(This is an Unseen Prose Analysis Test from chapter 2 of A Christmas Carol)
Ghosts are a scary phenomenon which can frighten even the most stoic man, particularly when the ghost is targeting a person to deliver a message. Charles Dickens creates suspense and tension in the build up to Scrooge seeing Marley in his ghost form by being detailed in his description of what Scrooge does to protect himself following seeing Marley’s face on his door handle. This is seen where after arriving home and ensuring no ghosts were in any of his rooms Scrooge “double-locked himself in” to his bedroom. This reveals that “double-locking” the bedroom door was unusual for Scrooge as “it was not his custom” and would allow the reader to perceive that Scrooge senses that a spirit is haunting him. By stating that “double-locking” the bedroom door was “not his custom” Dickens foreshadows that even with taking the necessary precautions, such as locking the door, Scrooge will nonetheless be confronted by Marley’s ghost. This is demonstrated by Dickens prioritizing that the reader knows that “double-locking” the door was unusual, and was for Scrooge’s self-assurance. Additionally, “double-locking” is a figure which emphasizes the extra precautions that Scrooge is taking to protect himself from Marley’s ghost appearing in his house. In the alternative, one could interpret Scrooge checking his house and ensuring that everything is in order to be part of his routine to ensure that no one stole any of his possessions. Scrooge is a very materialistic man who refused to allow his secretary the day off on Christmas without docking the pay; this would relate to the time period as Scrooge may be worried about workers from Poor Houses seeing his empty home as a way to escape poverty. Through seeing Marley’s face on his doorknob followed by Scrooge ensuring that there is no ghost in his house and “double-locking” his bedroom door, Dickens demonstrates the incitement of fear that a spirit or ghost would create in nineteenth century England. Through demonstrating the incitement of fear caused by a ghost, Dickens creates tension and suspense for what is to come.
Within the novel, Dickens builds the suspense and tension through alluding to religious texts which juxtaposes ghosts with religion to create a sense of fear. In anticipation of Marley’s ghost appearing, Marley ‘haunts’ Scrooge through sounds elsewhere in the house, like the basement and Scrooge is reminded of Marley’s face on his door handle, “that face of Marley,...came like the ancient Prophet’s rod”. This quote demonstrates that Marley is haunting Scrooge prior to visiting him, and that this is scaring Scrooge. This quote makes use of a simile in which the “face of Marley” appearing in Scrooge’s mind is compared to the “Prophet’s rod”. The “Prophet's rod” is a biblical allusion to a tool which allows a prophet (or a religious leader) to exact corporal punishment upon his followers to ensure that they are doing God’s will. By making reference to the “Prophet’s rod” Dickens is saying that seeing Marley is equivalent to a corporal punishment, or beating that Scrooge would receive by a religious leader for not following the rules of God. By having this section in chronological order, first the haunting followed the appearance of Marley’s ghost, Dickens is allowing the reader to experience Scrooge’s fear and apprehension in the same way that Scrooge is experiencing it. Scrooge regards the appearance of Marley as a punishment and is scared because of what that punishment may entail. By telling the events in chronological order, Dickens allows the suspense and tension to be built up through Scrooge’s fear. In the alternative, the biblical allusion could be seen as a way to make the entire chapter scarier as when ghosts and spirits are combined with religion, the experience is perceived as more creepy due to the perception of ghosts being from hell haunting followers of God on earth. Through telling the events chronologically and making reference to the bible, Dickens is creating suspense through the experience of being ‘haunted’. The reference to the “Prophet’s rod” further indicates a connection to the time period in which people in poor houses, like Oliver Twist, were beaten for asking for more food, a behaviour which was perceived as needing correction. The “prophet’s rod” is the decider of good and bad behaviour, but ultimately Dickens disagrees with the Poor Laws and is exacting corporal punishment on Scrooge to express his outrage at those who supported the Poor Laws.
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