"No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him." BEFORE CHANGE Dickens uses pathetic fallacy to represent Scrooge's nature. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. 'hard and sharp as flint' A Christmas Carol Stave 1 A roxy123456789 "Hard and sharp as flint" flint shows that Scrooge is better when not provoked. Near the beginning of the book, as we are being introduced to Scrooge, we read, Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, 'My dear Scrooge, how are you? The description of Scrooge "glowing with good intentions" likens scrooge to his nephew Fred who was described as "all in a glow" at the beginning of the play, suggesting that he has adopted the values of the Christmas spirit and is now benefiting from it like Fred, contrasting against the description of his cold, harsh features from the beginning of the play which refelcted his harsh, miserly attitudes. Be here all the earlier next morning. - Scrooge, create, study and share online flash cards, "Oh! It is a ponderous chain! Marleys face. The clock tower that looks down on. 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. The apparition walked backward from him; and at every step it took, the window raised itself a little, so that when the spectre reached it, it was wide open. Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and locked himself in; double-locked himself in, which was not his custom. Oh! "Oh! It is through your support of visiting Book Analysis that we can support charities, such as Teenage Cancer Trust. Latest answer posted January 12, 2021 at 5:08:54 PM. This might seem like a small detail, but regardless of whether or not the reader consciously juxtaposes these similes, they underscore Scrooge's transformation and provide evidence of a true change of heart. he walked through his rooms to see that all was right. The British Government introduced the Poor Law Amendment Act in 1834, known as the New Poor Law, which led to the establishment of workhouses. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: Imperial House, 2nd Floor, 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB, Taking a break or withdrawing from your course. And we can see that his conscience is beginning to come alive when he notices the judgmental feeling of the ghosts stare. To say that Scrooge could be made neither warm nor cold by any outside influence again paints him as an outcast. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!". Even the blind mens dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!. The use of similes helps an author to strengthen a description, and for the reader it helps to better visualize the scene in their heads. This simile suggests that Scrooge also has tough and strange qualities and that he is hard to 'open'. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! Cratchit, despite his poverty, celebrates Christmas with a childlike ritual of sliding down a hill with the street boys. Note also Marley's disgust at the connection of the words "good" and "business", which Scrooge also used earlier in his conversation with Fred. The best poem I have ever read is _____________________________________________ . `What do you want with me?. "Scrooge was better than his word. I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss you affairs this very afternoon". I lived rough, that you should live smooth. His answer is, "Bah! With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. "If they would rather die", said scrooge ,"they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population". The adjectives squeezing and wrenching, etc., relate to how one should imagine him with money, refusing to let go of his wealth. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and . Poulterers and grocers trades became a splendid joke; a glorious pageant, with which it was next to impossible to believe that such dull principles as bargain and sale had anything to do. (Dickens 6). Fred is the opposite of Scrooge in appearance and spirit. Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern; beguiled the rest of the evening with his bankers-book, He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased partner, it must have run there when it was a young house, playing at hide-and-seek with other houses, and forgotten the way out again. Stave One. 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 register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. Scrooge never painted out Old Marleys name. To sit, staring at those fixed glazed eyes, in silence for a moment, would play, Scrooge felt, the very deuce with him. 'Hard and sharp as a flint.' Flint is a hard stone that was used with iron to create sparks before people used matches. This gives the perception of Scrooge being a very cold character, a word also associated with being mean. *(Many, Nobody)* is predicting rain for tomorrow. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. His greed is so extreme that he will not even spend the money to allow Cratchit to be warm in the office. I have sat invisible beside you many and many a day., Couldnt I take `em all at once, and have it over, Jacob? hinted Scrooge. 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 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. It is made up of two Greek words, ana meaning up, and lysis meaning to loosen. I defy himif he finds me going there, in good temper, year after year, and saying, Uncle Scrooge, how are you? If it only puts him in the vein to leave his poor clerk fifty pounds, thats something. Even the beggars in the street are silent when he passes. The bells ceased as they had begun, together. Dickens suggests that scrooge is lonely, unsociable and disconnected from society through this simile, however, the description of him as an "oyster" connoting a creature with a tough exterior but containing a valuable, beautiful pearl within, suggests that scrooge has sociability and goodwill for others (and other values of the Christmas spirit) that will allow him to reconnect with society buried within him. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again. Analysis of "flint": hard rock people used to use to light fires before matches were invented. The last line of A Christmas Carol is God bless us, everyone. Its spoken by the well-loved character Tiny Tim. Fred knows this, and counters that "good" means something else entirely. LitCharts Teacher Editions. "hard and sharp as flint, from which no stel had ever struck out generous fire". It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. It suggests that even though cruelty seems to reign, the goodness embodied by the Christmas message can always find a way through, through the fog, through the keyhole. Marleys ghost is a terrifying figure - his huge clanking chain makes him look like an exaggeration of a typical Victorian prisoner. Moreover, the narrator explains, "External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse! Instead of being hard and sharp, he is soft and light. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Note the use of the adjective poor to describe Bob Cratchit. 1. -, "The ancient tower of a church whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge", Click here to study/print these flashcards. Flint is a type of ground that makes it difficult for life to grow kind of like how scrooges character allows no imaginations to grow. Hot and Cold Extensive imagery describes Scrooge as cold because of his cold heart; in contrast, his nephew is described as warm because he is merry and loving. The cold became intense. The hair was curiously stirred, as if by breath or hot air; and, though the eyes were wide open, they were perfectly motionless. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Scrooge keeps the fuel in his own room, frightening Cratchit into wearing extra clothing and trying to warm himself by a candle. "Hard and sharp as a flint.solitary as an oyster." `Because, said Scrooge, `a little thing affects them. The passage clearly states that Scrooge is "a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone" and is "hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel struck out a generous fire." Furthermore, the passage continues to show more detail by saying that he's "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner" and . Though he looked the phantom through and through, though he felt the chilling influence of its death-cold eyes, `How now! said Scrooge, caustic and cold as ever. Browse Library, Teacher Memberships (Dickens 3), Ebenezer Scrooge obviously has a reputation, and nobody wants to be around him. 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. 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. His only concern is the amount of money he can make for himself. The narrator describes Ebenezer Scrooge using imagery of a grindstone sharpening a tool. Why doesn't Scrooge like Christmas in A Christmas Carol? You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Introduction to analysis Analysis is an important. and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! `I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. 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. Refine any search. 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. Its the only way to make a boy sharp, sir. External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." In other words, Scrooge is stingy and tough: he has no . Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The narrator sets Scrooge up as the quintessential sinner, the most miserable man in the whole city. If you like this, we think you might also be interested in these related quotations. I revise four hours a day. This has a double meaning both as a sympathetic term of endearment and also the fact that thanks to Scrooge the man is literally poor. This is one of Freds lines, and it really helps to highlight the difference in viewpoints between Fred and his uncle. Just as Scrooge seems unaffected by the cold and darkness, he also shuns his feelings of fear and refuses to trust his senses or give in to them. This is not just a tale of one man's redemption; it is a kind of call to arms for all people to take to heart. Scrooge sees the workhouses as a solution to a problem, and shuts out the idea that their inhabitants are real feeling human beings. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. `You dont believe in me, observed the Ghost. Though his nephew tries to convince him to join his family, Scrooge replies, "Nephew, keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine!" If the nails were hammered so their tips extended to the other side of the door, and then hammered flat against that side, they could not be extracted. 30-4) the young Scrooge is full of energy and . When will you come to see me? No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was oclock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Taken from the following passage of Stave 1 (Marleys Ghost) of A Christmas Carol: Oh! This idea recalls Marley's role as a sort of tool in Scrooge's business. ", "If they would rather die.they had better do it and decrease the surplus population." In 1861, 35,000 children under 12 lived and worked in workhouses in Britain. "What then? And I know I know my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child, we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it. How is Scrooge portrayed as an outsider in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol? The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Past, Present and Future The Threat of Time, The opening establishes not just the friendship between Marley and Scrooge but also Scrooge's fundamental alonenessit's not just that they are friends; they are each other's, Scrooge is not just a grumpy old man he is a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner. `Christmas a humbug, uncle! said Scrooges nephew. 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. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Scrooge=isolation. As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon, it was a knocker again. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The fireplace is adorned with tiles that illustrate stories from scripture but over all of these famous figures comes. Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. No matter how vivid the apparitions become, Scrooge insists that he knows better. A great many very young girls grown into bold women before they had well ceased to be children. Humbug!" the other rooms being all let out as offices. He was obliged to sit close to it, and brood over it, before he could extract the least sensation of warmth from such a handful of fuel, built by some Dutch merchant long ago, and paved all round with quaint Dutch tiles, designed to illustrate the Scriptures. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! Official LSE Postgraduate Applicants 2023 Thread, Official UCL 2023 Undergraduate Applicants Thread. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. 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. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. 'Oh! This is an odd simile. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. Through Scrooges transformation in this allegorical tale, we also see his attitude to using fuel change. At this time of the rolling year, the spectre said `I suffer most. who cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially. For characters like Fred and Bob Cratchit, Christmas represents the Christian ideal of goodness and moral prosperity, but Scrooge is at his. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirits nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. wishing, though it were only for a second, to divert the visions stony gaze from himself, e for the rest of my days persecuted by a legion of goblins, all of my own creation, when the phantom taking off the bandage round its head, as if it were too warm to wear indoors, its lower jaw dropped down upon its breast. 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. Oh, no, no! The finger was still there. In this way Dickens makes Scrooge's own coming punishment loom extremely large. "no beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock". | Fred is unrelenting in his attempts to change his uncles way of thinking. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. Last weekend, I read $\underline{\color{#c34632}\text{To Build a Fire}}$ . "Spirit," said Scrooge with an interest he had never felt before, "tell me if Tiny Tim will live.". 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