Scrooge's Change in A Christmas Carol

Scrooge's Change in A Christmas Carol

Dickens combines a description of hardships faced by the poor with a

heart-rending sentimental celebration of the Christmas season. The

novel contains dramatic and comic element as well as a deep felt moral

theme. In the beginning of the novel Ebenezer Scrooge is portrayed as

a hardhearted and unsociable man. However at the end of the novel we

see dramatic changes in him as a trio of ghostly visitations causes a

complete change in him. Scrooges transformed from an unpleasant and

penny-pinching character to a charitable kind man. The following essay

focuses and examines the life of Ebenezer Scrooge, delving into his

past, present and supposed future.

In the opening of the novel, Scrooge is depicted as a miser who would

not even give enough coal to his clerk despite the harsh weather to

keep the office warm. His greed is his downfall, because he is so

consumed with his money that he neglects people around him. He spends

his day counting profits wishing that the whole world would leave him

alone. His entire life is based on making more profits. Dickens

describes Scrooge as a"squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping,

clutching, covetous old sinner!" and that "No wind that blew was

bitterer than he," meaning he was harsh and very bitter. He also

states that he is as "Solitary as an oyster," which means he did not

open up to people and was often alone.

On Christmas Eve his nephew comes to invite Scrooge to a Christmas

dinner. Scrooge however refuses and replies with his customary phrase

"Bah! Humbug!" refusing to share his nephew's Christmas cheer. He sees

Christmas as a time for finding yours...

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... at the sane time learn from it.

The novel is written in staves, which represents musical staves.

Dickens uses staves instead of chapters as a reminder of the musical

notation of a Christmas carol. Each of the middle three staves revolve

around the ghostly visitations that bring about a change in Scrooge.

The writer uses flashbacks to remind us of the past Scrooge and the

ways in which he changes. The novel speaks to both Victorians of

Dickens's era and people in our present day. His message is universal

Christmas is the season of goodwill and a rime to share one's wealth

with others less fortunate .Although Scrooge is an extreme example of

a miser, perhaps Dickens is saying there is little of Scrooge in all

of us whether it is an unwillingness to hare our money with the poor

and need or our time with people in need!