Literary Devices In A Christmas Carol

In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens utilizes a plethora of literary devices such as similes, metaphors, imagery, and denouement to explore the capacity for change. This reveals that changing is never impossible until you’re six-feet under. A simile is a comparison that usually uses the word “like” or “as”. Dickens’ use of similes demonstrates how Scrooge changes throughout the story and because of this, we see how changing all aspects of yourself isn’t impossible. “Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self- contained, and solitary as an oyster.” (Dickens #3) By saying “Hard and sharp as flint”, the simile is used to compare Scrooge to a stone, which is cold and hard. By using the

Imagery is a literary device that uses descriptive wording to put a vivid image of a scenario in your mind. Dickens uses imagery to describe the scenery and the change in Scrooge’s physical appearance throughout the course of the story. “eezing, 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, shrivelled 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 didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.” (Dickens #3) When Dickens describes Scrooge 's childhood, he uses personification to put emphasis on how 'merry ' the sound of the young boys is by saying 'the crisp air laughed to hear it! ' The sound of the boys playing and shouting is so delightful that even the 'air ' is laughing. The effect of this personification is to show how everything is affected by the good nature of the children. This contrasts with