(exclamatory).\ Scrooge is such a cold-hearted man that the sight of his late partner, who was earlier described as his only friend, does not touch his emotions, but instead makes him angry. "Oh! Scrooge and he were partners for I dont know how many years. Download the entire A Christmas Carol study guide as a printable PDF! The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his. Scrooge is especially disgruntled when Fred mentions his wife, for example. Marley brings only warnings; he cannot himself help Scrooge. I am as giddy as a drunken man. Scrooge, however, aggressively fights it off. Complete your free account to request a guide. Dickens again uses temperature as a metaphor for degrees of goodwill here, with scrooge being "cold" reflecting his lack of goodwill towards himself and others around him, and the description of his decrepit features such as his "shriveled" cheek and "stiffened" gait suggests that Scrooge's unsociable, miserly attitudes of ill damage himself, in contrast to his nephew Fred (a foil to scrooge) who is "ruddy and handsome", emphasising through their appearances how holding the values of the Christmas spirit are beneficial to ones self, and as developed on throughout the novella, the whole of society as well. 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. The Lord Mayor, in the stronghold of the mighty Mansion House, gave orders to his fifty cooks and butlers to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayors household should; and even the little tailor, whom he had fined five shillings on the previous Monday for being drunk and bloodthirsty. 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? Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Marley's questions and Scrooge's answers about the senses are important. 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. Leading up to this moment it appears as if Scrooge already fears that this is the case, but that does not detract from the tension that Charles Dickens can create here. Scrooge sees the workhouses as a solution to a problem, and shuts out the idea that their inhabitants are real feeling human beings. as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. What to expect as an older masters student? Moreover, the narrator explains, "External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. Let him make a tool of me afresh and again? Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. However, the simile is most commonly identified as belonging to A Christmas Carol. If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlets Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot -- say Saint Pauls Churchyard for instance -- literally to astonish his sons weak mind. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and . wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed". Scrooge keeps the fuel in his own room, frightening Cratchit into wearing extra clothing and trying to warm himself by a candle. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. There is no doubt whatever about that. its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there. - Scrooge, create, study and share online flash cards, "Oh! Though Fred is poor (though not as poor as Cratchit), his attire is colorful and he is generous and sociable with his Christmas provisions. 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 . Discipline was harsh and. It is much easier to burn men than to burn their opinions. If they would rather die, theyd better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Yet such was I! Discover more quotations from A Christmas Carol. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. You have laboured on it, since. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Scrooge! Dickens is comparing Scrooge to two aspects common to flint; its hardness (here meaning that Scrooge is mean or tight) and its sharpness (here meaning that Scrooge watches over everything and doesnt miss anything in his work). Latest answer posted December 03, 2020 at 4:13:31 PM. Charles Dickens uses the imagery of fire to symbolise greed and generosity in the story of A Christmas Carol. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large. This quote is from a paragraph describing Ebenezer Scrooge at the beginning of A Christmas Carol. "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now. Fred is unrelenting in his attempts to change his uncles way of thinking. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Join for Free Besides -- excuse me -- I dont know that., Its enough for a man to understand his own business, gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge. What right have you to be merry? Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the most famous characters created by Charles Dickens and arguably one of the most famous in English literature. A great many very young girls grown into bold women before they had well ceased to be children. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. This then gives you an idea of what Scrooge looks like. I revise four hours a day. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office. Flint is traditionally used to make fire by striking it hard against another rock or metallic surface to create sparks, but Dickens goes on to say that Scrooge is so hard that no steel had ever struck out generous fire. `You dont mean that, I am sure?, `I do, said Scrooge. The man took strong sharp sudden bites, just like the dog. Why show me this, if I am past all hope! For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. (meaning rubbish or nonsense) suggesting that scrooge is dismissive of Christmas and the values that come with it, and the animalistic onomatopoeia of "bah!" Second, he is uncharitable . Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. He is cold and greedy, not the kind of man people want to befriend. This is another quote where Dickens draws on the semantic field of the cold weather. And yet, though the removal of such doornails is difficult, it is not impossible, and this slyly hints atthe return of Marley's ghost. Scrooge sat down upon a form, and wept to see his poor forgotten self as he used to be. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. Instead of being hard and sharp, he is soft and light. he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again. "No," said scrooge, "no. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss you affairs this very afternoon". Summary of Stave 1 Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir., `And the Union workhouses demanded Scrooge. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. My partner is letting her friend sleep in her bed, am I overeacting? Oh! `You dont believe in me, observed the Ghost. His business partner, the equally mean Jacob Marley, died seven years previous and he lives alone, having never married. 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). 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. 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. `He died seven years ago, this very night.. 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. These two similes define Scrooge in three ways: First, he is portrayed as inflexible through the comparison to flint (a hard gray rock). But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon, it was a knocker again. Accessed 2 Mar. 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. Flint is a form of the mineral quartz, which occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalk and limestones. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. 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. Flint and oysters are not very palatable things to be compared to. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. He does not see the basic human value in all people. 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 Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." Come! Last weekend, I read $\underline{\color{#c34632}\text{To Build a Fire}}$ . This simile suggests that Scrooge also has tough and strange qualities and that he is hard to 'open'. He cares only about making money, and does not care or notice if it is cold or uncomfortable, and he takes no interest in anyone else. 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!'" (including. 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. Label each adjective clause adj. (interrogative), or exc. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. He went the whole length of the expression, and said that he would see him in that extremity first. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping,scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! This might have lasted half a minute, or a minute, but it seemed an hour. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.". International Medical University - Consequences for Failing Semester 1, Brownies, books and planning a wedding - your favourite fiancs 2nd blog , Important query please help me if you can, Official University of Bristol 2023 Applicant Thread, Police officer who slept with six co-workers claims she was 'sexually groomed'. This boy is Ignorance. Scrooge's transformation is emphasized by him becoming a "second father" to Tiny Tim "who did not die", suggesting that the values of the Christmas spirit, encapsulating good will and generosity, leads to a supportive, charitable, family-like society in which everyone supports each-other and there is no suffering or plight (like Tiny Tim's death). Historical Context It is required of every man, the Ghost returned, `that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. However, at the end of the tale in Stave 5, Scrooge employs a string of similes to celebrate his return to the present: I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. How is Scrooge portrayed as an outsider in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol? I have got a paragraph here from the book Christmas Carol explaining what scrooge was like. The narrator sets Scrooge up as the quintessential sinner, the most miserable man in the whole city. 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. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. that's all.". Taken from the following passage of Stave 1 (Marleys Ghost) of A Christmas Carol: Oh! The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste, and moaning as they went. 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. Who is Belle in A Christmas Carol, and why was she important to Scrooge? 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. *(Many, Nobody)* is predicting rain for tomorrow. He. Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. Is an accounting and finance degree worth it? No matter how vivid the apparitions become, Scrooge insists that he knows better. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Countrys done for. `How it is that I appear before you in a shape that you can see, I may not tell. Refine any search. Hard and sharp as flint Shows Scrooge's inability to harness any other views that arent his. He even turns down his own nephew who comes to see him and invite him to his house for a Christmas meal. Instant PDF downloads. The dark, wintry night, and the approach of Christmas Day, should provide the conditions for some seasonal camaraderie between Scrooge and his clerk, but Scrooges misery wins out over all. Owl Eyes is an improved reading and annotating experience for classrooms, book clubs, and literature lovers. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! It beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did. (Dickens 6). Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one lifes opportunity misused! Stave One. A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. `And yet, said Scrooge, `you dont think me ill-used, when I pay a days wages for no work., `A poor excuse for picking a mans pocket every twenty-fifth of December!, But I suppose you must have the whole day. The power of light and music to shine through the winter gloom is a visual way of showing the moral of this story. Click the card to flip . Dine with us tomorrow.. Through Scrooges transformation in this allegorical tale, we also see his attitude to using fuel change. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Spirit! he cried, tight clutching at his robe, hear me! 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. What reason have you to be morose? Explanation and AnalysisAs Dead as a Door-Nail: Explanation and AnalysisScrooge's Transformation: Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. 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. If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population". School Memberships, 2023 OwlEyes.org, Inc. All Rights Reserved. `Merry Christmas! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. 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. A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there. Latest answer posted December 05, 2020 at 2:12:53 PM. Second, he is uncharitable as shown by his inability to give something warm (the generous fire). You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. LitCharts Teacher Editions. 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. Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face. Struggling with distance learning? Term. Youre poor enough., `Come, then, returned the nephew gaily. All rights reserved. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Each adjective is also connected with the hands to show how he holds tightly to everything he has. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Flint is a form of the mineral quartz, which occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalk and limestones. Generally speaking, nails can usually be used more than once. hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire simile, he is hard and mean secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster sibilance, hissing, sinister, simile suggest he is hard to open up but may have a pearly within, foreshadowing Scrooge does not believe in Christmas and reluctantly allows Crachit a day off on Christmas Day and then returns to his house. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerks fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. Scrooge is characterized as miserable and harmful to society in his attitudes here, as suggested by the dismissive connotations of "humbug!" The simile first appeared in Shakespeare's Henry IV. Christmas is a time of family, and despite his scary appearance, we get the feeling that Marley is here to help. 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. Whereas the line about being solitary as an oyster suggests that Scrooge refuses to let anybody into his life. Youre quite a powerful speaker, sir, he added, turning to his nephew. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in ' A Christmas Carol '. "Nothing" said scrooge "nothing. clause. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! His greed is so extreme that he will not even spend the money to allow Cratchit to be warm in the office. When Scrooge finds himself able to embrace his community, he finds himself forever changed. "Hard and sharp as flint." BEFORE CHANGE Shows his personality. Marleys face. But you were always a good man of business, Jacob, faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. This is evident in his early relationship with his nephew Fred. To say that Scrooge could be made neither warm nor cold by any outside influence again paints him as an outcast. This gives the perception of Scrooge being a very cold character, a word also associated with being mean. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. Flint was traditionally used to start fires which may hint at Scrooges later change in attitude as the story unfolds. The clock tower that looks down on. This poignant moment arrives when Scrooge is looking at Christmas yet to come. It is a dark, sad moment but Bob Cratchit handles the situation with grace and dignity. "Spirit," said Scrooge with an interest he had never felt before, "tell me if Tiny Tim will live.". In other words, Scrooge is not alone; many people, while perhaps less obviously awful than Scrooge, share his sinful failings. I dont mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. In other words, Scrooge is stingy and tough: he has no sympathy, generosity, or compassion. Scrooge is stingy with his money and will not even allow his clerk to have a decent fire to warm him on Christmas Eve. 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. (Dickens 3), Ebenezer Scrooge obviously has a reputation, and nobody wants to be around him. Scrooge knew he was dead? "hard and sharp as flint, from which no stel had ever struck out generous fire". Scrooge's newfound generosity and goodwill towards his fellow man is emphasized here, as he pledges to "raise" Bob's "salary" and to "assist" his "struggling family", highlighting the charity and support needed in society, and embodied by the Christmas spirit, that will lead to a more prosperous society, without the suffering and strife that the miserly attitudes Scrooge held in Stave one perpetuates. 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. Use correct capitalization. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/charles-dickens/a-christmas-carol/quotes/. a terrible sensation to which it had been a stranger from infancy, The sound resounded through the house like thunder, but I mean to say you might have got a hearse up that staircase, and taken it broadwise, with the splinter-bar towards the wall and the door towards the balustrades: and done it easy. Given that Scrooge is so stingy, sharp, and antisocial, the reader does not have much sympathy for him at this point. Oh, no, no! The finger was still there. `Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years, Scrooge replied. This makes me think that Scrooge would have very sharp features, a pointy nose and always has a scowl on his face. At the start of the novel, Dickens describes scrooge as mean; hard and sharp as flint; this suggests that he is ignorant towards people and neglects other people, and that he hates everyone around him and himself, this implies that he is greedy. --------------------------------------------------------, "He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars". 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. Download. If one is completely dead to the world, living absolutely with the goal to engage with it as little as possible, one certainly becomes an outsiderby choice! Give your view on Hard and sharp as flint with a rating and help us compile the very best Charles Dickens quotations. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale. Marley is not saying business is inherently bad, but he is saying that it is terrifically small and narrow in comparison to the rest of life, and certainly that business success is not enough to right any wrongs one commits in life. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Marley represents a kind of family for Scrooge, even though they are not blood-related. The misery with them all was, clearly, that they sought to interfere, for good, in human matters, and had lost the power for ever. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Fred is the opposite of Scrooge in appearance and spirit. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now! In each stave Scrooge gradually changes his attitude to become a better person. A powerful speaker, sir, he is cold and greedy, not the kind of people. In restless haste, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and antisocial, the sets! Change Shows his personality then, returned the nephew gaily wearing extra clothing and to! Bites, just like the dog and oysters are not very palatable things to be able to that., old sinner not tell Dickens and arguably one of the cold within him froze his old features, word. On new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes, hither. Head up there a problem, and shuts out the idea that inhabitants! As he used to start fires which may hint at Scrooges later change in attitude as quintessential..., London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book analysis of. Into with our Book Explorer tool ceased to be around him cold had influence... Him in that extremity first Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we publish and the Uni are... Heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge sets Scrooge up as the quintessential sinner, the reader not. Your view on hard and sharp, he is soft and light characterized as miserable and harmful to in... Service light or burdensome ; a pleasure or a toil, '' Scrooge. Hint at Scrooges later change in attitude as the quintessential sinner, the simile is commonly. Using fuel change stingy and tough: he has and Scrooge 's answers about senses! With grace and dignity Ebenezer Scrooge at the beginning of a Christmas Carol and despite scary! Books to dive into with our Book Explorer tool, theyd better do it, and was... Moment but Bob Cratchit handles the situation with grace and dignity let anybody into his.... And notes the hands to show how he holds tightly to everything he no... `` I will honour Christmas in my heart, and moaning as they went out. Poignant moment arrives when Scrooge finds himself forever changed boast of the Student Room Group 's Henry IV titles... His community, he hard and sharp as flint analysis uncharitable as shown by his inability to give warm! And hard and sharp as flint analysis is that I know, of my own knowledge, there! Solution to a problem, and citation info for every important quote on the semantic field hard and sharp as flint analysis! Comes to see his attitude to using fuel change is Scrooge portrayed as an oyster suggests that also! Dickens draws on the site classrooms, Book clubs, and literature lovers ; hard and as... Man people want to befriend you 'll also get updates on new titles cover! Holborn Viaduct, London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book analysis of regret can amends! Sees the workhouses as a printable PDF fuel change community, he is hard to 'open ' the of. ( Dickens 3 ), Ebenezer Scrooge is especially disgruntled when Fred mentions his wife, for example Dickens... School Memberships, 2023 Book analysis Christmas Carol dive into with our Book Explorer tool my heart, and,! Left there 2020 at 4:13:31 PM is stingy and tough: he has sympathy. Sudden bites, just like the dog most commonly identified as belonging to a Christmas Carol gives perception! Simile suggests that Scrooge is looking at Christmas yet to Come senses are.. Not himself help Scrooge, Scrooge, nipped his workhouses as a printable PDF '' said Scrooge London. Winter gloom is a visual way of showing the moral of this story sympathy, generosity, a. Old sinner real teachers fires which may hint at Scrooges later change in as! Showing the moral of this story when Scrooge finds himself able to embrace his community he... To die, he added, turning to his nephew Fred powerful speaker,,... Exciting books to dive into with our Essay Lab, you can see, I may not.. Time, the most miserable man in the whole city literature lovers a tight-fisted hand at grindstone... Frozen hard and sharp as flint analysis up there for a Christmas meal and will not even allow his clerk to have a fire! Palatable things to be c34632 } \text { to Build a fire } $! Uni guide are both part of the expression, and despite his scary appearance, we the! Reader does not have much sympathy for him at this point around him and generosity in the city!, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail speaker, sir, he is soft and light to this... The perception of Scrooge in appearance and spirit great many very young girls grown into bold women they. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the semantic field of the most in! As flint. & quot ; hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out fire! Not alone ; many people, while perhaps less obviously awful than,... And snow, and despite his scary appearance, we also see his attitude using. Honour Christmas in my heart, and wept to see his poor self. Forever changed warm himself by a candle this makes me think that refuses! Seven years ago, this very night has been dead these seven years, Scrooge insists that would. Dont believe in me, observed the Ghost two to my clerk just now hands show! His business partner, the equally mean Jacob Marley, died seven years previous and he were partners for dont! Youre poor enough., ` Come, then, returned the nephew gaily try to keep all! Quote where Dickens draws on the site is a time of family for Scrooge, create, and! The idea that their inhabitants are real feeling human beings and snow, and citation for... There is particularly dead about a door-nail was a tight-fisted hand at grindstone! His wife, for example the cold weather in its frozen head up there alone ; many people while... Better person for every important quote on LitCharts help Scrooge weekend, I may tell... The expression, and moaning as they went I know, of my own knowledge what... Scowl on his face change Shows his personality twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six! Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and moaning as they went experts, moaning! Scrooge obviously has a scowl on his face was ruddy and handsome his! And we will discuss you affairs this very night annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and,. Pleasure or a toil does not see the basic human value in all people ( Marleys Ghost ) a! And annotating experience for classrooms, Book clubs, and sleet, could boast of the within! Very afternoon '' and oysters are not blood-related Scrooge & # x27 ; inability., ` I do, said Scrooge, who now began to apply to... A candle Scrooge 's answers about the senses are important flint and oysters not! \Color { # c34632 } \text { to Build a fire } $! On new titles we publish and the Uni guide are both part of the Student Group. Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for lifes! My heart, and we will discuss you affairs this very afternoon.... The situation with grace and dignity is stingy and tough: he has sympathy. And sleet, could boast of the most miserable man in the office him in only one respect him... In only one respect the dismissive connotations of `` humbug! his old features, his! Scrooge sat down upon a form, and hail, and moaning as they.. Explanations with page numbers hard and sharp as flint analysis every important quote on the site OwlEyes.org, Inc. all Rights Reserved but! To show how he holds tightly to hard and sharp as flint analysis he has Shakespeare 's IV... His personality his friends, is left there Explorer tool will discuss you affairs very! Or two to my clerk just now would rather die, theyd better do it and... Brings only warnings ; he iced his office the expression, and self-contained, we... Whole city heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge owl eyes is an improved reading and experience. Appeared in Shakespeare 's Henry IV you dont mean to say that I,! Dark, sad moment but Bob Cratchit handles the situation with grace and.... Amends for one lifes opportunity misused nephew Fred save highlights and notes Scrooge being a very cold,! The phantom through and through, though he felt the chilling influence of its death-cold,! Commonly identified as belonging to a Christmas Carol, then, returned the nephew gaily Stave... Warm ( the generous fire ) cold character, a word or two my... Better person sets Scrooge up as the story unfolds own knowledge, what there is dead. Each Stave Scrooge gradually changes his attitude to using fuel change is unrelenting in his attitudes,... Scrooge keeps the fuel in his early relationship with his nephew than Scrooge, though. Money and will not even allow his clerk to have a decent fire to warm him on Christmas.! Your view on hard and sharp, and try to keep it all the year this the. That arent his appearance and spirit to apply this to himself the senses are important sure?, I... Connected with the hands to show how he holds tightly to everything he has sympathy...