In the opening paragraph he depicts Scrooges personality as ‘wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching.’ Dickens uses these descriptive words in an elongated list, to emphasise powerfully the callous personality Scrooge has. By Dickens using this technique of a long list of off-putting language, it really makes a horrible impression and sticks in the readers mind. Dickens also uses similes to illustrate the character of Scrooge, ‘as solitary as an oyster.’ An oyster spends its life isolated from everything, as does Scrooge. Dickens also compares the inclement weather as if it was Scrooges personality, ‘no warmth could warm him, no wintry weather chill him.’ This leads us to believe Scrooge has buried his emotions so deep that nothing can break through and that he is .............. Dickens also shows us how people react to Scrooge hoping that we will react in the same way, ‘no beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what o’clock it was’. This shows us that Scrooge has a threatening presence so people would try and avoid him.
In Charles dickens novella, ‘A Christmas carol’ you see that the minor characters do in fact have the greatest impact on both the reader and the main character, Scrooge. Scrooge is an unlikable horrible character who has no sympathy for the poor but throughout the novel, you see Scrooge slowly start to change. Important messages through the novel are shown by the minor characters, this helps Scrooge finally see that money cannot buy you happiness and opens reader’s eyes up to the harsh reality going on in the industrial revolution. This suggests to readers that treating the poor in the way Scrooge has is wrong. Minor Characters like the portly gentlemen, Scrooges ex-fiancé, Bell and Fezziwig are a huge part of Scrooges Journey of becoming a better person.
Renowned for his ability to utilize literary devices, Charles Dickens developed the theme through similes. A simile is defined as a comparison of two different things using “like” or “as”. In and of themselves, similes embody some dualistic qualities. After discontinuing the life of an innocent youth, “Monseugneur the Marquis ran his eyes over [all the peasants], as if they had been mere rats come out of their holes” (Dickens 84). Because of his position of superiority, he viewed the peasants as inferior beings.
In A Christmas Carol, Dickens deliberately and defiantly comments on the society which was 19thCentury England. As his own life gives context to his commentary, Dickens discusses what he sees as the moral and social imperatives of the time. As the two are inextricably bound both are addressed in an attempt to bring about the change he argues is necessary of an empathetic and just society. The inequity between the rich and the poor and societies ignorance in sight of this lack of social justice is central to this novella. The novella starts with Scrooge being a cold hearted, bitter old man, that has no care what so ever with the poor.
The atmosphere changes dramatically when we are introduced to Magwitch because his first line prettified Pip half to death. “Keep still you little devil or I’ll cut you throat” this makes us think he is an evil nasty man. It also makes us wonder why he is here and why he is threatening Pip. He is in a pretty bad way from what Dickens
Good and Evil in The Adventures of Huck Finn Twain pokes fun at many of the aspects of Southern life in the 19th century, including slavery and feuds, and several characters as well. His fiery attitude about the ills of society shows itself from the first page of this book. One of the main themes in this novel is the conflict between the society's "good" and "bad". Huck believed that a person was "good" if they were educated, well read, religiously trained, and had the ability to follow rules. This, of course, is not the true nature of "goodness", and a key element in Twain's satire.
Charles Dickens was known as a social reformist and so particularly wrote novels about social class. Dickens wrote ‘Great Expectations’ to draw attention to the issue of how different the lives were of the rich and the poor. This had never been done before, so it engages the reader. This was done using the characters, language, setting, historical context and narrative perspective. Dickens engages the reader by using different interesting characters.
“A Modest Proposal” “A Modest Proposal” was a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift depicting the horrific conditions of Ireland and the lives of the Irish people in 1729 during the great famine. Swift portrays and attacks the cruel and unjust tyranny of Ireland by the English and mocks the Irish people at the same time. However, Swift's opposition is indirectly presented. Swift is able to do so by using the persona, irony, in order to expose the horrendous corruption and poverty that the Irish had to endure, and at the same time present them with realistic solutions to their miserable lives. The author uses satire to accomplish his objective because it is the most effective way to awake the people of Ireland into seeing their own corruption.
Dickens creates a cold-hearted, miserly character and shows how he changes his attitude and relationships with other people, his language and behaviour. The first description of Scrooge emphasises his harsh, unforgiving personality. '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.' Dickens lists adjectives such as, 'grasping' and 'clutching', which conjure up an image of Scrooge in your mind. From the beginning we are told he is an unpleasant
The novella ‘A Christmas Carol’ written by Charles Dickens depicts a fictitious tale, exploring the personal views and messages of the authors point. Social inequality is a major theme which Dickens clearly points out to readers across many generations. This demonstrates how societies during Victorian era in Britain became too greedy and egotistical. Readers are alerted of the variation between the rich and the poor by the transformation of the protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge. Ebenezer Scrooge changes from a money-oriented man to a much more kind-hearted person, owing his change to guilt and compassion.