A Christmas Carol: setting and tone analysis

By:Achmadyanta Bagus P. 125110100111035Wahyu Megawati 125110100111083Agung Frastyawan 125110100111087

English Literature – Brawijaya University

Period of timeSpecific location (i.e room, building, etc)

Geographical locationSocio-economic

characteristic of the location

Setting

• Period of time:

19th century, during Victorian Era

• Specific location:

- significantly set in Scrooge’s dark and

dreadful house, where the ghosts visit him,

one after another. (stave 1-5)

- Scrooge’s childhood school, his

apprenticeship workshop, and Belle’s,

Scrooge’s old love, house. (stave 2)

- around the town during Christmas day,

mostly to Bob Cratchit’s house and his

nephew, Fred’s house. (stave 3)

- a barren moor, a lighthouse, and a ship at

sea, as visited by Scrooge and second spirit.

(stave 3)

- back alley of London, pawn shop, Caroline’s

house, and revisited Cratchit’s house. (stave

4)

- churchyard cemetery, where the Scrooge’s

grave was laid. (stave 4)

• Geographical location:

England, significantly in London

• Socio-economic characteristic of the location:

during Victorian Era (1837-1901), when the

Industrial Revolution took place, thus clearly

implied the idea that poverty was one of the

great issues in “A Christmas Carol”.

One day/night time-span

1

• One day before Christmas day, on Christmas evening

• Scrooge met the Marley’s ghost

2

• Scrooge encountered the three spirits respectively

• The time got mixed up; time reversed back after it goes for several hour on each encounters

3• Time goes immediately to Christmas day

• Scrooge celebrated the Christmas

Tone• Entirely serious and sad

• However, the tone occasionally shifts throughout the story

– Scrooge’s early scene

– encounter with the three spirits

– other characters’ scenes

Scrooge’s early scene (stave 1)

Mocking/sarcastic

“Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.” (pg.3 par.3)

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” (pg.6 par.1)

Frantic

“Nobody under the table , nobody under the sofa; a small fire in the grate; spoon and basin ready and the little saucepan of gruel (Scrooge had a cold in his head)upon the hob. …” (pg. 8 par. 8)

“Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and locked himself in;double-locked himself in, which was not his custom. Thussecured against surprise, he took off his cravat; put on hisdressing-gown and slippers, and his nightcap; and sat downbefore the fire to take his gruel. It was a very low fire indeed;nothing on such a bitter night. He was obliged to sit close to it...”(pg.8 par.9)

Encounter with the three spirits (stave 2-4)

• The Ghost of Christmas Past (stave 2)Sorrowful and reminiscent“The school is not quite deserted,” said theGhost. “A solitary child, neglected by hisfriends, is left there still.” Scrooge said he knewit. And he sobbed. (pg. 18)They walked along the road, Scroogerecognising every gate, and post, and tree; untila little market-town appeared in the distance,with its bridge, its church, and winding river.Some shaggy ponies now were seen trottingtowards them with boys upon their backs, whocalled to other boys in country gigs and carts,driven by farmers.

• The Ghost of Christmas Present (stave 3)jolly and happy“The walls and ceiling were so hung withliving greens, that it looked a perfectgrove; from every part of which, brightgleaming berries glistened. The crisp leaves ofholly, mistletoe, and ivy refelcted back thelight, as if so many little mirrors had beenscattered there; and such a mighty blaze wentroaring up the chimney, as that dullpetrification of a hearth had never known inScrooge’s time...” (pg.28)

“For, the people who were shovelling away onthe housetops were jovial and full of glee;calling out to one another from the parapets,and now and then exchanging a facetioussnowball...” (pg. 30)

• The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (stave 4)ominous; foreshadowing future, morose, dark

“Quiet and dark, beside him stood thePhantom, with its outstretched hand. When heroused himself from his thoughtful quest, hefancied from the turn of the hand, and itssituation in reference to himself, that the UnseenEyes were looking at him keenly. It made himshudder, and feel very cold.” (pg.45)

“Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went;and following the finger, read upon the stone ofthe neglected grave his own name, EbenezerScrooge. ‘Am I that man who lay upon the bed.’he cried, upon his knees. The finger pointed fromthe grave to him, and back again.” (pg. 53-54)

THE END OF IT (STAVE 5)

• Happy

“He dressed himself all in his best, and at last got out into the streets. The

people were by this time pouring forth, as he had seen them with the Ghost

of Christmas Present; and walking with his hands behind him, Scrooge

regarded every one with a delighted smile. He looked so irresistibly pleas-

ant, in a word, that three or four good-humoured fellows said,’ Good morning,

sir. A merry Christmas to you.’

• blissful

“He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people

hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned

beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the

windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never

dreamed that any walk — that anything — could give him so much

happiness.”

Other characters’ scene

• The Cratchit’s: joyful and grateful

Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit said, and calmlytoo, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved byMrs. Cratchit since their marriage. […] The compound in thejug being tasted, and considered perfect, apples and orangeswere put upon the table, and a shovel-full of chestnuts on thefire. Then all the Cratchit family drew round the hearth, inwhat Bob Cratchit called a circle […] the chestnuts on the firesputtered and cracked noisily. Then Bob proposed:

"A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!"

Which all the family re-echoed.

"God bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

(pg.34-35)

• Fred’s and other relatives: mocking/cynical

“His wealth is of no use to him. He don’t do any good

with it. He don’t make himself comfortable with it. He hasn’t

the satisfaction of thinking –ha, ha, ha!—that he is ever going

to benefit us with it.” (pg.38)

“Do go on, Fred,” said Scrooge’s niece, clapping her

hands. “He never finishes what he begins to say. He is such a

ridiculous fellow.” (pg.39)

“A Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to the old

man, whatever he is,” said Scrooge’s nephew. “He wouldn’t

take it from me, but may he have it, nevertheless. Uncle

Scrooge.” (pg.41)