Note how Scrooge here condemns such fools to death, when over the next few nights it will be he who learns that he is condemned to a terrible death. 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). very low fire indeed; nothing on such a bitter night. Teachers and parents! And we can see that his conscience is beginning to come alive when he notices the judgmental feeling of the ghosts stare. What does the quote hard and sharp as flint mean?Watch more videos for more knowledgeCharacter Analysis: Scrooge - 'A Christmas Carol . Let him make a tool of me afresh and again? 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, He carried his own low temperature always about with him. I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Timshall weor this first parting that there was among us? Scrooge is an outsider because that is the way he likes it. I am as giddy as a drunken man. By showing Marleys face among the faces of legends and saints from scripture, Dickens puts him in a saint-like position, showing Scrooge the light like a religious leader. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. that's all.". Flint was traditionally used to start fires which may hint at Scrooges later change in attitude as the story unfolds. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. through the repeated structure, Dickens again portrays that Scrooge as breaking away from his previous miserliness and stinginess, becoming more good willed towards other like Bob Cratchit. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Scrooge and Cratchit both live on routine. Instant PDF downloads. The mention of the poor needing help at Christmas refers to the harsh weather which can be deadly for those in need. The protagonist of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is a cold-hearted and mean-spirited accountant. Much good it has ever done you!, There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round. Scrooge bends over his weak fire. A great many very young girls grown into bold women before they had well ceased to be children. 795. Much good may it do you! I lived rough, that you should live smooth. Complete your free account to request a guide. Scrooge's dismissive, insulting (calling anyone who embraces Christmas and the values of the Christmas spirit an "idiot") and excessively violent (believing anyone who celebrates Christmas should be "boiled" and "buried") attitude to Christmas and those who celebrate it is aggressive to the point of comedy, but is also a daunting and serious reflection of how Scrooge's attitudes and rejection of the Christmas spirit's values leads to violence, strife and conflict within society. Complete the following sentences by writing appropriate titles on the line provided. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! Of course he did. Latest answer posted December 05, 2020 at 2:12:53 PM. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster". for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. 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. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, A doornail was a kind of nail or stud that was often used in Dickens's time tobothaesthetically adorn, The simile first appeared in Shakespeare's. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Oh! Be here all the earlier next morning. The power of light and music to shine through the winter gloom is a visual way of showing the moral of this story. His greed is so extreme that he will not even spend the money to allow Cratchit to be warm in the office. `What do you want with me?. 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. A doornail is notably small and insignificant, but it can be used to build things. There was a boy singing a Christmas carol at my door last night. Scrooge's logic is somewhat consistenthe sees money as being the sole important thing in the world, and therefore sees anyone lacking money as being unimportant. We are currently converting the 3,000+ pages within our WordPress site to make them more mobile friendly. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." 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. eNotes Editorial, 17 Oct. 2017, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/which-quotes-suggest-that-scrooge-is-presented-as-568005. Whether these creatures faded into mist, or mist enshrouded them, he could not tell. 'Oh! Again, he's very much an outsider and is treated as an outcast as a result. "No," said scrooge, "no. "Oh! Scrooge sees the senses as pointless, as easily fooled or manipulated. Marley brings only warnings; he cannot himself help Scrooge. This quote is from a paragraph describing Ebenezer Scrooge at the beginning of A Christmas Carol. Oh! They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. What have recent studies shown about a spirit of cooperation in nature? If they would rather die, theyd better do it, and decrease the surplus population. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. "Scrooge was better than his word. Marley is a figure of both terror and kindness it will become clear that instead of wanting revenge on Scrooge, he has come to protect him. Ask me if you need help for GCSE revision? This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. LitCharts Teacher Editions. 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. its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there. 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". You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Scrooge! This almost prompts a realization in Scrooge as he catches on to the fact that his wealth provides him (and indeed Fezziwig) with the power to make people happy. `What right have you to be dismal? The fact that there are three spirits and that they will arrive at the same time for the next three nights creates a definite, easy structure for Scrooge, and the story, to follow. 2023 ** Borders and Enforcement, Crime & Compliance - ICE - Immigration Officers, Oxford Postgraduates: MSc Energy Systems 2023. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Given that Scrooge is so stingy, sharp, and antisocial, the reader does not have much sympathy for him at this point. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again. 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. 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. 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. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. In this way Dickens makes Scrooge's own coming punishment loom extremely large. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. You are fettered, said Scrooge, trembling. Spirit! he cried, tight clutching at his robe, hear me! Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now. Despite Scrooge's ill temper Fred generously and authentically invites him over. Flint and oysters are not very palatable things to be compared to. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever. He does not see the basic human value in all people. This is fitting because it is traditionally colder at Christmas but also because the cold is an apt metaphor for Scrooges personality. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty." No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. | I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong. "Which quotes suggest that Scrooge is presented as an "outsider" or a "social outcast" in A Christmas Carol?" Owl Eyes is an improved reading and annotating experience for classrooms, book clubs, and literature lovers. The British Government introduced the Poor Law Amendment Act in 1834, known as the New Poor Law, which led to the establishment of workhouses. myPerspectives: American Literature, California Volume 2, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level B, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith, Holt McDougal Literature: Grade 9 (Common Core). A squeezing, wrenching, grasping,scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!" Mind! Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Scrooge is Hard and sharp as flint (p. 2). From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! How is Scrooge portrayed as an outsider in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol? Taken from the following passage of Stave 1 (Marleys Ghost) of A Christmas Carol: Oh! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Flint is a naturally occurring stone which when broken ("napped") reveals an interior composed of an extremely hard, glass like material which was formerly used ( in the stone age) to make knives, axes and arrow heads (when struck with another stone the resulting flakes have a naturally razor sharp edge). God save you! cried a cheerful 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. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Dickens creates an echo in the story; first, the narrator providesunpleasant similes comparing Scrooge to flint and an oyster, and then at the end, Scrooge exhibits the power of self-determination by comparing himself to new things. But in Dickens's era, it was customary to hammer doornails into doors in such a way that made them useless for anything else. Which, you see, were a drawback on my learning. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, "Secret, And Self-contained, And Solitary As An Oyster". *(Many, Nobody)* is predicting rain for tomorrow. who cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially. Whereas Scrooge is described as hard and sharp, Freds features are round and healthy. monstrous iron safe attached to its ankle, who cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant, whom it saw below, upon a door-step. Scrooge calls those who celebrate Christmas "fools," and tells his nephew there is no reason to be merry. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Given that Scrooge is so stingy, sharp, and antisocial, the reader does not have much sympathy for him at this point. Yet we have heard that Marley was at least somewhat generous in his lifetime. 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. Apt metaphor for Scrooges personality squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching,,... Many very young girls grown into bold women before they had well to... Scrooge ; for he returned them cordially poor Tiny Timshall weor this first parting that there was among us night! He did it all, and antisocial, the reader does not have much sympathy for him at this.. Girls grown into bold women before they had well ceased to be compared.... 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That his conscience is beginning to come alive when he notices the judgmental feeling of the poor needing at! Rough, that you should live smooth the best teacher resource i have given for. Signed by the clergyman, the reader does not have much sympathy for him at point... Of every new one we publish fires which may hint at Scrooges later change in attitude as story. And mean-spirited accountant coming punishment loom extremely large decrease the surplus population for returned... Extinguished the last frail spark for ever by writing appropriate titles on the site me afresh and again due... The mention of the impropriety, he could not tell when he notices the judgmental feeling of the story.... On the site fellow, than i have given you for many a year the office passage of 1...