A Christmas Carol Essay
Many times in life, we do not realize the importance of something until it is gone and is too late to reclaim. However, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, we are told the story of a man who, although undeserving, is offered an opportunity to redeem himself, to receive a second chance. This man, Ebenezer Scrooge, is changed forever by the valuable lessons taught by four spirits: those of his deceased partner Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come.
Scrooge is first visited by the phantom of his departed companion, and sole friend, Jacob Marley. Appearing on the knocker to his old chambers, Marley's horrifying face is the first sign of the remarkable, life-changing night yet to come. However, it is only until Ebenezer Scrooge actually sees "Marley, in his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head" (p.17) that the old man truly believes that he was not merely seeing a reverie. The specter proceeded to warn Scrooge to change his callous, avarice ways, or to be as Marley after death: dwelling on regret and self-torment, weighed down by "the chain [he] forged in life" (p.21). Knowing Ebenezer as a man of sensible nature, the ghost offers further proof that there are forever consequences, even after life. Shocked, Scrooge glimpses "the air filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste," (p.25) and recognizes many as long forgotten business associates: as greedy and heartless as he. Although Jacob Marley appeared for only a brief moment, he was the most significant and influential spirit: for it was he who imparted the moral that all faults in life are paid for ten-fold in death, and who, more importantly, prepared the pragmatic man for the supernatural appearances that would follow.
The second to appear is the Spirit of Christmas Past, bringing with it a flood of poignant, haunting memories. Each evokes a new feeling, repressed anguish or forgotten happiness, felt by Scrooge during a Christmas long-ago. The first was the reminiscence of "a solitary child, neglected by his friends" (p.34). However dismal this scene may appear, the boy was in high spirits, washing away his solitude in a story.
Scrooge approached the door, but didn't have a speck of knowledge of what's going to happen next. When Scrooge is about to open the door, his old friend, Marley, and worker appeared on the door knocker in surprise. Scrooge walked in his dark house with a little fear, still think it is just, humbug. His mind resolute to playing tricks, he thought. Christmas eve, A night to fear, yet to thank. Life can change in a matter of minutes. In the story, “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley. Scrooge faces a series of turning points that altered his life forever. In this Exploratory essay, Three turning point will be talked about. Each one with a different ghost, Past, Present, and future. Each with a different lesson Scrooge has to face.
Ebenezer Scrooge is the major character in the story, A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is about how a “cold-hearted, tight fisted, selfish” money grabbing man is offered an opportunity of a life time, to change his behaviour, attitude... to have a second chance in life.
In the play, Mr. Scrooge is a greedy man who thinks Christmas is “Bah Humbug!” (Dickens 3). His family has always wanted him to join them for a Christmas feast, but Mr. Scrooge has never wanted anything to do with Christmas. Marley, Mr. Scrooge’s old business partner, didn’t want Mr. Scrooge to end up like him with chains of greed attached to him when he died, so he sent Mr. Scrooge three spirits: Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Those three spirits visited each day to haunt him about his Christmases. Eventually, he traveled with two of the three spirits, but when the spirit of Christmas Future arrived, Mr. Scrooge realized that he would die in a few years. Ebenezer begged for mercy and promised to celebrate Christmas with joy and festivity. (Dickens 7-32) After the haunting with the spirits, Mr. Scrooge woke up and asked a boy what day it was. When the little boy, Adam, replied that it was Christmas, he ordered the boy
In conclusion, Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight fisted, greedy man, who despises Christmas and all things which engender happiness. After a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past, he finds happiness again and the wrong decisions he made him the man he become in the present, The Ghost of Christmas Present made him learn or remember joy, happiness, coming together at Christmas with friends and family and his moral responsibility to society. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come shows him where his current life choices will lead him and makes Scrooge have a epiphany and because of these experiences, he changes.
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens is a tale of the morality changes of a man. The uncharitable, cold heart of the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, melts with ardent love as he receives visitations from three Christmas spirits who enlighten his soul with wise lessons and bring a warm change to his heart. In the beginning of the novel, Scrooge expresses his vices of greed and cold heartedness by his words and actions, but as the story unfolds, his life is renewed by these Spirits who shed light and truth upon him, resulting in making him become a better man, portraying the virtue of charity.
We see that he is immediately very touched when he sees this scene before him, which is exactly the reaction the ghost hoped for. After this scene, Mr. Scrooge sees his sister telling him that their father has given his consent to let Scrooge come home. We learn that she is now dead and that she left a child:
Marley showed Scrooge a sense of fear, a fear of becoming what Marley has become. Marley gave him an ultimatum basically; change or become the thing that Marley has become. An apparition that roams the earth seeing the wrongs that people do, but is helpless to save them from the hell they are approaching.
Do you ever feel like people change? In A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens, Scrooge is a grouchy, unsocial, miserly, uncharitable old man. He is extremely unsympathetic and bah humbugs everything to do with Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is magically visited by 3 ghosts. The ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Scrooge has a rude awakening of haunting memories he holds onto. These memories make him feeling as if he needs a second chance and a fresh start at life. What better day than Christmas to tidy the dreaded past. The mysterious ghosts bring him to the past, present and future in one night. Scrooge had remarkable experiences and felt emotions he had never thought were possible to feel again. Scrooge longed for
The first of these spirits is the Ghost of Christmas Past. This ghost shows a younger Scrooge who was not yet influenced by the greed and selfishness that now encloses his soul. This most significant part is when Past shows Scrooge his former sweetheart. Scrooge was just starting to get greedy so his sweetheart “freed him from his contract”, or broke up with him, in other words. When she did this, Scrooge didn’t even notice that she had ever left because he had his money. However, present Scrooge starts yelling at his former self, “You fool! Don’t let her go, you fool!” Eventually he stops because he realizes he can’t change the past, but it shows that he is recognizing what he’s done. Moreover it shows that he is changing the way he thinks about, and treats, other people. This change is also shown in Scrooge’s interaction with the Ghost of Christmas Present. This ghost brings him to Cratchit’s house, where he sees that Cratchit’s family is going through tough times. The salary Scrooge is paying him isn’t enough to provide for the family he has, especially given Cratchit’s youngest son, Tiny Tim, has medical issues. In addition, The Ghost of Christmas Present says, “I see a empty seat next to the Chimney, and a pair of Crutches with no owner.” this indicates that Tiny Time has died because Scrooge wasn’t paying Bob enough to help Tiny Tim’s condition. However they still toast to Scrooge at Christmas dinner because the Cratchits may not have much money, but they are rich with the love and happiness they provide each
By exposing Scrooge to scenes where he sees Belle and another scene where he sees his own grave, Scrooge experiences both love and grief. ‘Spirit!’ yelled Scrooge ‘this is a fearful place. In leaving it, I shall not leave its lesson, trust me. Let us go’ Scrooge just witnessed a dead left in a dark room with absolutely no connection with anybody. the fear Scrooge had to experience in order to choose alternative routes. ‘Spirit’ said Scrooge ‘I will honor Christmas in my heart… I will live in the past, the present and the future. When Scrooge found out that the dead man him, he got horrified because everyone was treating him awfully. Scrooge changed his was because of the fear and the feeling that no one is connected to him and no one will remember him once he dies. In this quote, we see that Scrooge truly regrets the way that he has been living and he is begging the ghost of Christmas past to grant him a second chance in life. If Scrooge hasn’t seen the love and gloom that this ghost has shown him he would’ve never thought about the footprints marks that he was
This is shown in the quote:” Not so much in obedience, as in surprise and fear.” When Marley tells Scrooge to stop when he reaches the window he does as he is told but not because he is respecting Marley’s command but because he is terrified of what he might witness. He is afraid of what it might mean and what it could lead to as “The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste.” Dickens uses the motif of fear to portray Scrooge’s fate if does not change. The words “restless haste,” shows how not only will he be regretful and sorrowful as Marley was but also he will never be free. The phantoms move around desperately wanting to be free in hope that they can change their ways and make up for the things that they didn’t do but it’s too late as they burdened by the weight of their regrets. This foreshadows Scrooge’s fate if he resists change. This gives the reader an understanding and warns modern day readers and the Victorians to change before it is too late. It foreshadows the truth that Scrooge is so afraid of as he stops “not so much in obedience, as in surprise and fear.” Scrooge is the result of us realising our mistakes. And that is what Dickens was trying to
In this Stave, Dickens shows the importance of kindness by showing Scrooge’s absence of it and the effects of his harmful indifference. Scrooge is taken into his own past and shown memories of when he was young. The Ghost shows him scenes of when he was small and alone on Christmas. This memory makes him regret his harshness towards a young caroler that had come to his door the previous day. He sees that he lacked kindness and wishes he gave something to the caroler. His indifference towards the caroler insured that Scrooge would remain alone. The Ghost also reminds Scrooge of his beloved sister, Fannie who had died and left only her son. “’Always a delicate creature, whom a breath might have withered,’ said the Ghost. ‘But she had a large heart!’ ‘So she had,’ cried Scrooge. ‘You’re right. I will not gainsay it, Spirit. God forbid!’ ‘She died a woman,’ said the Ghost, ‘and had, as I think, children.’ ‘One child,’ Scrooge returned. ‘True,’ said the Ghost. ‘Your nephew!’ Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind; and answered briefly, ‘Yes.’” (pg. 33-34). Scrooge’s only connection to his kind and gentle sister is his nephew, who also shares Fannie’s sweet nature. Scrooge is then filled with regret because of his callous treatment and lack of relationship with his nephew, who only wanted to be kind and spread the joy of the season. Scrooge’s sheer indifference and lack of kindness towards his nephew prevented
During the story, Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts from Christmas past, present, and future, who shows the ill-tempered Scrooge how to be feel compassion towards others human beings. A large quantity of the story revolves around money, and it plays a large role, to contrast how generosity is viewed in society. Scrooge is incredibly wealthy, as he lives a l...
Little did Ebenezer Scrooge know, this was going to be the kickoff to a substantial journey on his night of Christmas Eve. The ghost of Christmas past had the appearance similar to a child, yet it had some characteristics comparable to a lit candle. This ghost took Scrooge to all of his most painful memories leading up to his present day position. After brief reminders of these incidents, Scrooge started to get melancholy. Events from his schooldays, his engagement, and even his happy apprenticeship with his former boss Fezziwig provided enough insight for the main character to visit his childhood. Scrooge then got an unexpected visit from the ghost of Christmas Present. He took the display of a gigantic man, dressed in a green robe. This ghost helped provide an insight for Scrooge on what his acquaintances were doing on Christmas Eve night. Bob Cratchit, had a dinner with his family and could barely afford any food due to his low wage from Scrooge. Lastly, Ebenezer received a visitation from the ghost of Christmas yet to come. The ghost was strictly straightforward with Scrooge’s future if he kept acting similar to what he did. The three ghosts provided a prolonged climax to the story, giving Ebenezer a direct turning point in his actions and beliefs. He had adjusted to not making
In "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a transformation as a result of his encounters with three ghosts and becomes a kind, happy, and generous man. His greedy, cruel, and grumpy demeanor is replaced seemingly overnight, but he doesn’t just wake up and decide to be nice. It takes three Spirits to change his outlook on life - The Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. The Ghost of Christmas Past makes Scrooge begin to regret his selfishness, and the Ghost of Christmas Present begins to teach him about others. This second Ghost helps to make him realize that money doesn't buy happiness. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, however, teaches the most profound lesson of all: unless he changes, no one will care if Scrooge dies. Because of the Ghosts, by Christmas morning Ebenezer Scrooge is a completely different person from the man who went to bed on Christmas Eve.