With close reference to the extract, show how Charles Dickens creates mood and atmosphere ( 10 marks)

Dickens creates mood and atmosphere by using a variety of techniques and language devices. His choice of words creates a sense of gloom and dismay that reflects the character of Scrooge. This extract starts with a reference of the setting in Victorian England during the 1800s. Electric lights were rare so the darkness in the streets was enhanced by the fog and the ‘flaring links’ that provided light to people. This could refer to the need for light in Scrooge’s life. His was dark with selfishness.
Christianity was practiced by most people during the Victorian times but Scrooge was unaffected by the themes of kindness and love that the religion advocated. This is reflected by Dickens writing ‘‘the ancient tower of a church… became invisible’’ where the use of personification highlights the withdrawal of the old bell from Scrooge’s visibility. Pathetic fallacy makes the extract highly effective in contributing to the coldness of Scrooge’s personality , ‘the cold became intense’ adds an atmosphere of frosty bitterness which is exactly how Scrooge is portrayed. In the midst of this miserable weather there is a change of mood when we read ‘’some labourers… had lighted a great fire ‘ which lightens the dismal atmosphere. This could foreshadow changes in Scrooge’s life by the end of the novel. The ‘ragged men and boys’ could rejoice even when affected by icy weather conditions, which sheds some light on the character of Bob Crachit who could find contentment in the midst of his hard life.
The ‘water- plug being left in solitude, its overflowing sullenly congealed and turned to misanthropic ice’ casts a dismal hue over the situation but it contrasts greatly with ‘ the brightness of shops where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp heat of the windows, made