Are there no prisons stave 3?
“Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” The ghost quotes Scrooge by stating that the poor should suffer in workhouses and prisons. Once again, Scrooge regrets what he said previously.
The rhetorical questions “Are there no prisons?” “And union workhouses?” are used to show where Scrooge believes the poor people belong, suggesting that he believes his status suggests that poverty is not directly relevant to him, and that nothing to do with the poor matters.
Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.” “Are there no prisons?” asked Scrooge. “Plenty of prisons,” said the gentleman, laying down the pen again. “And the Union workhouses?” demanded Scrooge.
“Are there no prisons?... Are there no workhouses?” In Scrooge's eyes, the poor don't need help – he feels that no one should worry about the poor because there are prisons and workhouses for them. 1. Scrooge is immediately presented as an unpleasant character who is completely obsessed with making money.
"Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge. "Are there no Prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?" The bell struck Twelve.
“Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” The ghost quotes Scrooge by stating that the poor should suffer in workhouses and prisons. Once again, Scrooge regrets what he said previously.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, pages 11-12. saries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir." "Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge. "Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" What literary device does the spirit use here? The literary device is sarcasm, because the ghost is mocking something Scrooge previously said to the man seeking charity.
"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" Shows Scrooges lack of empathy fro the poor and shows his ignorance towards the conditions in workhouses and prisons.
"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge. "Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again. "And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
How is punishment shown in A Christmas Carol?
As punishment for his greedy and self-serving life, his spirit has been condemned to wander the Earth weighted down with heavy chains. Marley hopes to save Scrooge from sharing the same fate. Marley informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him during each of the next three nights.
Ignorance and Want are allegorical characters that lack a personality and purely symbolise Scrooge's ignorance and want. They make an appearance on page 75&76 in Stave Three. Allegorical- they are just the words 'ignorance' and 'want' and are not real life children with real personalities.
A Union Workhouse was a place that people went to work if they owed money and couldn't afford to support themselves or their families.
His eyes are kind, but Scrooge is scared to look in them. The ghost is dressed in a green robe with a wreath of holly round his head – he is the personification of Christmas. The Ghost of Christmas Present is the archetypal Father Christmas figure. He sits amid a festive scene like a Christmas card, full of plenty.
The Ghost of Christmas Present represents generosity and good will. He shows Scrooge scenes of people sharing what they have with each other, even if they have very little.
| How? | Effect? | |
|---|---|---|
| Dialogue | Dickens reveals the characters through the things they say. Scrooge famously uses the words 'Bah!' and 'Humbug!' in response to Christmas wishes. | Scrooge's determination to disengage with the spirit of Christmas shows him to be bad-tempered. |
What does bah humbug mean? Bah humbug is an exclamation that conveys curmudgeonly displeasure. The phrase is most famously used by Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843).
The Ghost of Christmas Present uses Scrooge's own words against him. In his honest response, that Tiny Tim is likely to die, he holds a mirror up to Scrooge and his behaviour. The Ghost predicts that Mankind, Scrooge included, will suffer unless the lessons of generosity and tolerance are learned.
Dickens presents the Cratchit family in the extract as poor, Tiny Tim is not well and can't afford a doctor because they have not much money Tiny Tim says “God bless us every one”. This shows he is happy and glad he can enjoy christmas.
It is a ponderous chain!'' says Marley. Dickens uses the chains to warn Scrooge, and the readers, that the things you prioritize in life will be shackled to you for eternity.
What were the poor laws in A Christmas Carol?
The new Poor Law ensured that the poor were housed in workhouses, clothed and fed. Children who entered the workhouse would receive some schooling. In return for this care, all workhouse paupers would have to work for several hours each day.
Lesson Summary
In the story, Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy and selfish miser, is visited first by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and then by three spirits called the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future.
"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge. "Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again. "And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" What literary device does the spirit use here? The literary device is sarcasm, because the ghost is mocking something Scrooge previously said to the man seeking charity.
"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" Shows Scrooges lack of empathy fro the poor and shows his ignorance towards the conditions in workhouses and prisons.
What does bah humbug mean? Bah humbug is an exclamation that conveys curmudgeonly displeasure. The phrase is most famously used by Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843).