Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Jacob Marley Quotes Flashcards | Quizlet Marley was dead: to begin with. They had books and papers in their hands, and bowed to him. The cold became intense. At the ominous word liberality, Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back. Dine with us to-morrow.. Poulterers and grocers trades became a splendid joke; a glorious pageant, with which it was next to impossible to believe that such dull principles as bargain and sale had anything to do. You'll also receive an email with the link. Much good may it do you! As he threw his head back in the chair, his glance happened to rest upon a bell, a disused bell, that hung in the room, and communicated for some purpose now forgotten with a chamber in the highest story of the building. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Christmas a humbug, uncle! said Scrooges nephew. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Half-a-dozen gas-lamps out of the street wouldnt have lighted the entry too well, so you may suppose that it was pretty dark with Scrooges dip. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didnt thaw it one degree at Christmas.. The sound resounded through the house like thunder. Which Dickens novel begins with the line Marley was dead? I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. He tells Scrooge that three spirits will visit that night. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the countrys done for. The misery with them all was, clearly, that they sought to interfere, for good, in human matters, and had lost the power for ever. He died seven years ago, this very night.. "Marley was dead, to begin with. Meanwhile the fog and darkness thickened so, that people ran about with flaring links, proffering their services to go before horses in carriages, and conduct them on their way. Its very strange. We need to know that Marley is dead so we believe in his ghost when it appears. `I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. `Youll want all day to-morrow, I suppose? said Scrooge. There it stood, years afterwards, above the warehouse door: Scrooge and Marley. The fireplace was an old one, built by some Dutch merchant long ago, and paved all round with quaint Dutch tiles, designed to illustrate the Scriptures. He looked out. However, he uses his experience to be a better person and change Scrooge too, rather than making him bitter too. Incessant torture of remorse", Marley expressing his fate, a tormented individual wandering the EarthHe is condemnedSuggesting scrooge has the ability to change his fateMarley acts as a messenger. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. But you might know it, observed the gentleman. 1. Marley was dead, to begin with. Mind! Pondering on what the Ghost had said, he did so now, but without lifting up his eyes, or getting off his knees. Scrooge, Marley's business partner, signed the register of his burial. To sit, staring at those fixed glazed eyes, in silence for a moment, would play, Scrooge felt, the very deuce with him. Marley was dead, to begin with. Scrooge never painted out Old Marleys name. Piercing, searching, biting cold. We have never had any quarrel, to which I have been a party. It was not in impenetrable shadow as the other objects in the yard were, but had a dismal light about it, like a bad lobster in a dark cellar. Marley was dead: to begin with. - The Circumlocution Office Marley in his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling, like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head. God save you! cried a cheerful voice. Business was Marley's only concern in life, and nobody besides Scrooge mourned him or was involved in his post-death affairs. Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. Tell me why?, I wear the chain I forged in life, replied the Ghost. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. When will you come to see me? No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was oclock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. His body was transparent; so that Scrooge, observing him, and looking through his waistcoat, could see the two buttons on his coat behind. Come! Dead men never repent; dead men never bring awkward stories to light. Scrooge and he were partners for I dont know how many years. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. It is required of every man, the Ghost returned, `that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. The office was closed in a twinkling, and the clerk, with the long ends of his white comforter dangling below his waist (for he boasted no great-coat), went down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve, and then ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt, to play at blindmans-buff. That is no light part of my penance, pursued the Ghost. They were succeeded by a clanking noise, deep down below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain over the casks in the wine-merchants cellar. The lesson titled "Poetic Forms (1)" has models to look at if you need them. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Scrooge signed it. Jacob Marley - QUOTES AND ANALYSIS Flashcards | Quizlet Marley was dead, to begin with. Scrooge signed it. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. Its not my business, Scrooge returned. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. The owner of one scant young nose, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs, stooped down at Scrooges keyhole to regale him with a Christmas carol: but at the first sound of, God bless you, merry gentleman! Incessant torture of remorse.. Scrooge stopped. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Authors; Topics; Quote of the Day; Picture Quotes; . The narrator is talking sense of course. There is no doubt whatever about that. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down. Scrooge clearly feels that Christmas is a waste of money. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come roundapart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from thatas a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. I have sat invisible beside you many and many a day.. Mind! Scrooge glanced about him on the floor, in the expectation of finding himself surrounded by some fifty or sixty fathoms of iron cable: but he could see nothing. Colons are often used to introduce or contrast a different idea within the confines of a single sentence. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didnt thaw it one degree at Christmas. External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. Its humbug still! said Scrooge. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Scrooge never painted out Old Marleys name. There is no doubt whatever, about that. The ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge out of a Gothic window in the wall, became invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. Scrooge and Marley are doubles which means they are basically the same character. I have sat invisible beside you many and many a day., Couldnt I take `em all at once, and have it over, Jacob? hinted Scrooge. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. The enduring charm of A Christmas Carol Mine occupies me constantly. Youre particular, for a shade. He was going to say toa shade, but substituted this, as more appropriate. And Scrooge's name was good upon change for anything he chose to put his hand to. That, and its livid colour, made it horrible; but its horror seemed to be in spite of the face and beyond its control, rather than a part of its own expression. Jacob Marley, fictional character, the deceased business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1843) by Charles Dickens. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Please wait while we process your payment. Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?, Mr. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! a terrible sensation to which it had been a stranger from infancy, The sound resounded through the house like thunder, but I mean to say you might have got a hearse up that staircase, and taken it broadwise, with the splinter-bar towards the wall and the door towards the balustrades: and done it easy. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. Yet such was I! He is undeniably dead; in fact, Marley is dead as a door-nail. Ebenezer Scrooge, who has served as Marleys business partner, executor of his will, sole friend, and sole mourner, is well aware of how very dead Marley is. They often `came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did. He was as dead as a doornail. The narrator considers that the phrase "dead as a doornail" doesn't even describe Marley's lifelessness well enough. Seven years dead, mused Scrooge. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.. Merry Christmas! I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he was an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral, and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain. Scrooge signed it. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and Ill keep my Christmas humour to the last. There is no doubt whatever about that. A Christmas Carol Stave 1 Flashcards | Quizlet Scrooge closed the window, and examined the door by which the Ghost had entered. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. There is no doubt whatever about that. creating and saving your own notes as you read. And being, from the emotion he had undergone, or the fatigues of the day, or his glimpse of the Invisible World, or the dull conversation of the Ghost, or the lateness of the hour, much in need of repose; went straight to bed, without undressing, and fell asleep upon the instant. Some more recent texts have changed this colon or comma to a hyphen. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirits nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. But how much greater was his horror, when the phantom taking off the bandage round its head, as if it were too warm to wear indoors, its lower jaw dropped down upon its breast! Sometimes it can end up there. The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then? said Scrooge. But you were always a good man of business, Jacob, faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change for anything he chose to put his hand to. Topic - noun It is a ponderous chain!. This must be distintly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate." Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Read more quotes from Charles Dickens Share this quote: Like Quote Recommend to friends Friends Who Liked This Quote Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Mankind was my business. Out upon merry Christmas! So A Merry Christmas, uncle!. Remember to se Scrooge appears old, stiff, and shriveled, but authorities on Dickenss work estimate his age at no more than 57, implying that his inner chill has aged him prematurely. The author uses metaphor and hyperbolic (exaggerated) imagery to establish Scrooges character. There is no doubt whatever about that. The clerk in the Tank involuntarily applauded. Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern; and having read all the newspapers, and beguiled the rest of the evening with his bankers-book, went home to bed. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer., You were always a good friend to me, said Scrooge. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He is portrayed to be punished for this focus in his afterlife. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever. -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin. Repeat Topic - using a synonym or similar word for the noun The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. `Christmas a humbug, uncle! said Scrooges nephew. When it had said these words, the spectre took its wrapper from the table, and bound it round its head, as before. Youll want all day to-morrow, I suppose? said Scrooge. But you were always a good man of business, Jacob, faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlets Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot -- say Saint Pauls Churchyard for instance -- literally to astonish his sons weak mind. If I could work my will, said Scrooge indignantly, every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.. Oh! His ghost visits Scrooge but this quote, and other sentences within the opening paragraph, are used by Dickens to confirm to the reader at the outset of the story that Marley is definitely dead. When the story begins, Scrooge is asked about his partner Marley by the men collecting money for charity. I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. 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Soliloquy Analysis, It Is The East And Juliet Is The Sun Soliloquy Anaysis, Now Is The Winter Of Our Discontent Soliloquy Analysis, Now Might I Do It Pat Soliloquy Analysis, O God Of Battles! Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face. Scrooge followed to the window: desperate in his curiosity. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. Dead as a doornail? Dead, my lords and gentlemen. There is no doubt whatever about that. Mind! The audience needs to acknowledge the fact Marley is dead because otherwise it is of no significance that he returns as a ghost to haunt Scrooge. and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. Oh! Much good it has ever done you!, There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round. Are they still in operation?, They are. It held up its chain at arms length, as if that were the cause of all its unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again. Dickens emphasizes the single fact of Marleys death to prepare readers to be as astonished as Scrooge is when Marleys Ghost appears. Scrooge and he were partners for I dont know how many years. This lunatic, in letting Scrooges nephew out, had let two other people in. That night, on the stroke of midnight, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Marley. They often came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did. Chapter 1 - Marley's Ghost - Literature English Marleywas dead: to begin with. Foul weather didnt know where to have him. Date: First published in London by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. A Christmas Carol: Marley's Ghost | SparkNotes It is also a fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night and morning, during his whole residence in that place; also that Scrooge had as little of what is called fancy about him as any man in the city of London, even including -- which is a bold word -- the corporation, aldermen, and livery. for a group? If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlets Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spotsay Saint Pauls Churchyard for instanceliterally to astonish his sons weak mind. As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon, it was a knocker again. Jacob, he said, imploringly. Upon its coming in, the dying flame leaped up, as though it cried `I know him; Marleys Ghost! and fell again. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. They were portly gentlemen, pleasant to behold, and now stood, with their hats off, in Scrooges office. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Countrys done for. What else can I be, returned the uncle, when I live in such a world of fools as this? This suggests to the reader that changing to be more charitable is good thing. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, `My dear Scrooge, how are you? Thankee!, You will be haunted, resumed the Ghost, by Three Spirits.. Expect the first to-morrow, when the bell tolls One.. The hair was curiously stirred, as if by breath or hot air; and, though the eyes were wide open, they were perfectly motionless. Dickens begins the first stave with this spontaneous infomation that Marley is dead to indicate to readers that Marley is a significant character in the novella and makes readers question if he will com back as a supernatrual incarnation. The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste, and moaning as they went. The door of Scrooges counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it. who cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge; for he returned them cordially. Whether these creatures faded into mist, or mist enshrouded them, he could not tell. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. Whether these creatures faded into mist, or mist enshrouded them, he could not tell. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. Dickens uses the opening line to hint at the supernatural story to come: Marley was dead to begin with (p. 1). At this time of the rolling year, the spectre said `I suffer most. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. It is a ponderous chain! Merry Christmas! First Lines: A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens. You are not looking at it, said Scrooge. Favorite. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. What shall I put you down for?, I wish to be left alone, said Scrooge. Dickens wants us to pause after digesting the first of those facts, then proceed to the second. Can someone help analyse this quote "Marley was dead to begin with A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course, said Scrooge. The truth is, that he tried to be smart, as a means of distracting his own attention, and keeping down his terror; for the spectres voice disturbed the very marrow in his bones. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call `nuts to Scrooge. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call nuts to Scrooge. In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley.. [1] Scrooge signed it. Marley has been dead for seven years. Each line is a metaphor or description of the subject of the poem. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Charles Dickens originally used a colon to separate the two parts of the opening sentence to A Christmas Carol with the inclusion of Marley was dead: to begin with. Contact us This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. marley was dead: to begin with quote analysis There is no doubt whatever about that. Whowereyou then? said Scrooge, raising his voice. You may talk vaguely about driving a coach-and-six up a good old flight of stairs, or through a bad young Act of Parliament; but I mean to say you might have got a hearse up that staircase, and taken it broadwise, with the splinter-bar towards the wall and the door towards the balustrades: and done it easy. Dine with us tomorrow.. His nephew left the room without an angry word, notwithstanding. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, said the gentleman, taking up a pen, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Oh! There is no doubt that Marley was dead. It is also a fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night and morning, during his whole residence in that place; also that Scrooge had as little of what is called fancy about him as any man in the city of London, even includingwhich is a bold wordthe corporation, aldermen, and livery. Each Shakespeares play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: Alls Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labours Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Nights Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winters Tale, As Dead As A Doornail, Meaning & Context. It beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did. Scrooge and he were partners for I dont know how many years. )Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. Write a cinquain of your own. Expect the first tomorrow when the bell tolls one. Marley was dead: to begin with. The enduring charm of A Christmas Carol. | Renews May 8, 2023 My time is nearly gone., I will, said Scrooge. Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and locked himself in; double-locked himself in, which was not his custom. Humbug, I tell you! It was all the same to him. Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost. The yard was so dark that even Scrooge, who knew its every stone, was fain to grope with his hands. William Shakespeare Charles Dickens quote: Marley was dead: to begin with. Type the text of your shaped poem in the space below. Every room above, and every cask in the wine-merchants cellars below, appeared to have a separate peal of echoes of its own. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. . Scrooge never painted out Old Marleys name. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. When the men ask about his partner, Scrooge tells them that he is dead. I must. The quotation is a reference to Jacob Marley, the former business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge. Look on me well: I have eat no meat these five days; yet, come thou and thy five men, and if I do not leave you all as dead as a doornail, I pray God I may never eat grass more. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol. Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and locked himself in; double-locked himself in, which was not his custom. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Scrooge was not a man to be frightened by echoes. Most idiomatic expressions have some poetry in them along with a vivid image. I dont mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. Scrooges countenance fell almost as low as the Ghosts had done. The clerk observed that it was only once a year. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. In the 1995 made-for-TV film Ebbie, Jeffrey DeMunn plays Marleys modern version, Jake Marley, Elizabeth Ebbie Scrooges mentor and later partner who dies of a heart attack right in front of her. My spirit never walked beyond our counting-housemark me!in life my spirit never roved beyond the narrow limits of our money-changing hole; and weary journeys lie before me!. Scrooges fixation on money allows him to see only Christmass associated expenses. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. How could it be otherwise? The apparition walked backward from him; and at every step it took, the window raised itself a little, so that when the spectre reached it, it was wide open. Dont be cross, uncle! said the nephew. When will you come to see me? No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was oclock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. "Marley was dead, to begin with. Scrooge asked the question, because he didnt know whether a ghost so transparent might find himself in a condition to take a chair; and felt that in the event of its being impossible, it might involve the necessity of an embarrassing explanation.
marley was dead: to begin with quote analysis
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