Question

Read this passage from paragraph 36-39:

"You seek to close these places on the Seventh Day?" asked Scrooge. "And
it comes to the same thing."
"I seek!" exclaimed the Spirit.
"Forgive me if I am wrong. It has been done in your name, or at least in the
name of your family," said Scrooge.
"There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay
claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred,
envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all
our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and chair their
doings on themselves, not us."
Explain what Scrooge and the Spirit are talking about in this portion of the
text. Explain your reasoning in complete sentences. Cite evidence from the
text to support your response. Write neatly and follow standard conventions
of English.

Answer 1

Scrooge erroneously attributes the closing of places on the Seventh Day to the Spirit, who corrects him by separating its true nature from those who commit wrongful acts under false pretenses of moral authority.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the passage provided, Scrooge is conversing with the Spirit about the closing of certain places on the Seventh Day, which Scrooge attributes to actions done in the Spirit's name or on behalf of the Spirit's family.

The Spirit clarifies that there are people on Earth who falsely claim to act in its name and are no kindred to it or its intentions. Through this dialogue, the author is exploring themes of hypocrisy and misuse of moral authority, as those who profess moral superiority are often the perpetrators of the vices they denounce. The Spirit instructs Scrooge to attribute these deeds to those who commit them, rather than to the Spirit itself, emphasizing personal accountability over misplaced attribution of guilt.