Scrooge’s home was empty and bare except from the only occupant scrooge but originally him and his partner, he lived on his own. The rooms in the chambers are dark and depressing but described as being “a gloomy suite of rooms”. Scrooge would be very lonely to be living there on his own and in such a scary environment would not make his life any easier to live. His first supernatural event Scrooge on day had his key in the door and looked carefully at the knocker not seeing a knocker, but Marley’s face staring straight back at him. The eyes were “wide open” and “perfectly motionless”. This tells us that Marley’s face that scrooge had seen was not trying to tell scrooge something by an expression from his face as he was “not angry or ferocious”.
But as scrooge attentively at this face, it was soon a knocker again. “He put his hand upon the key he had relinquished, turned it slightly, walked in, and lighted his candle”. This tells us that scrooge didn’t change what he was going to do before this incident and carried on with his usual everyday activity of walking in to his home, the chambers. This may not mean that nothing was meant of this and he wasn’t shocked, scared or not aware of the fact that this had happened but maybe so shocked that it hadn’t even properly absorbed into his brain. “Scrooge was not a man to be frightened by echoes” this tells us how scrooge is a strong character and not easily startled. This would be a good setting for a ghost story as scrooge was just continuing with his typical day by day actions when this occurred, with no warning or other events arising.
Dickens introduces Marley’s ghost with what is happening at that time in the chambers, with a bell that started to swing and just about making a noise and after a while every other bell in the began to ring in the house lasting for about half a minute to a minute, the bell rang like a clanking noise sounding as thought something was being dragged by a chain, this definitely creates a scary atmosphere in the story as the bells began as just one ring to all the bells in the house ended up ringing getting louder and louder and not knowing why this is happening and who is involved in what is taking places. He describes Marley’s ghost as being the same as he remembered, recognising him instantly.
Scrooge focused on what he was wearing and how his hair looked very deeply “in his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights, and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling” showing that he was very curious of how he looked and showed that the ghost was very well dressed in a traditional way and was still obviously extremely cautious of him and also that his tail was made up of “cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel” This is trying to tell scrooge ho the ghost is being weighed down with money, and that all of his life scrooge has been caring only about money and the tail being made up of all this objects represents that he has been preoccupied by money and nothing else. This type of ghost would still be scary today, as frightening spirits such as poltergeists have become more known to people today. This type of spirit can be very daunting especially for younger people.
In the first of Three Spirits, Dickens describes this ghost as being “a strange figure” by using language like this it creates a daunting atmosphere. He describes the ghost as having a “strange figure – like a child” and the figure having white hair but not looking old at all tells us how the figure being small and childlike but old at the same time makes the whole event and this part of the story sounding extremely creepy and uncomforting, parts of it appearing and disappearing and things being put together that you wouldn’t usually expect such as holly which is associated with winter and Christmas put with fresh flowers. This type of ghost would be scary in today’s period.
Scrooge is very anxious in this part of the story as he is waiting for the ghost to appear as he knows something is going to happen. ‘The moment scrooge’s hand was on the lock. A strange voice called him by his name, and bade him enter. He obeyed.’ By using short sentences and frequent punctuation gives the story a strange atmosphere as you know something is happening or about to happen. The boy and girl that are being showed to Scrooge both look neglected and in need of help. The description of what is going on is very clear and descriptive ‘Heaped up on the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints, or meat’. The large descriptive of what is heaped on the floor is a lot of objects giving the reader a lot to think about. This is telling us how before in Scrooge’s life he wouldn’t of helped other people and didn’t think money should be just given away but now seeing this, and he is now learning that there are people who do need money. This type of ghost would still be scary today, as the whole atmosphere seems so scary and he is on his own. The whole seen is quite sad and depressing but still showing scrooge the light.
Dickens describes this ghost as being “shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand”. This tells us how it’s not very clear, can’t see what’s actually appearing. But the spirit is showing scrooge the future, he has been scared by the spirits about his past and he is now dreading what the future is going to hold for him. He has been shown the errors of his ways and he now knows he may have to pay for the life that he’s led in his selfish ways, and not pay for it in terms of money but the way he will live from now on.
The ghosts made an obvious impact on scrooge as it clearly shows he wants to live as another man and that the ghosts are there for his own good and showing how he wants to change for the good. But is still scared of what may be in the future for him.
The whole idea of spirits being around has defiantly helped to create a scary atmosphere, also the way ghost have appeared and disappeared and looked so unfamiliar. The ways they have seemed and looked are nothing that he’s ever seen before and is very unreal to him. Everything is so unnatural and mysterious.
By Julia Jenkins
