Question

directions: read the excerpt provided at each station and then complete the student tasks listed below on notebook paper to be handed in at the end of class today.
a christmas carol station work
station 1
stave i — scrooges character and setting
focus:
scrooges first appearance
attitude toward christmas
cratchits role
dickens language shaping tone
excerpt
\scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self - contained, and solitary as an oyster. the cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. a frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. 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. no warmth could warm him, no wintry weather chill him. no wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. foul weather didnt know where to have him. the heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. they often came down handsomely, and scrooge never did.\
student tasks:
write a summary (3 - 5 sentences) of what happens in your assigned excerpt.
describe scrooges personality as it appears in this section.
identify one victorian value present in this excerpt.
choose one line that reveals tone or mood and explain why it is effective.

Explanation:

1. Summary: The excerpt introduces Ebenezer Scrooge, describing him as a greedy, cold-hearted man unaffected by external weather. His internal coldness shapes his appearance and demeanor, and he remains unyielding even at Christmas.
2. Scrooge’s Personality: Scrooge is greedy, miserly, isolated, and unfeeling—characterized by adjectives like "covetous," "sharp as flint," and "solitary as an oyster."
3. Victorian Value: The excerpt critiques the Victorian focus on individual wealth over compassion, contrasting Scrooge’s greed with the expected warmth of Christmas.
4. Tone/Mood Line: "He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas." This line uses extended metaphor (cold = emotional unkindness) to create a harsh, unforgiving tone, emphasizing Scrooge’s refusal to soften.

Answer:

1. The excerpt introduces Scrooge as a greedy, cold man whose internal harshness shapes his appearance and indifference to Christmas. External weather does not affect him, as he is colder than any storm, and he remains unyielding in his miserliness.
2. Scrooge is greedy, isolated, unfeeling, and bitter—defined by his covetousness and lack of warmth.
3. Critique of excessive individualism/wealth obsession (Victorian value of prioritizing profit over human connection).
4. Line: "He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas." Explanation: It uses a cold metaphor to vividly convey Scrooge’s unchanging emotional cruelty, reinforcing the harsh tone.