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Scrooge In Stave Thematic Analysis

Decent Essays

Many have argued that after behaving a particular way for a period of time or condoning to certain everyday morality that there is no possible way to redeem yourself and that despite there perhaps being a change in our perception, that the core of who we are still remains. This part of us is immutable. However, to contradict this, there holds the standpoint that the path to redemption is indeed, difficult, but surely nowhere near impossible to follow. To be more specific, notable agents of change in ourselves can contribute to events, intelligence, beliefs, people, location, and circumstances that we will come across in our lives and have the power to influence us. In this case, the settings Scrooge finds himself within shape his motivation …show more content…

Both the settings that were composed and shaped Scrooge’s character left a strong impact on the subject of change, along with the demonstration of how social reform was needed in this society and time era. Dickens uses the settings of this story to establish the theme of redemption as a call to action for social reform. Readers are first introduced to Ebenezer Scrooge in Stave I, and characterization transpires through various diction. A description of Scrooge is provided within the first few pages, supplying the reader with a concept of Scrooge’s misanthropic way of life. “But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary …show more content…

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. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin.” (p.8) The authors choice of emphasizing usage of specifically the word ‘cold’ and including words associated with frigid weather such as ‘wintery’ and ‘froze’, symbolizes how Scrooge lacks affection and warmth of feeling, and might even be considered emotionally numb. This overall cold is a piece to his persona - it changes both his appearance and how he acts, but also his relationships with other people, which may be the leading cause of why there is such a lack of them. Scrooge holds a place in the story as a contrast of the warmth that the holiday season intends to be, seeing as conversely he purposefully avoids the typical jovial traditions and interactions that are performed during the holidays. “In the main street, at the corner of the court, some labourers were repairing the gas-pipes, and had lighted a great fire in a brazier, round which a party of ragged men and boys were gathered: warming their hands and

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