Fred & Ghosts Quotes

English Lit: AQA GCSE A Christmas Carol, topic 6.1.3

Fred: Key Quotes

Here are 3 quotes highlighting aspects of Fred's character:

“This nephew of Scrooge’s, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled”.
Right from the start, Fred is shown to be so happy and kind that it seems to radiate from his skin – his goodness makes his skin and eyes glow.
He directly contrasts Scrooge, who is dull and miserable. Fred loves life; Scrooge seems to hate it. Dickens uses Fred at the beginning to show what Scrooge could be like.

“Scrooge’s nephew laughed in this way: holding his sides”.
This adds to the sense that Fred loves life. He laughs throughout the book, never seeming to take things too seriously or be offended at Scrooge’s behaviour.
In his life, he also shows a sense of freedom; Scrooge seems to have locked away any sort of enjoyment in life – he does not laugh until he revisits the good times he had as a youth.

“Let him in! It is a mercy he didn’t shake his arm off”.
Fred shows what upper-class people should be like – whilst Scrooge has always been horribly rude and dismissive of him, he does not take this to heart.
As soon as his uncle makes an effort, Fred forgives him and invites him into his home.

Here is a quote for each of the Ghosts:

“From the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible”.
The light coming from the top of its head could represent how the Ghost is about to shed metaphorical light on Scrooge’s past – it is about to highlight some of the reasons why he is miserable and alone, as well as some of the poor decisions he made as he got a bit older.
This light makes Scrooge very uncomfortable, as he enjoys living in the dark, away from emotion.

“Come in! and know me better, man!”
In this line, the Ghost is encouraging Scrooge to come in and talk to him.
Alternatively, the Ghost may be metaphorically encouraging Scrooge to use him to learn more about how to be a good, kind, generous man – to know him (the Ghost) is to know how to improve his own personality and, therefore, the wider society.

“A solemn Phantom, draped and hooded, coming, like a mist along the ground, towards him”.
The adjective “solemn” suggests that this Ghost has some serious truths to reveal to Scrooge – it will show him the outcome of his life if he doesn't change.
However, the fact that the Ghost seems to be floating “like a mist” could suggest that the future it reveals is not grounded yet, not set in stone.

Scrooge still has a chance to change his horrible fate. In a strange way, this Ghost could represent hope to Scrooge – if he follows the guidance from the Ghosts, he can live a better life.

How does Dickens describe Fred's way of laughing?
Which Ghost says to Scrooge: “Come in! and know me better, man!”?
What might the fact that the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come seems to be floating “like a mist” suggest?