A Christmas Carol E-Text contains the full text of A Christmas Carol. The crisp leaves of holly, mistletoe, and ivy reflected back the light, as if so many little mirrors had been scattered there; and such a mighty blaze went roaring up the chimney, as that dull petrification of a hearth had never known in Scrooge's time, or Marley's, or for many and many a winter season gone. It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour. I don't think I have, said Scrooge. Martha didn't like to see him disappointed, if it were only in joke; so she came out prematurely from behind the closet door, and ran into his arms, while the two young Cratchits hustled Tiny Tim, and bore him off into the wash-house, that he might hear the pudding singing in the copper. But they know me. Yet every one had had enough, and the youngest Cratchits in particular were steeped in sage and onion to the eyebrows! And now two smaller Cratchits, boy and girl, came tearing in, screaming that outside the baker's they had smelt the goose, and known it for their own; and basking in luxurious thoughts of sage and onion, these young Cratchits danced about the table, and exalted Master Peter Cratchit to the skies, while he (not proud, although his collars nearly choked him) blew the fire, until the slow potatoes bubbling up, knocked loudly at the saucepan-lid to be let out and peeled. katiebgrace1313. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Since A Christmas Carol was written in 1843, the number of brothers that the Ghost of Christmas Present claims to have likely refers to his having a brother for each year. Here again were shadows on the window-blind of guests assembling; and there a group of handsome girls, all hooded and fur-booted, and all chattering at once, tripped lightly off to some near neighbour's house; where, woe upon the single man who saw them enterartful witches: well they knew itin a glow! `Are there no workhouses., Scrooge encounters the second of the three Spirits: the enormous, jolly, yet sternly blunt Ghost. 25 terms. Recent flashcard sets. Scrooge's niece plays a tune on the harp, which softens Scrooge's heart. He don't do any good with it. 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 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. Open Document. Uncle Scrooge!. `He believed it too.. A moor or moorland is an expanse of uncultivated land that is not suitable for agriculture. And their assembled friends, being not a bit behindhand, roared out lustily. Reading of the text: 0:00 - 04:19Analysis of key quotations: 04:19 - 13:39Reading, discussion and annotation of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. There were ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars, and winking from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe. Which literary element is found in this passage? All sorts of horrors were supposed, greatest success achieved by Mrs Cratchit. pdf, 454.5 KB. Summary Read one-minute Sparklet summaries, the detailed stave-by-stave Summary & Analysis, or the Full Book Summary of A Christmas Carol . He hasn't the satisfaction of thinkingha, ha, ha!that he is ever going to benefit Us with it.. `Not coming. said Bob, with a sudden declension in his high spirits; Martha didnt like to see him disappointed, if it were only in joke; 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., Bobs voice was tremulous when he told them this, and trembled more. He don't lose much of a dinner.. `Spirit, said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, `tell me if Tiny Tim will live., If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.. The crisp leaves of holly, mistletoe, and ivy reflected back the light, as if so many little mirrors had been scattered there; and such a mighty blaze went roaring up the chimney, as that dull petrification of a hearth had never known in Scrooges time, or Marleys, or for many and many a winter season gone, Heaped up on the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch, that made the chamber dim with their delicious steam. Bob's voice was tremulous when he told them this, and trembled more when he said that Tiny Tim was growing strong and hearty. When the player is called back into the room, the player must guess what the object or thing is by asking questions that start with how, when, or where. Note that there are different variations of the game and that it was played differently depending on things like age, gender, location, etc. . What seems to be the author's tone and intent in this passage? A WAKING IN THE MIDDLE of a prodigiously tough snore, and sitting up in bed to get his thoughts together, Scrooge had no occasion to be told that the bell was again upon the stroke of One. Man, said the Ghost, if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Here, he takes it into his head to dislike us, and he won't come and dine with us. What does Charles Dickens mean when he says that every child in the last house Scrooge and the spirit visted was "conducting itself like forty"? Then all the Cratchit family drew round the hearth, in what Bob Cratchit called a circle, meaning half a one; and at Bob Cratchit's elbow stood the family display of glass; two tumblers and a custard-cup without a handle. Sets found in the same folder. 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. His active little crutch was heard upon the floor, and back came Tiny Tim before another word was spoken, escorted by his brother and sister to his stool before the fire; and while Bob, turning up his cuffsas if, poor fellow, they were capable of being made more shabbycompounded some hot mixture in a jug with gin and lemons, and stirred it round and round and put it on the hob to simmer; Master Peter and the two ubiquitous young Cratchits went to fetch the goose, with which they soon returned in high procession. The Ghost was greatly pleased to find him in this mood, and looked upon him with such favour, that he begged like a boy to be allowed to stay until the guests departed. So did the room, the fire, the ruddy glow, the hour of night, and they stood in the city streets on Christmas morning, where (for the weather was severe) the people made a rough, but brisk and not unpleasant kind of music, in scraping the snow from the pavement in front of their dwellings, and from the tops of their houses, whence it was mad delight to the boys to see it come plumping down into the road below, and splitting into artificial little snowstorms. Scrooge awakes when the bell strikes one, and is immediately prepared for the second Ghost's arrival. A giant ghost introduces himself as the Ghost of Christmas Present and tells Scrooge to touch his robe. All smiles and compliments, Scrooge tells the boy to go buy the prize turkey from the poultry shop, planning to send it to the Cratchits. Uncle Scrooge had imperceptibly become so gay and light of heart, that he would have pledged the unconscious company in return, and thanked them in an inaudible speech, if the Ghost had given him time. Scrooge does not need to live an extravagant life in order to enjoy the holidays. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die., No, no, said Scrooge. Lavish descriptions of large dinners and raucous accounts of games dominate this stave, since eating and playing imply pleasure for both the individual and the community. By doing so, Dickens provides hope for English Victorian society to close the chasm between the Haves and Have-Nots and overturn the unjust Poor Laws that keep the underclass enchained. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge that Tiny Tim has a very large heart, and Scrooges pained reaction to Tiny Tims predicted death illustrates how much Scrooge has developed in character. Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds; a feathered phenomenon, to which a black swan was a matter of course: and in truth it was something very like it in that house. A Christmas Carol study guide contains a biography of Charles Dickens, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. What Dickens points out here is the hypocrisy of those who preach generosity, kindness, and Christmas spirit, but do not actually practice what they preach. When Published: 19 December 1843. The term dogged means stubborn or grimly resolved. Scrooge himself notes that he is not the stubborn person that he once was. oh the Grocers. He's a comical old fellow, said Scrooge's nephew, that's the truth; and not so pleasant as he might be. I made it link by link and yard by yard' (stave 2) - the chains symbolises his guilt and imprisonment - foreshadows what could happen to Scrooge if he does not change . Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by Mrs. Cratchit since their marriage. At least you always tell me so., What of that, my dear! said Scrooge's nephew. Which of these does notemphasize that they are poor? Whereat Scrooge's niece's sisterthe plump one with the lace tucker: not the one with the rosesblushed. There were great, round, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence. What do the children hiding under the Spirit's robes most likely symbolize? Scrooge's niece played well upon the harp; and played among other tunes a simple little air (a mere nothing: you might learn to whistle it in two minutes) which had been familiar to the child who fetched Scrooge from the boarding-school, as he had been reminded by the Ghost of Christmas Past. Eked out by the 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 hadn't ate it all at last! The Ghost brings Scrooge to a number of other happy Christmas dinners in the city, as well as to celebrations in a miner's house, a lighthouse, and on a ship. Now, Scrooge has accepted this as reality and is no longer a passive participant in his own reclamation, but an active one. A tremendous family to provide for! muttered Scrooge. Hurrah! Scrooge encounters the second of the three Spirits: the enormous, jolly, yet sternly blunt Ghost of Christmas Present. So strong were the images in his mind that Dickens said he felt them "tugging at [my] coat sleeve, as if impatient for [me] to get back to his desk and continue the story of their lives. ". And I no more believe Topper was really blind than I believe he had eyes in his boots. Bless those women; they never do anything by halves. He obeyed. . Stave 1- Greed The main theme in stave 1 of A Christmas Carol is greed. Literary Period: Victorian Era. "There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor." 2. A place where Miners live, who labour in the bowels of the earth, returned the Spirit. There's father coming, cried the two young Cratchits, who were everywhere at once. Despite how badly Scrooge treats his nephew, Fred does not hold it against himhe feels sorry for him. Suppose it should break in turning out! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present, said the Spirit. Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head before this Spirit. A Christmas Carol Stave 1: Marley's Ghost. My opinion is, that it was a done thing between him and Scrooge's nephew; and that the Ghost of Christmas Present knew it. What element in society is the author criticizing through the voice of the Spirit? Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief. Who suffers by his ill whims. Five minutes, ten minutes, a quarter of an hour went by, yet nothing came. How do you know? There never was such a goose. The echoes of the church bell fade, however, and no ghost appears. Displaying Annotated A Christmas Carol Stave 1.pdf. In Prose. One half-hour, Spirit, only one!. 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 crackled noisily. To a poor one most., I wonder you, of all the beings in the many worlds about us, should desire to cramp these peoples opportunities of innocent enjoyment.. They were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being waterproof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbroker's. 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. When Scrooge asks if the children have no refuge, the Ghost answers with Scrooge's previous words"'Are there no prisons? A Christmas Carol Stave 4. Long life to him! Scrooge has become more compassionate and understanding for those who are at a disadvantage, a change that is partially prompted by seeing the love that the Cratchits have for the good as gold Tiny Tim. Having them shown to him in this way, he tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude. Annotated A Christmas Carol Stave 3.pdf. Scrooge's niece's sisters, and all the other ladies, expressed the same opinion. His family, dressed in its best clothing, waits for Bob to return from church before they eat dinner. Bob held his withered little hand in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him. It was a long night if it were only a night; but Scrooge had his doubts of this, because the Christmas Holidays appeared to be condensed into the space of time they passed together. He sat very close to his father's side, upon his little stool. It was a remarkable quality of the Ghost (which Scrooge had observed at the baker's), that notwithstanding his gigantic size, he could accommodate himself to any place with ease; and that he stood beneath a low roof quite as gracefully, and like a supernatural creature, as it was possible he could have done in any lofty hall. 16 terms. Apprehensive - hesitant or fearful Whats the consequence? He is prepared for the ghost to take any shape. According to the text Scrooge states very angrily to his nephew that he wants to keep his Christmas to himself. a christmas carol by charles dickens first edition abebooks. Oh, a wonderful pudding! It may be that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child. Marley's Ghost. Scrooge! said Bob; Ill give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!, The Founder of the Feast indeed! cried Mrs. Cratchit, reddening. This boy is Ignorance. 2. This is the full text of Stave Three, annotated as a PDF file. For example, Scrooge is taught the precepts of aiding the sick and poor by giving them greater hope and cheer. Dickens introduces the theme that charity takes many forms; abundance does not necessarily mean monetary abundance, but rather an abundance of care and compassion. 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. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Dickens wants to show that giving does not deplete the giver, but rather enriches him. Is there a peculiar flavour in what you sprinkle from your torch? asked Scrooge. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Suppose it should not be done enough! A smell like an eating-house and a pastry-cook's next door to each other, with a laundress's next door to that! 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. Description of Ghost of Christmas Present, Stave 3, this ghost is very different in appearance to all the other ghosts. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Christmas Carol. The pudding was out of the copper. Indeed, I think he loses a very good dinner, interrupted Scrooge's niece. enviro chem exam 3. And it was a very uncommon kind of torch, for once or twice, when there were angry words between some dinner-carriers who had jostled each other, he shed a few drops of water on them from it, and their good-humour was restored directly. 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 at the same time there emerged from scores of bye streets, lanes, and nameless turnings, innumerable people, carrying their dinners to the bakers' shops. There was no doubt about that. But if you had judged from the numbers of people on their way to friendly gatherings, you might have thought that no one was at home to give them welcome when they got there, instead of every house expecting company, and piling up its fires half-chimney high. Any Cratchit would have blushed to hint at such a thing. Zip. I wish I had him here. A Christmas Carol Summary and Analysis of Stave Three Scrooge awakes when the bell strikes one, and is immediately prepared for the second Ghost's arrival. Who suffers by his ill whims? Its feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare; and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath set here and there with shining icicles. to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!. With a dimpled, surprised-looking, capital face; a ripe little mouth, that seemed made to be kissedas no doubt it was; all kinds of good little dots about her chin, that melted into one another when she laughed; and the sunniest pair of eyes you ever saw in any little creature's head. These children personify Scrooge's attitude. God bless us.. He asks the Ghost if Tim will live. Charles Dickens penned his story "A Christmas Carol" with a message which is relevant to our sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch. The narrator's sense of humor is evident here in the way he juxtaposes the image of a baby with that of a rhinoceros. See!. Suppose it should break in turning out. They are described as wretched because they are almost a "Christmas kryptonite." Ignorance and Want go against all that is wholesome about Christmas, giving, kindness, and glee.