After it had passed away, they were ten times merrier than before, from the mere relief of Scrooge the Baleful being done with. There was no doubt about that. There might have been twenty people there, young and old, but they all played, and so did Scrooge; for wholly forgetting in the interest he had in what was going on, that his voice made no sound in their ears, he sometimes came out with his guess quite loud, and very often guessed quite right, too; for the sharpest needle, best Whitechapel, warranted not to cut in the eye, was not sharper than Scrooge; blunt as he took it in his head to be. Mrs Cratchit said that now the weight was off her mind, she would confess she had had her doubts about the quantity of flour. They stood beside the helmsman at the wheel, the look-out in the bow, the officers who had the watch; dark, ghostly figures in their several stations; but every man among them hummed a Christmas tune, or had a Christmas thought, or spoke below his breath to his companion of some bygone Christmas Day, with homeward hopes belonging to it. A tremendous family to provide for, muttered Scrooge. There were pears and apples, clustered high in blooming pyramids; there were bunches of grapes, made, in the shopkeepers benevolence to dangle from conspicuous hooks, that peoples mouths might water gratis as they passed; there were piles of filberts, mossy and brown, recalling, in their fragrance, ancient walks among the woods, and pleasant shufflings ankle deep through withered leaves; there were Norfolk Biffins[3], squab and swarthy, setting off the yellow of the oranges and lemons, and, in the great compactness of their juicy persons, urgently entreating and beseeching to be carried home in paper bags and eaten after dinner. The compound in the jug being tasted, and considered perfect, apples and oranges were put upon the table, and a shovel-full of chestnuts on the fire. He may rail at Christmas till he dies, but he cant help thinking better of itI defy himif he finds me going there, in good temper, year after year, and saying Uncle Scrooge, how are you? ", Scrooge wants to profit in a different way, he recognises that there are things that are just as valuable as money. Blessings on it, how the Ghost exulted! All this time the chestnuts and the jug went round and round; and by-and-bye they had a song, about a lost child travelling in the snow, from Tiny Tim, who had a plaintive little voice, and sang it very well indeed. In easy state upon this couch, there sat a jolly Giant, glorious to see; who bore a glowing torch, in shape not unlike Plentys horn, and held it up, high up, to shed its light on Scrooge, as he came peeping round the door. He felt that he was restored to consciousness in the right nick of time, for the especial purpose of holding a conference with the second messenger despatched to him through Jacob Marleys intervention. He said that Christmas was a humbug, as I live! cried Scrooges nephew. 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. He hasnt the satisfaction of thinkingha, ha, ha!that he is ever going to benefit US with it.. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. Wed a deal of work to finish up last night, replied the girl, and had to clear away this morning, mother!, Well! He was not the dogged Scrooge he had been; and though the Spirits eyes were clear and kind, he did not like to meet them. She was very pretty: exceedingly pretty. He felt that he was restored to consciousness in the right nick of time, for the especial purpose of holding a conference with the second messenger despatched to him through Jacob Marleys intervention. All this time the chestnuts and the jug went round and round; and by-and-bye they had a song, about a lost child travelling in the snow, from Tiny Tim, who had a plaintive little voice, and sang it very well indeed. 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. Examine the minor character of Mrs. Cratchit in ''A . Scrooge started back, appalled. If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blest in a laugh than Scrooges nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him too. Blessings on it, how the Ghost exulted! Come in! exclaimed the Ghost. All this time, he lay upon his bed, the very core and centre of a blaze of ruddy light, which streamed upon it when the clock proclaimed the hour; and which, being only light, was more alarming than a dozen ghosts, as he was powerless to make out what it meant, or would be at; and was sometimes apprehensive that he might be at that very moment an interesting case of spontaneous combustion[1], without having the consolation of knowing it. But the whole scene passed off in the breath of the last word spoken by his nephew; and he and the Spirit were again upon their travels. Well! He has given us plenty of merriment, I am sure, said Fred, and it would be ungrateful not to drink his health. Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle, If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die, If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. This girl is Want. 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. Come in! Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 68. Readers learn that Scrooge lived a lonely childhood but compensated with imagination and fun. Bob Cratchit told them how he had a situation in his eye for Master Peter . For a mean old skinflint like Scrooge, someone obsessed with making and hoarding money, this is a remarkable sight indeed. Analysis. asked Mrs Cratchit, when she had rallied Bob on his credulity, and Bob had hugged his daughter to his hearts content. He rejoices to remember a "visit" from the storybook character Ali Baba. When this strain of music sounded, all the things that Ghost had shown him, came upon his mind; he softened more and more; and thought that if he could have listened to it often, years ago, he might have cultivated the kindnesses of life for his own happiness with his own hands, without resorting to the sextons spade that buried Jacob Marley. For he wished to challenge the Spirit on the moment of its appearance, and did not wish to be taken by surprise, and made nervous. She often cried out that it wasnt fair; and it really was not. The narrator calls Dickens an Ogre of the Cratchit Family. Have they no refuge or resource? cried Scrooge. The Spirit did not tarry here, but bade Scrooge hold his robe, and passing on above the moor, sped whither. Admiration was the universal sentiment, though some objected that the reply to Is it a bear? ought to have been Yes; inasmuch as an answer in the negative was sufficient to have diverted their thoughts from Mr. Scrooge, supposing they had ever had any tendency that way. 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. What is the theme of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens? Ha, ha! laughed Scrooges nephew. Bob had but fifteen bob[7]a-week himself; he pocketed on Saturdays but fifteen copies of his Christian name; and yet the Ghost of Christmas Present blessed his four-roomed house. A piece of lace or the like worn around or within the top of the bodice. There was nothing of high mark in this. 'I see a vacant seat'replied the Ghost,'in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. Scrooge was the Ogre of the family. Himself, always. He has given us plenty of merriment, I am sure, said Fred, and it would be ungrateful not to drink his health. After it had passed away, they were ten times merrier than before, from the mere relief of Scrooge the Baleful being done with. After tea, they had some music. The moment Scrooge's hand was on the lock, a strange voice called him by his name, and bade him enter. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. If a question does not contain a vocabulary word from the lesson's word list, use one in your answer. Christmas Day., It should be Christmas Day, I am sure, said she, on which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr Scrooge. Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family; indeed, as Mrs Cratchit said with great delight (surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish), they hadnt ate it all at last! Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.. Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by Mrs. Cratchit since their marriage. Here is a glass of mulled wine ready to our hand at the moment; and I say, Uncle Scrooge! , A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, whatever he is! said Scrooges nephew. He is such a ridiculous fellow!. He always knew where the plump sister was. are they yours? Scrooge could say no more. Here, he takes it into his head to dislike us, and he wont come and dine with us. But being thoroughly good-natured, and not much caring what they laughed at, so that they laughed at any rate, he encouraged them in their merriment, and passed the bottle joyously. After it had passed away they were ten times merrier than before, from the mere relief of Scrooge the Baleful being done with. But she joined in the forfeits, and loved her love to admiration with all the letters of the alphabet. There were pears and apples, clustered high in blooming pyramids; there were bunches of grapes, made, in the shopkeepers benevolence to dangle from conspicuous hooks, that peoples mouths might water gratis as they passed; there were piles of filberts, mossy and brown, recalling, in their fragrance, ancient walks among the woods, and pleasant shufflings ankle deep through withered leaves; there were Norfolk Biffins, squat and swarthy, setting off the yellow of the oranges and lemons, and, in the great compactness of their juicy persons, urgently entreating and beseeching to be carried home in paper bags and eaten after dinner. They are Mans, said the Spirit, looking down upon them. Look, look, down here! exclaimed the Ghost. Readers might infer that Scrooge developed self-containment by emotional necessity. Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief. 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. The children drank the toast after her. And perhaps it was the pleasure the good Spirit had in showing off this power of his, or else it was his own kind, generous, hearty nature, and his sympathy with all poor men, that led him straight to Scrooges clerks; for there he went, and took Scrooge with him, holding to his robe; and on the threshold of the door the Spirit smiled, and stopped to bless Bob Cratchits dwelling with the sprinkling of his torch. The way he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker, was an outrage on the credulity of human nature. Have never walked forth with the younger members of my family; meaning (for I am very young) my elder brothers born in these later years? pursued the Phantom. on which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge. Built upon a dismal reef of sunken rocks, some league or so from shore, on which the waters chafed and dashed, the wild year through, there stood a solitary lighthouse. Columbus Day is celebrated, on October 12 in many states and cities. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. All sorts of horrors were supposed. And abide the end!. A tremendous family to provide for! muttered Scrooge. It was a Game called Yes and No, where Scrooges nephew had to think of something, and the rest must find out what; he only answering to their questions yes or no, as the case was. Study Questions, Activities, and Resources, 93. Scrooge sees the family make much of a simple goose for dinner. Heres Martha, mother! cried the two young Cratchits. When two men approach Scrooge about donating to charity, he asks them whether there are prisons and workhouses for the poor. No doubt she told him her opinion of it, when, another blind-man being in office, they were so very confidential together, behind the curtains. Down in the west the setting sun had left a streak of fiery red, which glared upon the desolation for an instant, like a sullen eye, and frowning lower, lower, lower yet, was lost in the thick gloom of darkest night. I went forth last night on compulsion, and I learnt a lesson which is working now. Topper had clearly got his eye upon one of Scrooges nieces sisters, for he answered that a bachelor was a wretched outcast, who had no right to express an opinion on the subject. My opinion is, that it was a done thing between him and Scrooges nephew; and that the Ghost of Christmas Present knew it. Any Answers? They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, "Secret, And Self-contained, And Solitary As An Oyster", https://www.enotes.com/topics/christmas-carol.
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