Stave 4 - "A Christmas Carol"
What are some of the words Dickens uses to create the mood of the paragraphs that follow? What is this mood?
Anxious, very dark, pale light, recoiled in terror. The mood is suspenseful and creepy.
How does Scrooge feel about this spirit?
He is afraid of it. He says, "I fear you more than any specter I have seen."
What is this spirit's personality like?
It is silent. It is spooky. It is mysterious.
What does the spirit of Christmas Future look like?
It looks like the "Grim Reaper": representing that everyone eventually will die. It is draped in black garments and its face was hidden.
What is the lesson Scrooge learns in this stave that he had not learned before? Why is this stave needed when Scrooge's attitude had already changed so much?
Scrooge learns that he is the man who is dead. This stave shows Scrooge having an EPIPHANY (sudden realization) that changes his life. **His life only has purpose if he uses his time to help his fellow man.
When Scrooge asks the phantom to let him "see some tenderness connected with a death," what does the ghost show him?
Scrooge wanted to see some sadness connected to a death. The spirit shows him the Cratchit family mourning the death of Tiny Tim.
What is the point of the long discussion between Joe and Mrs. Dilber? Hint: they relate to Scrooge's property.
To show that because Scrooge was not kind to others in his life, he will be treated poorly in his death. Others try to profit (make money) out of Scrooge's death. DRAMATIC IRONY! The audience knows something the character does not - Scrooge doesn't realize it is his corpse under the blanket.
