Dickens is trying to change Victorian society. How does he use the ghosts to do this is 'A Christmas Carol'
Dickens is trying to change Victorian society. How does he use the ghosts to do this is 'A Christmas Carol'
'A Christmas Carol' which was written by Charles Dickens in 1843, during a rich period with economic, political, and cultural change. The book is set in London England and reflects several aspects of historical events in that time period. Dickens describes vividly what life was like at this time and place; he portrays the major contrast between the life styles of the poor and the wealthy. I can see clearly that he was extremely concerned about the poor people who lived at this time. He uses three ghosts to portray three important moral lessons which are made more significant because they are set within the Christmas season where goodwill and generosity to others are expected. This is helped by the staves; Dickens is trying to create a joyful feel like that created in music.
Scrooge in Stave 1 is described in great detail. "Hard as flint from which no steel struck". From these few words you can easily see that he is a cold hearted man Scrooge is. It goes on to say "No warmth could warm him, no wintry weather chilled him", this goes on. He is alone in this world, his heart have frozen solid and has been frozen for a long time. It would take a miracle to change him. Shortly after he talks to his nephew who still every year invites his to Christmas he calls everyone in the world a fool. Dickens describes Scrooge in such detail so you know what he is like and that the rich don't care about the poor and treat them like dirt. The rich never do anything unless it profits them.
Victorian Society was extremely different than todays "candles were flaring in the windows...the houses opposite were mere phantoms", in Victorian time there was no electricity, they only had candles and fires to keep them warm. Also the streets were incredibly narrow but at this night the fog is so thick you can't see the other side. In most books dark, foggy nights mean something is going to happen. Later Bob Crachitt try's to warm his hands on a candle but Scrooge stops him. This is another example of how cold and how little technology the Victorians. Also another example of how horrible Scrooge is.
Scrooge goes home and later he is meets his old partner, Marley. At first he does not want to believe it so he puts the blame on the cheese he ate. He properly does this a lot at work." I wear chains I forged in life. I made it link by link yard by yard". Marley talks about the chain he made in like and lives with it in death. Scrooge is puzzled thinking he was a very good business man. He goes on to talk about he has no more free will and if he does not change him will end up like him and his chain is already heavy.
He is now told he will be visited by three ghosts, past, present and future. If he does not change this will be his fate.
Dickens describes the first ghost as " it was a strange figure- like a child yet not so like a child as like an old man" This is a very good description of this ghost as it is the hardest to picture. It is a young girl as it is the ghost of Christmas past, but it is an old man as it has been doing its job for a long time. ...
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He is now told he will be visited by three ghosts, past, present and future. If he does not change this will be his fate.
Dickens describes the first ghost as " it was a strange figure- like a child yet not so like a child as like an old man" This is a very good description of this ghost as it is the hardest to picture. It is a young girl as it is the ghost of Christmas past, but it is an old man as it has been doing its job for a long time. Also on the ghosts head there is crown on the ghosts head. "A clear sprung of light clear jet of light... a great fire extinguisher for a cap". Dickens is using this to show you that the light represents the goodness in the person's heart; this also shows that everyone has goodness in them. The fire extinguisher on its head can put out the fire. Scrooge sees this and attempts to put out the fire. The ghost stops him, and takes him out of the window. They travel back in time to when he was at school .The ghosts takes him here to remind him of his goodness. Scrooge's memories came back he new the area like it was yesterday. The eventually find Scrooge sitting on his own, reading his books in them days his friends were his books. Scrooge's sister comes and talks to him, she brings him home saving him. Dickens links this with his nephew as he tries to save him.
Next they go to Mr Fizzywick workplace, "adjusted his capacious waistcoat, and laughed all over him self... roily, rich, fat jovial voice". His shows you that Mr Fizzywick is totally different from Scrooge, he laughs and treats his workers with respect. They are not just people you use like tools; they are your friends, partners and family. You love them and they love you. He is a large man almost as large as his heart. "Yo Ho, my boys no more work tonight". Scrooge makes Bob Cratchit work to the second. It goes on till Scrooge wants to say something to Bob Cratchit. That is a first sign of change from Scrooge in the book. Here Scrooge has learnt as lesson in business it not just the money the person makes for them to be a great business man, you also need to know how to look after your employees.
The next place the ghost takes Scrooge is to his old lost love, Belle. He really loved her. You know this because it talks about her being poor and in those days, when you get married the father gives the husband money to look after her, but as she was poor he would get not a lot of money. Also once the man has proposed and she accepted they can't break up unless the wife wants to. "I release you". Belle says this in the book because he is not the same man she loved. Over time he has fallen in love with money, he loves that more than her now.
To show Scrooge what a bad mistake he had made he goes in to the future and shows Belle later when she married, they were not rich, but they were not poor. They are rich in love and happiness and joy. Scrooge could have had this live but he chose not to. During this stave the light has been getting brighter and bigger. Scrooge notices this and quickly sets off the fire extinguisher, putting out the light. Showing he does not want to learn anymore.
Dickens uses the second ghost (the ghost of Christmas present) to show Scrooge that love is everywhere. They might not be rich, but they have things what bring far greater pleasure.
The room with the ghost in has been transformed. "Every inch had been covered in fresh food and Christmas traditions. This gave another Victorian tradition Dickens must want us to know what Christmas was like.
"Garment hung so loosely on the figure" Dickens carries on describing the ghost and the ghost also has traditional clothing. This is showing us that this ghost is very traditional. "Girded round its middle was an antique scabbard, but no sword was it". This is now representing Victorian history, during there reign they never battled they had along peaceful reign. The sword is a symbol of fighting and as it has rusted it shows it has never been used.
As the spirit raised Scrooge sad "Conduct me where you will". He talks about that last night he had learnt a lesson. Now Scrooge wants to go with the ghost he is not resisting, he wants to learn. The ghost took him to Christmas day all around him were people and traditional Christmas things like mistletoe. Scrooge notices that the ghost is sprinkling dust over people. He learns that the dust is goodwill. He starts to talk to him. The ghost leads him to Bob Cratchits house. This must be because his house is full of joy and happiness.
The ghost's sprinkles goodwill the Tiny Tim enters. All of them start talking about what a big goose they have, even though it was small. He is asked how Tiny Tim is doing he trembles "Tiny Tim is getting stronger and hearty. This is obviously a lie. Tiny Tim is getting worse. Everyone helps each other.
When they all sit at the table they start to talk about how lucky they are to have the meal, even though it was tiny. They make a toast to Scrooge; Misses Cratchit does not want to give a toast as he is so cruel to him.
The Cratchits all look on the good side of things even though they are just barley have enough to live.
Next they go to Scrooges nephews' house. They are all having fun, messing around. They decide to play a game. The game is that you must guess what person he is thinking of. They all guess for a long time till they run out of ideas. It has to be an animal in London what is miserable, they edventully find out it was Scrooge. Scrooge listening to this upsets him seeing what everyone thinks of him, even his family.
At the end of this Stave you can clearly see that Scrooge has changed. He talks to the ghost to find his own words thrown back at him. Seeing what kind of person he was, regretting everything he said, and properly wishing to have given the charity worker more money. But what really hit him the most is when the ghost replied, "Well they better do it that decreases the surplus population." As you can see when he said this in the first Stave this must have really surprised the charity workers. In this book there is yet another connection with stave one.
Scrooge has learnt a very valuable lesson he will never forget. The lesson is that love is everywhere in every size, shape and form. Money does not make you happy it is an extension of you. You can us it to help people, or hurt them.
The third ghost or the ghost of Christmas future enters straight away. He comes in "slowly, gravely, silently approached... spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery." This describes about how it moved, hovering over the ground. The gloom and mystery could resent Scrooges future unless changed. This links with the first ghost with the light on its head .This ghost is more of the type of ghost we think today, a phantom. It goes n to talk about how dark the spirits robe is and that it is surrounded in darkness. Dickens creates a sense of death and tension in this stave.
Scrooge says "I am in the presence of the ghost of Christmas yet to come." The ghost replied by pointing. We learn that the ghost can't talk as in the future nothing is curtain, anything can change it, and the future is in our hands.
During this stave the ghost of Christmas future takes Scrooge too many places. He takes him to the streets with desperate people selling a horrible dead mans things (cover of bed and clothes and more). The Victorians believe that when you die you should where your best clothes, but as they have so little respect for the dead man they striped him of best clothes. Scrooge throughout this stave thinks it is not him but someone like him. He does not realise, it is him, and many hints are given as you see the body with a sheet over him. Edventully they get to Tiny Tim, he had recently passed away. With the Cratchits crying for him, forgetting about Scrooge like everyone else.
But in the end he must know his fate. The ghost takes him to the grave yard. Scrooge starts to plead wanting to know if this fate is curtain. He has finally worked out it is him, but he still does not want to believe it. Turning to the grave stone marked "Ebenezer Scrooge".
Scrooge is no longer acting like his old self. He is on the floor pleading with the ghost. He pleads saying he has changed! Saying he will be kind loving, respect everyone and more, but has he really changed? As the ghost disappears judgment day, Christmas is here.
Scrooge has changed amazingly. He's so happy and excited, thankful to be alive thinking he would not live to even see the sun. He is no longer grunts at people, instead he thanks them. In this stave it basically just ties up all the lose ends. He helps Bob Cratchit, goes around and has Christmas around his Nephews house. He is a new man; if someone met him recently they would not believe he was so horrible. He is no longer the man he was before; to everyone this came at a big shock. No one expected Scrooge to ever change and become so loving and kind.
A 'Christmas Carol' makes a serious plea for generosity. For Dickens, Christmas is essentially a holiday but one that, behind all the laughter and festivities, should bring out the best of human nature. To try and show this to the Victorian society Dickens contradicted it so instead of writing the book from the rich perspective, he did it from the poor. This really showed the true realities of life for the poor and how tough life was at this time in history. Dickens did this through the character of Scrooge by using the ghosts he offers concrete proof of how distorted a selfish person can become. Therefore the book is trying the change the way in which the Victorian society thought and acted. Dickens used the ghosts very effectively, as they highlighted the different sides of Christmas. They showed and portrayed what life was like for the poor and that money is just an extension of you, don't be consumed by it. You get more pleasure by giving than receiving.
By Dickens writing this maybe the point of the story is to criticise the financial direction of Industrialising British society in the 1840's. The two spirits ignorance and want being two somewhat reminders of the horrendous social inequalities and conditions that the poor were flung into during this time. The book may have encouraged the poor people to be saved from the work houses, and be treated better. As a result changing the Victorian society's mentalities and attitudes towards the poor.
