·       A Christmas Carol is the idea of the poor and the rich.

·       It shows that if you are poor you can be happier than if you are rich, if you are rich you cut off everyone and don’t think about others.

·       A Christmas Carol is a book showing that no matter how successful you become you must always think of others.

·       A Christmas Carol is a representation of how poor people were mistreated in the Victorian era due to often forces outwith their control.

·       It shows that money does not make you happy.

·       It is a text about the separation of society but that there is a possibility for redemption and a different way of life that works towards equality,

·       Even those separated from society can change and redeem themselves; however we must realise that often people’s present condition is due to past experiences. Mistreatment breeds mistreatment; loneliness breeds loneliness.

·       Money can isolate you.

·       A Christmas Carol portrays poor people as unrecognisable to others in society and highlights the limitations in the Victorian era , it is only the rich who were recognised in society.

·       A Christmas Carol shows that there was inequality between the rich and poor in the Victorian era.

·       It shows no matter how corrupted you are, redemption is possible and achievable.

·       “Spanish Onions” highlights Capitalism and its grotesqueness.

·       Dickens shows that the medium between isolation, relationships and wealth is the key to true contentment.

·       Dickens is trying to show the isolation between the poor and the rich.

·       A Christmas Carol there is the possibility for change and to be redeemed; it is in reality a story of hope ( structure is not cyclical)

·       A Christmas Carol is a representation of Victorian society and how poor and unfair it was.

A Christmas Paired Quotes

                       

“As Solitary as an Oyster    Simile Just as an oyster is an organism that lives alone and literally shut off from others, is enclosed and has a tough, hard, unfeeling outer shell so Scrooge lives apart from others in society, is unfeeling and does not come in to contact in any meaningful way with those who lived around him. Furthermore the word choice of “solitary” has suggestions of a clinical act, it has harsh suggestions and lacks giving an insight into the solitary person’s emotion.	“He…patted the children” Word choice Firstly patted is an action that requires a recipient and so shows that by the end of the text Scrooge is actively involved and connected to others in society, unlike his isolated state at the start of the text. Furthermore the word choice of “patted” suggests affection, gentleness and a desire not to hurt showing Scrooge’s now warm and gentle response to fellow humans.
“white shawl” (Bob Cratchit) Word choice of white	“His own heart laughed” (Scrooge) personification
“chinked” Onomatopoeic “chinked” shows that the ‘loudest’ element in the society is money and this is what is most important. The fact that this detail is noted during talk of Scrooge’s death further highlights the insensitivity of the traders and furthers the grotesque and unfeeling depiction of Capitalism by Dickens.	“His own heart laughed” (Scrooge) personification
“Spanish onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish friars” Firstly the repetition of “Spanish” highlights the fact that these onions were imported.  In the Victorian era this would have cost an immense amount and also required an incredible effort to import the onions to London. Dickens is perhaps highlighting the unnecessary and grotesque differences between the rich and poor and the unnecessary extravagances afforded only to some. Secondly the description of their “fatness” is grotesque and portrays the onions negatively, highlighting the disgust felt by Dickens at the way of life of the rich, it also highlights the excesses of some . (link to “a great fat man with a monstrous chin”	(Cratchit’s dinner) “Goose..It’s tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness…Eked out by apple sauce and mashed potatoes”.

Relationships

Stave 1 – negative (contrast this with ending – positive)

Scrooge presents relations in A Christmas Carol as being unequal. This inequality is shown in societal relationships, professional relationships, family relationships and the relationships between the rich and poor.

·       Societal relationships: “the people” “beating” “stamping” Rich v Poor: nephew v Uncle/ “dismal little cell” “small fire “smaller” food “Spanish onions” “Goose”

·       Professional relationships: “master” “clerk” named and unnamed (“white comforter”)

·       Familial relationships: - cheerful vs morose (Scrooge and his Dad)