There hasn’t been a change of tone like it since the freezing bookkeepers in The Muppet Christmas Carol asked Michael Caine’s Ebenezer Scrooge if they could have some more coal for their fire.

Analysis The indirect speech shows that Scrooge is threatening and in charge. He will not give permission for Cratchit to take more coal. Ill-mannered How is Scrooge like this? His nephew visits ...