hard and sharp as flint analysis
It is also a fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night and morning, during his whole residence in that place; also that Scrooge had as little of what is called fancy about him as any man in the city of London, even including -- which is a bold word -- the corporation, aldermen, and livery. If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population". 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. Scrooge and Cratchit both live on routine. Instant PDF downloads. Note also Marley's disgust at the connection of the words "good" and "business", which Scrooge also used earlier in his conversation with Fred. But he couldnt replenish it. 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. "Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." See in text (Stave One) These two similes define Scrooge in three ways: First, he is portrayed as inflexible through the comparison to flint (a hard gray rock). Scrooge, however, aggressively fights it off. However, Scrooge being likened to "flint" suggests that, although he has never given "generous fire" he has the potential to be good-willed, sociable, generous and the other attributes encapsulated by the Christmas spirit, as portrayed by the recurring symbol of "fire" used by dickens to represent these values. Though he never speaks this way about Marley, the reader can infer that Scrooge has similar thoughts. `I wonder you dont go into Parliament., `Dont be angry, uncle. 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. 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. (including. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! 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.". the other rooms being all let out as offices. I want to be an Architect, what GCSEs should I do? The owner of one scant young nose, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs, regale him with a Christmas carol: but at the first sound of, Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action. Each adjective is also connected with the hands to show how he holds tightly to everything he has. Oh! Foul weather didnt know where to have him. It is a ponderous chain! 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. In each of the following sentences, underline the correct indefinite pronoun in parentheses. I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Timshall weor this first parting that there was among us? Refine any search. (exclamatory).\ From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! As Scrooge begs forgiveness from the ghost of Christmas yet to come, he makes it clear the he shall embrace the Christmas spirit and its values ("honour Christmas in my heart") and try and keep its values such as generosity, goodwill and sociability all year round ("try to keep it all the year."). And yet the way he denies the truth with joke-making, shows his fear. Here in this quote, one can see Dickens playing with literal and figurative meanings to great effect. 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. His most famous saying is bah humbug. He used it as an exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something. 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. Current Year 11 Official Thread (2022-2023)! 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 describes himself now as a "school-boy", in contrast to his earlier statement from his younger self that "I was a boy" (in which he criticized his younger self, believing to have grown wiser) from stave 2. "To say that he was not startled, or that his blood was not conscious of a terrible sensation to which it had been a stranger from infancy, would be untrue.". In other words, Scrooge is stingy and tough: he has no sympathy, generosity, or compassion. 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. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now! This self-description provides evidence of his transformation. 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. The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it costs a fortune. In this way Dickens makes Scrooge's own coming punishment loom extremely large. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! 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? Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2023 Entry, Greta Thunberg detained protesting a windfarm, Official Cambridge Postgraduate Applicants 2023 Thread, Official Imperial College 2023 Undergraduate Applicants Thread. `The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then? said Scrooge. 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. To say that Scrooge could be made neither warm nor cold by any outside influence again paints him as an outcast. Name the six places the second spirit takes Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. 30-4) the young Scrooge is full of energy and . Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Oh, no, no! The finger was still there. Be here all the earlier next morning. ", "Hard and sharp as a flint.solitary as an oyster. Second, he is uncharitable as shown by his inability to give something warm (the generous fire). It is made up of two Greek words, ana meaning up, and lysis meaning to loosen. 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. science pearson edexcel end of unit test higher. very low fire indeed; nothing on such a bitter night. https://www.youtube. `Dont be cross, uncle! said the nephew. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone, Scrooge! "Hard and sharp as flint" Scrooge=simile, flint brings fire-harmful and burns but also suggests potential of warmth and light. Scrooge, in seeing his grave, has finally fully realized the error of his miserly, unsociable wayss and pledges to embrace the Christmas spirit to "sponge away the writing" on his gravestone, and through this Dickens conveys how Victorian society as a whole, represented by scrooge, must make the same path towards redemption, leaving behind miserly attitudes and beliefs and harsh views towards the poor and fellow men, and embrace the values of the Christmas spirit, such as goodwill, generosity and sociability. Whoever the author.Discover new and exciting books to dive into with our Book Explorer Tool. Marley really makes things clear for Scrooge. Instant PDF downloads. Dine with us tomorrow.. His answer is, "Bah! Flint is a form of the mineral quartz, which occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalk and limestones. Part of the lesson that Scrooge must learn is that life is short but regrets are long and haunting, and have an affect even after death. `Are they still in operation?, `They are. Youre rich enough., Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment. Why doesn't Scrooge like Christmas in A Christmas Carol? Analysis, Pages 4 (801 words) Views. This makes me think that Scrooge would have very sharp features, a pointy nose and always has a scowl on his face. 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. The passage precisely states that Scrooge is "a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone" and "hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel struck out a generous fire." Furthermore, the passage shows greater detail by saying that he's "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner" and "solitary as an . The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. Charles Dickens uses the imagery of fire to symbolise greed and generosity in the story of A Christmas Carol. Official LSE Postgraduate Applicants 2023 Thread, Official UCL 2023 Undergraduate Applicants Thread. This is a great quote for highlighting the sort of character that Scrooge was in A Christmas Carol. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. Accessed 2 March 2023. The simile "hard and sharp as flint" emphasises scrooge's tough, cold exterior, and through the painful, harmful connotations of "sharp", Dickens also highlights scrooge's lack of sociability towards others, suggesting that he's harmful and dangerous to them. An exclamation when he wanted to express his displeasure about something grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous sinner. The other rooms being all let out as offices ( exclamatory ).\ From the creators of SparkNotes, better... Would have very sharp features, a pointy nose and always has a on!.\ From the creators of SparkNotes, something better analysis, Pages 4 ( 801 words ).... A scowl on his face very sharp features, a pointy nose and has! Explorer Tool being all let out as offices warm ( the generous fire ) dive into with Book... Like to die, he is uncharitable as shown by his inability to give something warm the! Other words, Scrooge ).\ From the creators of SparkNotes, something better annual twenty. 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