Scrooge has a young nephew called Fred who was introduced into the novel in a joyful manner, which was soon changed by Scrooge. Fred was extremely merry as it was Christmas and tried to share his joy with his uncle, but did not happen, ‘A merry Christmas, uncle!’ scrooge replied. ‘ Bah! Humbug!’ Scrooge wonders how someone so poor, Fred, could be so happy, ‘ what reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.’ Scrooge and Fred were both at it, but Fred did not get angry once and still wished Scrooge a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
As soon as Fred left, two ‘portly gentlemen’ walked in. These two men were charity workers that go around the town collecting money for the poor and destitute. These men asked for Scrooge to donate something for them to buy meat, drink and means of warmth but got absolutely nothing from him, ‘What shall I put you down for?’ scrooge replied ‘nothing. I wish to be left alone.’
Marley’s ghost is in eternal punishment because of the things he did in his past life, the decisions he made in his life led him to his grave, ‘I girded it on of my own free will and of my own free will I wore it.’ Scrooge is confused, as he wants to know why the Ghost is haunting him; Marley explains that every man has a spirit that tries to lead him to a good life, its up to the individual to take it or not. Marley is trying to open the eyes of Scrooge to try not to live the same life he did, as it will take him nowhere happy.
In this novel, scrooge is associated with darkness, hard and cold. These descriptions are all used in the novel in negative views of scrooge. Scrooge lives all alone in his large house, which represents a ghost in a haunted mansion, which then refers to him living in a dark place. Scrooge has set out to isolate himself from the other majority of the population, the poor, as he would rather see them die then scrounge for money, ‘if they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.’ The dark atmosphere is created by the way Scrooge acts toward others.
The ‘cold’ theme is very important in this novel as it relates to the emotionless scrooge. Scrooge was meaner and colder than the wind, no matter what the weather was like, scrooge always seemed cold, ‘no wind that blew was bitterer than he…external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge.’ Charles dickens portrays scrooge as a cold-hearted man, showing that money doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. Coldness is also introduced into the novel as the novel is based at Christmas times, ‘one degree at Christmas.’
Scrooge also represents hardness, how someone could be so hard and emotionless on the outside, but when you get deeper into him he’s as normal as everyone else. Scrooge, for most of the novel, is a tough and heartless character, which represents the minority of the population, the rich and the ignorant. At the start of the novel, Dickens does not waste any time in describing the kind of man Scrooge is, ‘hard and sharp as a flint.’
The first spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Past, which is specifically Scrooge's past. This is personifying memory for Scrooge as it is in the past. This ghost led him through a series of scenes from him as a small boy to becoming a young man. The light that shines from the Ghost’s head symbolizes the ‘illumination’ which can come from reflecting on one’s past, and the cap which the Ghost wears symbolizes the ability each person has to extinguish the light of memory. Through this period, he saw scenes from his kind sister Fan, who is the mother of his nephew, Fred. This encounter made scrooge realise how he used to have family that cared for him and felt a slight bit of happiness, but as usual didn’t show much of it. They then went of to stop on a street lit up outside a warehouse, and instantly scrooge knew exactly where he was, ‘why, its old Fezziwig! Bless his heart.’ This quote shows that he actually did think of someone else rather than him, it shows that he had shared his emotions to someone else and isn’t afraid to show it. Fezziwig was a complete contrast to Scrooge. He is a kind, compassionate, joyful man who spreads happiness wherever he is, whereas as scrooge is obnoxious, emotionless and greedy man that can take away the happiness around him. Fezziwig closes the shop early on Christmas Eve, and treats his employees to music and feasting in celebration of the holiday, ‘ no more work to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer! Let’s have the shutters up…’ This made Scrooge think about the way he treated Bob Cratchit, a helpful and respectful employee. This happiness that scrooge is feeling is associated with light as he feels alive in himself. Looking back on the kindly behaviour of his old employer, Scrooge remembers that “he had the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome . . . the happiness he gives is as great as if it cost a fortune.”
Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Past took him to see what made him in so much agony, the moment when Scrooge refused the love of his fiancée, Belle, to have his work and money as his main priority.
With this horrible vision of his own past stupidity, Scrooge is brought into the presence of the second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present. This Ghost personifies generosity as all of the details of this figure’s appearance like its large body and its bright torch makes the reader see the Ghost represents generosity. This spirit carries Scrooge through scenes of people celebrating all over England. The Ghost of Christmas Past showed scenes that will have big impact on the way Scrooge feels, which is what the Ghost of Christmas Present is going to do. First stop the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge is the Cratchit’s house in the kitchen. As we know the first two spirits are associated with light, ‘ the candles were flaring.’
At the Cratchit’s house, Scrooge sees before him the warmth and joy they achieve at Christmas despite their lack of money but once again this shows you do not need money to bring you happiness, as long as there is family beside you. Then Scrooge was astounded when he heard Bob Cratchit’s crippled son, Tiny Tim, speak, ‘I hope people saw me in the church, because I am a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember, upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see.’ With Scrooge hearing what Tiny Tim had to say, he then feels sympathy and maybe even part responsible for the way he is and asks, ‘Tell me if Tiny Tim will live.’ Scrooge was then feeling guilty after hearing his own words used against him, ‘If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.’
With this ironic twist, they then leave the Cratchit’s and then transported across England to see where ‘ Miners live, who labour in the bowels of the Earth.’ He is then brought before a terrible vision where he sees a boy and a girl, ‘ yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish’, as if they were the spirits legs. The boy represents ignorance and the girl represents want. The spirit then gives Scrooge an ultimatum by saying that he should realise that he has to change or else. Once again Scrooge’s own words are used against him, humiliating him with his own heartlessness and feels guilty.
Then came the Ghost of Christmas Future, which is a personification of the relentless march of time. This Ghost is associated with darkness, as the Ghost resembles the descriptions of the grim reaper, which symbolizes death. The Spirit then leads Scrooge to a graveyard, and then a tombstone is pointed out to Scrooge. He slowly walks up to it and is shocked when he sees his own name engraved on that stone. . This terrible vision of his life ending in emotional emptiness makes Scrooge finally open his heart and plead for his life not to be taken away, ‘Good Spirit, assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life! I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!’ Scrooge then wakes up to find that it is over and the spirits have given him a chance to prove himself as a noble man, and is pleased to see it is Christmas day.
I think the morale of this story is that people can change, whatever way they act, so they should be a given a chance to prove themselves. Also the morale is that happiness is everywhere where you believe it can be, no matter how poor or rich you are, no matter how ill or well you are, you can bring happiness, not only for yourself but for others as well. The ‘present’ Ghost reveals the two children from under his robe, which represent ignorant and want, are very important to the novel, especially the Boy. Dickens tries to illustrate the ignorance of those who could help change things but choose to ignore them, and also Dickens is trying to express that the poor are ignorant too and that if they had a little help they would be able to help themselves. Scrooge does change at the end of the story, once seeing the future when he was at the graveyard. He helps the Cratchit’s and Tiny Tim live, which represents light and warmth.
