A CHRISTMAS CAROL QUOTES THAT SHOW POVERTY

“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” – describing Ebenezer Scrooge’s appearance, which reflects his poverty.

“No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o’clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge” – describing how Scrooge’s miserliness results in him being disconnected from society’s poverty-stricken individuals.

“Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir” – a statement by one of the gentlemen soliciting donations for the poor, which highlights the widespread poverty in society.

“They are Man’s…This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree” – the Ghost of Christmas Present showing Scrooge two emaciated children representing the consequences of ignorance and poverty.

“It isn’t that I’m selfish; it’s just that poverty and suffering don’t concern me” – Scrooge’s callous attitude towards poverty and suffering.

“A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!” cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge’s nephew, who came upon him so quickly and so silently that the first intimation he had of his approach was his voice” – despite being impoverished, Scrooge’s nephew still wishes him a merry Christmas, contrasting with Scrooge’s own miserliness.

“Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now” – Marley’s ghost lamenting his past indifference towards poverty and suffering.

“I should like to have given him something…and had the pleasure of looking him in the face when he thanked me!” – Scrooge regretting not giving money to a boy carrying a large Christmas turkey, emphasizing his potential to help alleviate poverty.

“They are a family, slighted by fortune but united by love” – describing the Cratchit family’s poverty and their resilience in the face of it.

“If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population” – Scrooge’s callous response when asked for charity, revealing his lack of concern for the impoverished.

“The fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal…Heaped up on the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch” – an illustration of the extravagant Christmas feast enjoyed by the wealthy, contrasting starkly with the poverty experienced by many.

“Spirit…remove me from this place…Why, there’s a poor person on the bed!” – Scrooge’s surprise upon witnessing his deceased body being stripped of any valuables, realizing that even in death, the poor are not spared from exploitation.

“It is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices” – a recognition of the contrast between abundance and poverty during the holiday season.

“Scrooge regarded everyone with a disgusted eyeshadow” – Scrooge’s disdainful and judgmental attitude towards the impoverished. BEAUTIFUL FACES ARE EVERYWHERE QUOTES

“There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should have given him something: that’s all” – Scrooge confessing his missed opportunities to aid the impoverished.

“The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune” – praising Bob Cratchit’s ability to find joy in his impoverished circumstances.

“Do you see this toothpick?…Show me one poor person who would not prefer it with a sigh to a farm” – Scrooge believes a toothpick has more value than a farm to a poor person, further illustrating his ignorance and lack of empathy.

“The noise in this room was perfectly tumultuous, for there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated state of mind could count…piled on the floor to form a kind of throne were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch” – a depiction of the contrasting abundance of a Christmas gathering in contrast to the poverty-stricken households.

“Some people are kinder than others. Mrs. Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot…Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigor…Belinda handled the hot plates” – highlighting how the Cratchit family strives to make the most out of their meager resources to create a joyful Christmas.

“Mrs. Cratchit, his wife, dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, was still brave in ribbons, which are cheap and make a goodly show for sixpence” – describing Mrs. Cratchit’s attempts to add some festive cheer to their poverty-stricken household.

“The clerk in the Tank involuntarily applauded: becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark forever” – illustrating how Bob Cratchit’s modest actions warm the hearts of those around him, contrasting with the indifference towards the impoverished.

“By this time it was getting dark, and snowing pretty heavily; and as Scrooge and the Spirit went along the streets, the brightness of the roaring fires in kitchens, parlors, and all sorts of rooms, was wonderful.” – highlighting the disparity between those enjoying warmth and comfort during Christmas while others struggle in the snow and cold.

“Scrooge was the ogre of the family” – illustrating how Scrooge’s miserliness casts a shadow over his family, perpetuating a cycle of poverty.

“Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge’s name was good upon ‘Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to” – highlighting Scrooge’s financial power and dominance despite his indifference towards the impoverished.

“Even the blind men’s dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, ‘No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!'” – describing how even animals recognize Scrooge’s malevolence, reinforcing the notion of his heartlessness towards poverty.

“Scrooge had a better appetite than he had had in many a Christmas Day” – Scrooge’s realization that sharing wealth with the less fortunate brings him personal fulfillment, demonstrating a shift from his initial indifference towards poverty.

“He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town or borough, in the good old world” – Scrooge’s transformation from a miserly and callous individual to someone who actively contributes to alleviating poverty and helping others in need.