Question

Which sentence best demonstrates the hostile relationship that Scrooge has with society at the beginning of A Christmas Carol?

A.
"Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark forever."

B.
"No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge."

C.
"It was cold, bleak, biting weather, foggy withal, and he could hear the people in the court go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them."

D.
"A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin."

Answer 1

B. "No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge."   

This shows us how all people he saw on the street would stay out of his way and wouldn't bear talking or even looking at Scrooge.

Answer 2

B clearly shows his contempt for the people, or more like how the people mostly ignored him. That people and children both dodged him, not even to ask a simple normal question, shows that the town was wary and disliked him, and he disliked them.