Literary Devices in A Christmas Carol

With these first words, Fezziwig reveals more about his character to us. Since he tells his employees to stop working on Christmas Eve, this puts him in contrast with Scrooge, who had his clerk work that day instead. This is an example of indirect characterization, in which we can infer character traits from what it said and shown rather than being told directly by the narrator.

One of the first things we learn about Mr. Fezziwig is that he has “a comfortable, oily, rich, fat, jovial voice.” This is an example of a literary device known as direct characterization, in which Dickens quickly tells readers the qualities that bring Fezziwig’s personality to life.

The narrator addresses the reader directly here, insinuating that the narrator’s spirit stands right beside the reader much like the first ghost stands beside Scrooge. Dickens thus suggests that the reader can learn from Scrooge’s story just as much as Scrooge can, directly setting the tale up to be allegorical.

The passage of time has become irregular and unpredictable for Scrooge. Dickens manipulates time here to illustrate the intensity of Scrooge’s anxieties and fears about the ghosts. Scrooge anxiously awaits the first spirit’s arrival partially due to fear, but also due to the fact that he now has a limited amount of time to change his fate.

Notice that the Ghost of Christmas Present quotes Scrooge’s statement from the First Stave that if the poor would rather die than go to workhouses, it would only “decrease the surplus population.” Prompting us to evaluate these words in relation to Tiny Tim, Dickens puts a human face on the plight of London’s poor and uses Scrooge’s own words to show his growth.

What Dickens points out here is the hypocrisy of those who preach generosity, kindness, and “Christmas spirit,” but do not actually practice what they preach. Scrooge may be guilty of being greedy, grumpy, and uncharitable, but not every person who preaches “good cheer” is automatically righteous, selfless, and kind.

The narrator often interrupts the story to speak directly to the reader, as he does here. Sometimes his comments express social criticism, sometimes they are satirical, and sometimes they are just funny. The narrator's sense of humor is evident here in the way he juxtaposes the image of a baby with that of a rhinoceros. The contrast is so silly that it's amusing.

This word seems to be an instance of onomatopoeia invented by Dickens. The rusty door evidently makes some unpleasant, high-pitched noises when moved. It may also be a portmanteau—the combination of two words to create a blended meaning of both—of verbs “shriek” and “screech.”

Notice how Scrooge seems to have little agency in this description of the city, which surrounds him and directs its actions. Scrooge will be a passive observer in this journey with the ghost, emphasizing that the events he will witness are what will happen if he carries on the path he’s already chosen for himself.

Note that the narrator speaks to “Death” in this sentence. This is an example of a literary device called “apostrophe” in which the speaker addresses a person, object, or force of nature that is not present. Since the novel uses a third person limited narrative point of view, Dickens’s use of apostrophe allows deeper insight into Scrooge’s emotional state, without using a direct statement from Scrooge.

Dickens's writing style was often noted, and sometimes criticized, for being very sentimental. This passage is an example of the diction which generated the attention of those who reviewed his work.

Both Scrooge and the reader may be wondering whether or not Fred will welcome Scrooge into his home despite Scrooge’s cold manner over the years. However, Fred and his family welcome Scrooge with open arms and immediately make him feel at home. Their willingness to forgive Scrooge for his actions in the past aligns with the ideals of the Christian faith, and the family becomes a symbol of the real meaning of Christmas spirit.