Scrooge refuses to celebrate Christmas with his nephew, since Scrooge believes that Christmas is a waste of time, effort and money; for example, “A merry Christmas, uncle! Cried a cheerful voice… Bah! Said Scrooge Humbug!” This stresses that Scrooge thoroughly despises Christmas and everyone being merry when actual fact they are in poverty.
This attitude towards Christmas corroborates his lonesome, dismal, parsimonious life without contributing any of his money to a soul (not even to a charitable cause).
Scrooge has a dreadfully, destructive manner regarding the plight of the poor. Dickens shows this through the speech between the two gentlemen and Scrooge. Scrooge believes that the poor should go to the workhouse and says: “if they would rather die, said Scrooge, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population.” This suggests that Scrooge wants them to die rather than share his wealth with them. He thinks that this will solve the poverty problem. Scrooge also says that they are in poverty because of their own doing.
Next, Scrooge meets is old partner, Jacob Marley. Marley’s ghost represents Scrooge’s conscience. The ghost of Marley visits Scrooge to warn him of the three ghosts (spirits) coming to see him and that he has to change his ways, otherwise he will end up like Marley with a immense chain tied up on him, which is made of “cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel.” These are there as a result of the life Jacob pursued and this is his punishment for not being charitable and more Christian like. He wears these chains also because he “forged” in life which means he made it in life because of his dishonesty.
Dickens uses the ghost of Marley to scare Scrooge into thinking about his life and what he has actually achieved and whether he has done it in an acceptable and honest manner, for instance “The spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow men…if that spirit goes forth in life; it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world.” This makes the reader feel that Ebenezer Scrooge will have a similar punishment, unless he can change his ways.
Dickens also doubts Scrooge’s mind by foreseeing his future, “It was full as heavy and as long as this seven Christmas eves ago. You have laboured on it, since. It is a ponderous chain!” This emphasises if Scrooge cannot reform then that will be the consequence.
Marley’s ghost doesn’t want Scrooge to go down the same path that he has and end up with chains, locks and heavy pursers all tied up on him and to be helping the needy for the rest of eternity; because of his greediness, cruelty and being awfully uncharitable to other people, especially the poor.
There are a lot of references to hell in this stave for example, “Invisible world”, “The air was filled with phantoms” and “Marley’s ghost” this suggests to the reader that Scrooge will go to hell if he cannot change his evil, covetous, stingy ways soon.
The ghost of Christmas past represents past memories, it has a light on its head to show hope and Scrooge’s good side, as Scrooge’s good side increases the light brightens. It visits Scrooge and takes him to where he grew up. “I could walk it blindfold.” This creates the impression that Scrooge was feeling a touch of fun and joy, looking at himself at a young age. This is significant because he was starting to feel more emotions and it shows how much fun he used to have. Plus, he wants to feel those emotions again.
Dickens shows some of Scrooge’s emotions by these past events, for instance, “Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting towards them…Why did his cold eye glisten, and his heart leap up as they went past!. Why was he filled with gladness when he heard them give each other Merry Christmas …What good had it ever done him?” This again shows Scrooge does have emotions, as it reminded him of the high spirit he used to have at Christmas time. Scrooge looked up to those boys and saw them as he wanted to be at that age (his idol).
Next, they went to Scrooge’s old school and there was “A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still.” It was Scrooge and he knew who it was, “And he sobbed” This emphasises that Scrooge does have feelings and maybe this neglect made him the way he is now.
Then, they came to Scrooge’s old home, where his younger self was being greeted by his sister, who was over the moon to see him and she loved him very much, “she died a woman, and had, as I think, children. One child, Scrooge returned … Your nephew! Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind; and answered briefly, yes.” This shows that he was thinking about the Christmas invite to his nephew’s house, but how he turned him down in an unforgivable manner and all the unkind things he had said to him, he felt guilty.
The ghost then takes him to visit his old employer Feeziwig, who was a cheerful and generous employer, for example he says: “No more work to-night. Christmas eve…Let’s have the shutters up,” This made Scrooge feel guilty for how he treats his clerk Bob Cratchit.
Finally, the ghost takes him to visit his old girlfriend Belle, who is ending their relationship because of his greed, the young Scrooge says: “Have I ever sought release? In words. No never … In a changed of nature; in an altered spirit, in another. Hope as its great end.” This signifies that Scrooge is changing from being a cheerful, loving, caring boy to a covetous, angry; working all the time, kind of man and his girlfriend will not stand for it.
He then sees Belle married and surrounded by her loving children and he is made painfully aware of what his love of money has costed him in life. Dickens portrays the life that Scrooge could have had, such as, “A room not very large or handsome, but full of comfort.” This creates the impression that poor people, may not have particularly good-looking or vast rooms, but they have all the love, care, kindness and comfort in that room, as long as they have each other that’s all they need. This is the image created throughout this book. Also, it shows what Scrooge is missing out on; it makes him regret the choices he made. In this stave we see a spark of Scrooge’s humanity and his first traces of guilt.
The ghost of Christmas present represents Christmas spirit, generosity and goodwill. He is a warm, towering man with a huge robe. The poor are represented as kind, caring and loving people with big hearts. Firstly, they go to the Cratchit’s house and see their Christmas taking place. The Cratchits are poor and needy, but are still loving, affectionate and kind, plus they have good Christian morals, as they say a prayer before dinner “…Grace was said. It was, succeeded with a breathless pause.” This emphasises that the family may be poor, but they still have a good Christian lifestyle. This makes Scrooge think that money cannot buy happiness. Scrooge also sees Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit’s crippled son, and he begins to feel sympathy towards his situation. He asks the ghost: “Tell me if Tiny Tim will live… if these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the child will die.” This shows that Scrooge feels guilty for not giving his clerk more money as he witnesses their way of life.
The ghost then takes Scrooge to visit his nephew Fred on Christmas day. Fred is having a splendid time and is celebrating a more modern Christmas with fun, laughter, drinking booze and playing games such as: similes and yes or no. It is less religious as they have more money and a “bright, dry gleaming house…” However, they still have strong moral values like the Cratchits. Dickens suggests that Scrooge is missing out on the fun and games by saying, “that the consequence of his taking a dislike to us and not making merry with us, is, as I think, that he loses some pleasant moments, which could do him no harm.” This suggests that Scrooge starts to feel a bit of remorse, since he turned the invite down. Scrooge is forced to realise that he has missed a chance to be merry with the only family he has left in the world.
Finally, the ghost shows Scrooge two personifications of the social situation in the form of two children: Ignorance (a boy) and Want (a girl), who symbolise mankind’s downfall. Dickens uses this personification to emphasise the point of mankind’s destruction, for instance the spirit says, “Most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which Doom…” This signifies if people continue to ignore the poor, society will crumble.
In this stave Scrooge feels new emotions such as regret for not paying his clerk Bob Cratchit enough money, since he lives in poverty with a huge family and a crippled son, and more regret for not attending the invite from Fred. Also, he feels a lot sadder and some happiness for Fred’s games and the laughter, Scrooge’s family had without him.
The ghost of Christmas yet to come represents death and judgement, this ghost is also known as a phantom because it is wearing a black cloak which conceals its face and it doesn’t say a word to add to the morbid atmosphere.
They visited a house where there was “one little knot of business men” with a lady trying to sell some of Scrooge’s possessions, he sees nobody is upset by his death, but instead raiding his hose and selling off his property. “I hope he didn’t die of anything catching Eh?... Don’t you be afraid of that.” This shows that people are joking over his death and no-one cares about his departure from the face of the earth. He is very upset that no-one cares about his death, all they can do is laugh and attempt to make a profit from his belongings.
Scrooge asks the spirit “If there is any person in the town, who feels emotion caused by this man’s death…Show that person to me, spirit…” They go to the Cratchit’s house, but “The only emotion that the ghost could show him, caused by the event, was one of pleasure.” This emphasises that no-one liked him and cared about him at all, so they were not sad to witness his death.
After a while, they return to the Cratchit’s house where Bob has just returned from work. Dickens makes Scrooge feel miserable, regret and guilt that he did not offer his help to save Tiny Tim from dying, by making the Cratchit family more depressed, for instance, “My little, little child! Cried Bob. My little child! He broke down all at once.” This makes the reader feel sympathy for the Cratchits and anger towards Scrooge, as he did not help a poor family at need. Also, it makes Scrooge feel terrible and he realises that he must change his ways and become a better person, to stop these perceptions from happening. Stave four is a particularly religious section of the book, as it deals with Scrooge’s redemption and moral reformation. The language used by Dickens is similar to that used in a religious teaching, for example: “Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful death, set up thine altar here.” This biblical language is meant to make us aware that as readers we are being taught a moral lesson.
All Christians believed strongly in heaven and hell; the thought of spending the rest of eternity in hell, frightened most Christians, so even the meanest of people would consider changing their ways to go to heaven.
In stave five, Scrooge awakens on Christmas day as a changed man. He buys the largest turkey in town and donates it to the Cratchits. “I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit’s!” This shows that Scrooge has finally reformed and he is now a better man, as he is being a lot more generous.
Dickens shows that Scrooge has learnt his moral lessons and is not going back to his old ways, he does this by this continual joy, care and generosity, throughout the character of Scrooge in stave five, for example: “Here’s the turkey. Hallo! Whoop! How are you! Merry Christmas!” This again emphasises that Scrooge has realised and acknowledged his faults and changed them; plus he donates lots of money to the poor, Scrooge says, “… not a farthing less…” This once more shows Scrooge’s generosity, the poor and the two gentlemen were very grateful.
He also celebrates a lovely Christmas with his nephew; Dickens shows this by saying, “Wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity, won-der-ful happiness…” This stresses the changes Scrooge has made and that he is having a magnificent time with his family, at last.
The next morning Scrooge was at his office ready to meet Bob Cratchit and give him a pay rise, he says “I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family…” And that’s exactly what Scrooge did, he did not just raise Bob’s salary, but he became like a second father to Tiny Tim, who did not die.
There are many references to heaven in this stave such as: “I am as happy as an angel”, “He went to church” and “God bless us, every one!” in contrast to the references to hell when he was parsimonious, mean-spirited and had a cold heart, for instance, “It is doomed to wander through the world…”, “ages of incessant labour by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass eternity…” and “…dark master!” This creates the impression that Scrooge was going to hell in stave one because he was stingy, cruel and uncharitable.
Dickens teaches a social lesson to us, near the end of the book, so we remember it. He tells us not to worry if people laugh at the sudden change in you as long as you are doing good deeds that is all that matters, for instance, “Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh… His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.” This puts emphasis on Scrooge’s reformation and confirms that Scrooge has changed for the better and for good.
A Christmas Carol is an inverted tragedy, since it has five staves similar to the five acts of a Shakespeare play; but Scrooge begins a cold-hearted, cruel, spiteful and uncharitable and ends a loving, caring generous man with a stronger, warmer heart, especially to the poor and needy.
Through the character of Scrooge, Dickens hoped to change the views of society by showing the rich people, who would have read the book that they were Scrooge (not sharing their wealth; being grumpy and cold-hearted). It reflects that money does not lead to happiness, but living a high-quality Christian, moral life does.
As the book continues on, Scrooge becomes more and more enthusiastic to learn his moral lessons, for example: “As I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was…” This shows his eagerness to gain knowledge of his moral and social lessons and his acceptance of his faults.
Christianity was a vast issue in the 1840’s, and the idea of burning in hell would have made a lot of people change their miserable, tight-fisted ways. This Christian theme is set throughout the book and if you repent your ways you will be saved (go to heaven).
Dickens uses Christmas because it is an occasion when generosity, exuberance and affection should be in our hearts as a time to convey this message of charity.
By
Jai Mistry 10 ATW