The 3 central staves correspond to times in scrooge’s life, his past, his present and his future to the other people who have been affected by scrooge’s unkindness.
Dickens uses many complex sentence structures, subordinate clauses and lists. E.g. when scrooge replies to his nephew Fred, “What’s Christmas time to you, but a time for paying bills, a time for finding yourself a year older but not an hour richer. A time for balancing you books and having every item in them through a round dozen of months presented dead against you.”
There are many characters in the Christmas carol but the story is mainly based on just a few. Scrooge, the main character on which the story is based, is a mean old man who despises charity and anything that involves him doing something for others. We also know that scrooge disregards the poor, when he says to the charity collectors that the poor people should go to the boarding houses then when then charity workers tell him that some would rather die than go there he says hey should go and do it then.
The other characters are both natural and supernatural- marley's ghost, Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future. Marley’s ghost introduces the possibility of a supernatural world, a world beyond scrooge’s physical senses and material values to him. He advises scrooge of the significance of the ghostly visitors. Each of the following spirits alerts scrooge to his failures and their consequences. They show scrooge the error of his ways and sometimes play devils advocate.
The remaining characters populate scrooges world and give the reader a cross section of Victorian society: the poor, honest, respectable workers who depend upon scrooge the employer-the cratchits. They have a large family and an invalid son to support on scrooge’s poor wages. Scrooge’s nephew Fred and his wife represent the prosperous, liberal middle class. Both Fred and the cratchit’s, who have less money than scrooge, wish him well and attempt to communicate with him. Tiny Tim might symbolise the poor in society, the victims of Victorian capitalism who rely upon charity in the absence of state charity. There are interesting styrotypes; the businessmen who do not grieve at scrooge’s death: the laundress, charwoman an undertaker’s assistant who scavenge scrooge’s dead body in order to supplement their incomes.
The plot of the story goes as follows. Right from the start it is made clear that scrooge’s partner Marley is dead. Scrooge then goes several years without changing a single thing in the business. He and his only worker bob Cratchit work alone in the small dark office. Then one Christmas Eve two charity workers call round to ask him to make a donation. This is when we find out that scrooge despises charity. Later that day his nephew Fred comes to invite him round for Christmas dinner, an invite that is turned down by scrooge. That night when he gets home the ghost of his dead partener marley visits him. He tells scrooge that he must change his ways or he will end up like him not being able to allow his spirit to rest. But being force to “wear to chain he created in life.” Marley tells him that he is to be visited by three spirits over the next three nights. These spirits would show him the error of his ways. The first spirit is Christmas past. This spirit shows him his past again. The things he enjoyed as a young boy and his desisons he made that affected his current life. The next spirit is Christmas present. He shows scrooge what is currently happening in the people close to him and shows him what he is missing out on. The final spirit is Christmas future. He shows scrooge what will happen in his future if he doesn’t change his ways and that he will die a lonely old man. Scrooge then accepts the advice given by the spirits and generally becomes the ideal human often giving to charity and folks worse off than him.
The first stave in the novello is when his former partner Marley visits scrooge. Right form the very beginning it is made clear Marley is dead. The first words on page one are “Marley was dead to begin with” “Scrooge new he was dead” as he signed for the register of his death. So when Marley appears to him his being there traumatizes him. Marley warns scrooge of the spiritual after life. He explains that man must share his humanity with others if he is not t be condemned to an after life. “It is required by every man… that the spirit within him should walk abroad.” Scrooge also observes that Marley is “fettered” Marley explains “these are these the chains I forged in life… I made it link by link, yard by yard of my own free will and of my own free will I wear it.” Marley then informs scrooge of what his afterlife will be like if he doesn’t change his ways “the weight and length of the chain you bare.” Marley then tells scrooge that he will be visit by three spirits, which will show him the error of his ways.
Stave two tells the arrival of the first spirit the ghost of Christmas pass. This spirit, “a strange figure, like child like, old man viewed though some supernatural substance”, shows scrooge his most enjoyable moments of his past. One place which scrooge is taken is taken is his old work place, to Fezziwigs Christmas party. While there the spirit says “a small make to these silly folk so full of gratitude.” The spirit playing devils advocate by criticises Fessiwig causes scrooge to defend him “he has the power to flauntier” the spirit also shows him women which he once loved like his sister and a girl he once loved as a young boy.
Stave three shows the next spirit, the ghost of Christmas present. This spirit, a large jolly old fellow, shows scrooge the true meaning of Christmas. First scrooge is taken to the cratchits house where he is shown how much such a large family appreciate so little. He has enough money to buy what ever he wants but then he realises that the simple things to him are luxuries to then that they can’t even really afford at Christmas, The joy on the faces of the children when they see that they are getting a pudding after dinner. He even is surprised to find that they are grateful to scrooge for putting the meal on the table even though scrooge knows that he is under paying Bob Cratchit. The spirit then takes scrooge to his nephew Fred’s home where he was having a Christmas party. Scrooge sees on the fun, which he is missing out on. The games and dancing which scrooge turns down as his despises sharing his fortune.
Stave four shows the arrival of the final spirit, the ghost of Christmas future. This spirit, a ghostly figure dressed in black gown, takes scrooge to see his current future if he doesn’t change his ways. The spirit takes him to see his self in the future lay in bed. This is where scrooge comforts his own dead body without realising that he is dead. “Avarice, hard-dealing, griping cares? They have brought to a rich end truly.”
“This is a fearful place… In leaving it, I shall not leave its lesson, trust me and let me go!” scrooge finally realises what his dead body means: he loves his nerve and begs the spirit to let him go. The ghost insists, by pointing a finger that scrooge should lift the sheet to see the body scrooge responds “I understand you… and I would do it if I could. But I have not the power, spirit. I have not the power…” meaning that scrooge cannot bring him self to lift the sheet because it would mean coming to terms with his own death. Scrooge wants to kwon if anyone grieved for him “is there any person in the town who feels emotion cursed by this mans death, show me and that person spirit.” The spirit shows people who grieved for scrooge: ironically it is his debtors. When scrooge has died. They have lingered to pay off the debt. Scrooge is then taken to the churchyard to a churchyard: scrooge still needs to know the identity of the dead man but has lung suspected that it is himself. Scrooge is shown a tombstone and a new grave. Scrooge remarks ironically that the graveyard is a “worthy place” full of worthless dead bodies costumed by worms. “He advanced towards it trembling” he confronts the truth. Scrooge suddenly under stands the phantom:” he saw new meaning in its solemn shape…” scrooge seems to understand that he can change his future. “ Tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone…” scrooge is asking the spirit for a chance to avoid death. Scrooge is completely transformed “I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, present and future. The spirits all three shall strive within me. I will not shirk the lessons they teach.” The ghost fades away.
Stave five is the final stave in the novello. It is when scrooge realises that he can alter his ways. “The time before him was his own, to make amends in…” scrooge now seeks not to be a good businessman but to be a good man. “Glowing with his good intentions… sobbing violently…” yet even though scrooge has changed his way of life completely for the benefit of others. He is still happy with the new life he leads. “I am as a feather… I am as happy as an angel; I am as merry as a schoolboy… I am as giddy as a drunken man.” After scrooges complete change, the church bells ring out to celebrate Christmas morning and scrooge’s rebirth was on the birthday of Christ. Scrooge is completely changed: well-dressed and wearing a “delighted smile.” Scrooge rejoices in humanity: he enjoys the company of people and attending church. Now Scrooge visits Fred and accepts his invitation to Christmas lunch. Scrooge tells Bob Cratchit that he will raise his salary. Scrooge will become a “second farther” to tiny Tim. The transformation is complete. Scrooge has be come “ as good a friend, as good a master, as good a man as the good old city knew…”
