As the story develops, Scrooge begins to show more emotion making him more human. His first sign of emotion in the story occurs in the first stave when he shows not only his concern but also fear while checking every room in the house after his hallucinations, as proven by the quote ‘not a knocker, but Marley’s face’ which clearly shows that Scrooge imagined the knocker on his door to be Marley’s face. His concern and fear is shown with the quote ‘Sitting room, bed-room, lumber-room. All as they should be’, this not only proves that Scrooge checked every room in the house but also that he was relived when he concluded that the rooms were ‘All as they should be’. This incident is very important as this is Scrooge’s first sign of emotion in the story allowing the reader to see Scrooge as not a pure inhuman evil character but rather a character that has some emotion deep inside his heart hence giving hope for the change in his character that will take place later in the story. When Scrooge meets Marley’s ghost Scrooge shows even more fear, thereby lowering his ego down so that further development in his character from negative to positive can take place, as proven by the quote ‘Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face’, which proves the point that Scrooge was frightened hence increasing the humanity of Scrooge’s character. This increase in humanity and decrease in Scrooge’s ego is further pointed out when Scrooge begs Marley’s ghost in the quote ‘Mercy!’, this increases the humanity Scrooge’s character has thereby acting as a transition state from inhuman to a saint, as he turns out later in the story. The change in Scrooge’s character from absolutely inhuman to showing slight bits of emotion in the form of fear and decrease in ego because of the visiting of Marley’s ghost allows wealthier readers with a similar character to Scrooge tells them that there is hope for a change hence encouraging them to make a change themselves. The trauma that Scrooge went through in this later part of stave one shows the average Victorian people bad thing could happen to the rich and greedy, and that they are being punished as the ghost of Marley could also have been used by Dickens, practically, to represent the sub-conscious guilt the rich feel.
Marley’s ghost than makes a speech to prove that the ideas the readers had about Scrooge, that Scrooge was headed in the wrong direction in terms of what society thinks is right and that Scrooge was going to suffer after his death according to the, was right as the quote from the speech, ‘ I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate’, proves. This is important as it passes the final judgement that Scrooge was doing evil and was going to suffer after his death because since a paranormal figure like Marley’s ghost, which should be linked to God in a way since Marley’s ghost is in the afterlife, usually represents the authority in terms of passing the final judgement because of its link to God. Thereby the speech is important to reinforce our negative ideas of Scrooge’s character in order for the readers to follow the story and gain any further lessons Dickens wants to point out to readers.
Scrooge than goes through some very paranormal incidences for example during Scrooge’s ‘punishment’ while waiting for the first spirit, time seemed to be lost as proven by the quote ‘Why, it isn’t possible’ this statement is used by Scrooge to reflect the situation he is going through since there was no sun at twelve noon as proven by the quote ‘It isn’t possible that anything has happened to the sun, and this is twelve at noon!’, these two statements give us a very important impression that Scrooge has been separated from time hence isolated from the world which contributes in giving readers an idea of the severity of the punishment. Which adds to the point Dickens is trying to make at this stage of the story, that bad things happen to misers who display the anti-social and deceitful characteristics Scrooge has thereby again prompting readers in Scrooge’s similar situation to make a change.
When the first spirit, The Ghost Of Scrooge’s Past, arrives Scrooge is unwillingly follow him and reflect on his past as Scrooge makes excuses in terms of the reasons for not coming along with the spirit as proven by the quote, ‘Scrooge to plead that the weather and the hour were not adapted to pedestrian purposes’, this allows up to draw an idea that Scrooge has something he does not want to be reminded about in his past because of this unwillingly ness to reflect on his past. This allows us to conclude that Scrooge has not always been the negative character there is now since he does not want to reflect on his past, it means that there must have been something different about him in the past. The first place the Ghost takes Scrooge is to his early years as a boy as proven by this quote said by Scrooge to describe what he saw, ‘I was a boy here!’ this proves that the Ghost of Christmas past was taking him back to the time when he was a boy. The mere reflection upon Scrooge’s childhood causes him to tear as proven by the quotes ‘Your lip is trembling’ and ‘What is that upon your cheek”, the first quote suggests Scrooge is emotionally shaken while the second quote suggest that the Ghost found a tear on Scrooge’s cheek. All these are signs of emotion and in Scrooge’s case, humanity allowing any reader in Scrooge’s financial situation to believe that they are still human and capable of change and empathy.
During this stave, we discover that Scrooge was alone and neglected in his childhood from this quote about Scrooge as a child: ‘ A solitary child, neglected by his friends’, this allows readers to use the ‘Cause and Effect’ idea on Scrooge in the fact that Scrooge’s evil stereotype(as proven earlier) is an effect of his lonesome childhood. This again is an attempt by Dickens to convince readers that Scrooge(an image of the wealthy in society) is as human as anybody since his lonely childhood is used as an excuse for his negative characteristics today. This reflection on his childhood actually consolidates for the earlier impression we had of Scrooge is an all out negative character instead it gives us a new impression of Scrooge that he is a victim. When Scrooge is taken to another Christmas when he is a little older by the Ghost as proven by the quote ‘Let us see another Christmas’, Scrooge is seen having a friend in the form of little fan. We can tell Fan and Scrooge were close because of the fact that she was kissing and hugging Scrooge as proven by the quote ‘putting her arms about his neck, and often kissing him’, this show of closeness allows readers to repair their vision of Scrooge from an unlovable and cold character to a person that was once lovable and socialable. This change is seen as an effect while his lonely childhood is seen as a cause. The idea that Scrooge was once a socialable person is backed up when the Ghost takes him to a party where Mr. Fezziwig was at(as proven by the quote, ‘old Fezziwig, clapping his hands to stop the dance’), Scrooge reacts to this with positive emotion as proven by the quote ‘Why, its old Fezziwig! Bless his heart’. This shows that Scrooge is on good terms with Fezziwig proving that Scrooge used to be a socialable character. All this show of closeness allows readers to repair their vision of Scrooge from an unlovable and cold character to a person that was once lovable and socialable allowing readers with Scrooge’s similar wealth to believe that they can still change.
When the second Ghost is about to arrive, Scrooge is more open and ready for his arrival as proven by this quote, “For he wished to challenge the spirit on the moment of arrival and did not wish to be taken by surprise and made nervous.” This could mean two things, either Scrooge accepts that the arrival of the second Ghost is inevitable or that Scrooge is willing to be taken on a journey of change the Ghosts are taking him. The second reason seems more probable as he claims that “he wished to challenge the spirit”, this means he probably wanted to make the most of the Ghost’s visit to benefit himself in the form of the positive change they could bring. All this proves that Scrooge is beginning to change since his willingly ness to change is now very high and also allows readers to get the impression that Scrooge now knows he has done wrong by being the negative character he was in the first stave.
The second Ghost takes Scrooge to Mr. Cratchit’s home where he sees the condition of their lifestyle and also the condition of Tiny Tim and begins to question the Ghost, ‘tell me if Tiny Tim will live’. This is a sign of sympathy which we consider human, Dickens uses the Cratchit’s lifestyle as a sign that Scrooge is human because the readers would have felt sympathy for the family and Tiny Tim in particular but Scrooge unusually feels the same sympathy for the Cratchits as the readers do so it gives the impression that Scrooge is no different from the humane readers. This allows readers to sense a clear change in Scrooge and also allows readers in Scrooge’s financial situation to believe that they can still change.
In the stave four, Scrooge experiences negative but personal emotion in the form of fear of the Ghost as proven by the quote, ‘It thrilled him with a vague uncertain horror’ this quote is said about the appearance of the last Ghost. This fear Scrooge feels for the Ghost is supposed to represent the darkness that awaits Scrooge and all readers in Scrooge’s similar financial situation if they do not change. Another importance of this fear(negative emotion) is to tell all the readers in Scrooge’s financial situation that the change they will make if the story takes full effect will not be easy and Dickens is clearly using fear of the Ghost as a means of sending this message. Scrooge however leads by example(to all readers in Scrooge’s financial situation) by claming that he is still very eager to change. This eagerness is a ‘fight back’ at his earlier negative emotions as he confronts these emotions with his eagerness to change in the quote “I fear your more than any spectre I have seen but as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear your company, and do it with a thankful heart.”, in this quote said to the Ghost Scrooge is actually claiming that his desire to change outweighs the negative fear he has for the Ghost since he says he fears the Ghost(“I fear your more than any spectre I have seen”) but he then says that he still wants to change despite this negative emotion(but as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear your company) this is again Scrooge leading by example to any reader in his financial situation that the desire to change outweighs any negative emotion they will fear. This case of Scrooge leading by example is a clear contrast from his earlier all out negative character.
Scrooge then breaks down with emotion when he wakes up from the experience as proven by the quote “laughing and crying in the same breath”, this is important as it ensures the credibility of Scrooge’s change in character during the experience since he seems to be a changed man even out of the dream because Scrooge usually did not show emotion before the visits by the spirits. After the experience, Scrooge is a changed man as proven by the quote “I am in earnest” this quote is said by Scrooge himself to describe himself hence proving that he has changed as Scrooge is not usually earnest at all. Not only which, Scrooge seems to be a lot happier after this change as proven by the quote “Oh, glorious.” This is Scrooge describing the environment, in his description he describes it positively showing a sign that he is happier. This is important as it is a signal to readers in Scrooge’s financial situation that they will be happier after the change.
My conclusion is that Scrooge’s character is used by Dickens to represent an exgaratted stereotypical version of the Victorian wealthy businessman who is greedy. The story is not only an attempt by Dickens to tell these businessmen what they are missing out on by being greedy(as proven by Scrooge’s happiness after the change) but also meant to expose the unfairness in Society where the rich who can do the most to improve lives do not even try to do so.