This is the typical reaction of many rich misers in London at the time.
I feel that Dickens criticises his society throughout the story. It is a point that he wishes to show to people and get his message across. Dickens uses Scrooge show how mean people were.
‘The owner of one scant nose, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs, stooped down at Scrooges keyhole to regale him with a Christmas carol; but, at the first sound of
“God bless you, merry gentlemen,
May nothing you dismay!”
Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog, and even more congenial frost.’
Dickens needed to structure the language in this way i.e. repetition because Scrooge would not have accepted his bad behaviour if he was told in a straightforward way.
‘”If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “They had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”’ These words are thrown back at Scrooge later, when he meets The Ghost Of Christmas Present.
‘”If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future none other of my race,” returned the Ghost, “will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”’
Scrooge’s reaction to this is one of shock. With his own words, repeated to him about someone who he cares for, he sees how nasty he had been, and was horrified by his own actions.
Charles Dickens chose ghosts to persuade Scrooge into being a good man rather than angels, which would have been much more appropriate for the Christmas atmosphere because of the fascination with telling ghost stories during the Victorian time. This period of history had a lot of gothic novelists writing dark and chilling tales. So, by having ghosts in the story, Dickens is drawing in the reader, and drawing on a fashionable genre.
The three ghosts all have a scary aura surrounding them. The atmosphere transmitted by them terrified the readers.
Each ghost has an element of fear about them. The Ghost Of Christmas Past changes its identity many times. This is scary as the reader is unable to identify the spirit.
‘It was a strange figure-like a child; yet not so like a child as like an old man…’
Being unable to distinguish the spectre from a child or an old man is scary, as we are not sure what this ghost looks like.
‘But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprang a bright clear jet of light, by which all was visible…’
This is another frightening quality of this ghost; it is emitting an eerie light that is not only scary, but contributes to the ghostly atmosphere as in ghost stories, there always seems to be a strange light.
The second ghost, The Ghost Of Christmas Present seems much more jovial than the others. The niceness of this ghost is shown in the description of it.
‘Its dark-brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air.’ However, this is a ghost, and with all ghosts comes something scary. Although not as much as with The Ghost Of Christmas Present, but there are some terrifying qualities of this ghost.
‘It was strange, too, that, while Scrooge remained unaltered in his outward form, the Ghost grew older, clearly older.’ This is scary as right in front of Scrooge this ghost is aging rapidly. In fact, it is aging so much as to its figure changing.
‘”…but I see something strange, and not belonging to itself protruding from your Skirts. Is it a foot or a claw?”’
Scrooge is unable to see what it actually is coming from the ghosts Skirts.
‘From the foldings of its robe it brought two children, wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable.’ This is what I think, the scariest moment so far in the book, when the ghost produces these two children from himself.
‘They were a boy and a girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish, but prostrate, too, in their humility.’ This description of the children is frightening as it describes them as human, but with almost animal qualities about them. The poor were reduced to this state.
The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come is easily the most terrifying of all three spectres. This spirit has the most ghostly atmosphere surrounding it.
‘The phantom, slowly, gravely, silently approached.’ This spirit shows nothing of its true identity, so we get the feeling that something sinister lurks under the robe.
In the description of the ghost, the word ‘gravely’ is used. This can be linked back to Scrooges reaction to Jacob Marley’s ghost and the joke that he makes.
‘“ Because,” said Scrooge, “a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There’s more gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!”’ The reoccurring words show that Scrooge has matured from the silly, selfish behaviour to being receptive of the ghost’s message.
‘It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing visible, save one outstretched hand.’ The phantom never utters a word, it just points to what it wishes to show Scrooge.
‘Still, the Ghost pointed with an unmoved finger to the head.’ This gives us the impression that the Ghost cannot speak, as this does not reveal the spectres identity.
This spirit shows Scrooge many scary scenes, but the final image that it shows Scrooge is the most horrifying of all.
‘Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and, following the finger, read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name, EBENEZER SCROOGE.’
Throughout Scrooge being visited by the ghosts, he has become nicer. However this is the final image that makes Scrooge change completely, the horrific vision of his own grave. There is irony here, as it is a selfish deed that makes Scrooge become kind. When he sees his own grave, he is so afraid of dieing that it makes him change his ways. I think the reason why The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come is so scary, is because it closely resembles Death. The description is nearly the same. ‘He felt it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread.’
Throughout Scrooge being visited by the ghosts, he is gradually turning nicer. But there is always the element of will he change? Won’t he change? This builds tension up and leaves the reader guessing until the final Stave.
Although this story has a very ghostly atmosphere shrouding it, it remains a Christmas story and is filled with warmth and humour throughout every Stave.
The first character we meet who has a great deal if warmth about him is Scrooge’s nephew, Fred.
‘”A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!”’ Fred is the entire opposite to Scrooge; he is kind, loving and jovial.
Scrooge’s sister, Fan, who we meet when Scrooge is a boy, is also full of warmth and kindness.
‘”I have come to bring you home, dear brother!” Said the child, clapping her tiny hands and bending down to laugh.”’
One of the most jovial characters in the book is Fezziwig, Scrooge’s first employer.
‘”Yo ho, my boys!” Said Fezziwig. “No more work tonight. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas Ebenezer…”’ The Fezziwigs are probably one of the happiest couples in the book. This shows Scrooge what he has been missing out on, and to balance out the grimness. This book is a Christmas story, and if it was too grim there would be no readers and therefore Dickens would not get his message around.
However, the moment with the most warmth in it is Stave Five, when Scrooge awakens as a changed man. Scrooge immediately does many kind and happy things.
‘“I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school boy, I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody. A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!”’
Scrooge’s first order of business is to get a present to the Crachitts. ‘” A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they’ve sold the prize turkey that was hanging up there…”’ ‘”I’ll send it to Bob Crachitts.”’ After that, Scrooge visits his nephew.
‘“It’s I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?”’
Finally, Scrooge raises Bob’s salary on Boxing Day, when they return to work. ‘”…and therefore, I am about to raise you salary!”’
The final line in A Christmas Carol, sums up all of the warmth in the story. ‘“And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!”’
A Christmas Carol is a story that balances social critiscm finely with the ghostly atmosphere and the warmth and humour. Dickens manages to get his message across as well as tell the best Christmas story, ever written.