A basic analysis of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" on its setting and tone. Written by the students of English Literature in Brawijaya University, typically on the fourth semester.

1. A Christmas Carol: setting and tone analysis
By:
Achmadyanta Bagus P. 125110100111035
Wahyu Megawati 125110100111083
Agung Frastyawan 125110100111087
English Literature – Brawijaya University

2. Period of time
Specific location (i.e
room, building, etc)
Geographical location
Socio-economic
characteristic of the
location
Setting

3. • 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)

4. - 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)

5. • 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”.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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. Thus
secured against surprise, he took off his cravat; put on his
dressing-gown and slippers, and his nightcap; and sat down
before 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)

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 the
Ghost. “A solitary child, neglected by his
friends, is left there still.” Scrooge said he knew
it. And he sobbed. (pg. 18)
They walked along the road, Scrooge
recognising every gate, and post, and tree; until
a little market-town appeared in the distance,
with its bridge, its church, and winding river.
Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting
towards them with boys upon their backs, who
called to other boys in country gigs and carts,
driven by farmers.

10. • The Ghost of Christmas Present (stave 3)
jolly and happy
“The walls and ceiling were so hung with
living greens, that it looked a perfect
grove; from every part of which, bright
gleaming berries glistened. The crisp leaves of
holly, mistletoe, and ivy refelcted back the
light, as if so many little mirrors had been
scattered there; and such a mighty blaze went
roaring up the chimney, as that dull
petrification of a hearth had never known in
Scrooge’s time...” (pg.28)
“For, the people who were shovelling away on
the housetops were jovial and full of glee;
calling out to one another from the parapets,
and now and then exchanging a facetious
snowball...” (pg. 30)

11. • The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (stave 4)
ominous; foreshadowing future, morose, dark
“Quiet and dark, beside him stood the
Phantom, with its outstretched hand. When he
roused himself from his thoughtful quest, he
fancied from the turn of the hand, and its
situation in reference to himself, that the Unseen
Eyes were looking at him keenly. It made him
shudder, and feel very cold.” (pg.45)
“Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went;
and following the finger, read upon the stone of
the neglected grave his own name, Ebenezer
Scrooge. ‘Am I that man who lay upon the bed.’
he cried, upon his knees. The finger pointed from
the grave to him, and back again.” (pg. 53-54)

12. 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.”

13. Other characters’ scene
• The Cratchit’s: joyful and grateful
Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit said, and calmly
too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by
Mrs. Cratchit since their marriage. […] The compound in the
jug being tasted, and considered perfect, apples and oranges
were put upon the table, and a shovel-full of chestnuts on the
fire. Then all the Cratchit family drew round the hearth, in
what Bob Cratchit called a circle […] the chestnuts on the fire
sputtered 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)

14. • 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)