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A Christmas Carol

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES DICKENS

Born to a naval clerk, Dickens moved with his family to Londonat age 10. When his father was briefly imprisoned for debt,Charles worked long days at a warehouse. His experience offinancial hardship and impoverishment greatly influenced thecontent of his stories, and his ambition. He left school at age 15,but read voraciously and acquired extensive knowledgethrough jobs as a law clerk, court reporter, and journalist. As anovelist, Dickens was successful from the start, with thepublication of The Pickwick Papers in 1836, and quickly becamethe most famous writer in Victorian England for hisunforgettable characters, comic ingenuity, and biting socialcritique. He also enjoyed huge popularity in America where hemade several reading tours. He worked tirelessly, producing amagazine Household Words (later All the Year Round) andcranking out still-famous novels including Oliver Twist, BleakHouse, Great Expectations, David Copperfield and A ChristmasCarol. Dickens had ten children with his wife CatherineHogarth, but their marriage was never happy and Catherineleft him after Dickens had an affair with the actress EllenTernan. Dickens died in 1870 and is buried in Poets' Corner ofWestminster Abbey.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The impoverished state of London in Dickens’ lifetime is a biginfluence of the story. The British Government introduced thePoor Law Amendment Act in the year 1834, known as the NewPoor Law, which led to the establishment of workhouses, one ofDickens’ most detested social constructions. Dickens washighly sympathetic to the effects of Industrial Capitalism onchildren especially. The story actually began as an idea for apolitical pamphlet, to draw attention to the plight of the poor.

RELATED LITERARY WORKS

Other works that use Christmas and seasonal spirit to tell theirmoral message include the Middle English classic Sir Gawainand the Green Knight and William Irving’s Sketch Book. Dickensalso wrote several other Christmas-themed novellas includingone called The Chimes, which uses a similar structure of song-like chapters. Many other works by Dickens employ the samethemes and concerns of A Christmas Carol, including Little Dorritand Hard Times. And many well-known writers have been highlyinfluenced by A Christmas Carol’s social commentary includingGeorge Orwell and Thomas Hardy.

KEY FACTS

• Full Title: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story ofChristmas.

• When Written: September to December, 1843

• Where Written: Manchester and London

• When Published: 19 December 1843

• Literary Period: Victorian Era

• Genre: Social Commentary, Ghost Story

• Setting: London

• Climax: Scrooge realizes that he will die alone and unloved ifhe carries on treating people the way he does. The sight ofChristmas Yet to Come awakens his sense of remorse and he isdesperate to change his fate.

• Antagonist: Scrooge is the antagonist of his social circle butthe villain of the story is the immoral qualities that herepresents, meanness and greed.

• Point of View: A third-person, omniscient narrator

EXTRA CREDIT

Dickens’ One Man Show. Dickens was not only famous for hiswritten words, he also gave performances of his stories to ravereviews and standing ovations. He stood behind a reading deskand delivered all the voices of his characters himself.

Piracy Problems. Shortly after its publication, A Christmas Carolwas illegally reproduced by Parley’s Illuminated Library andDickens sued the company. But the Library went bankrupt, andDickens unfortunately had to stump up a small fortune in legalfees.

It is Christmas Eve, seven years since the death of JacobMarley, the business partner and only friend of EbenezerScrooge. Scrooge is in his counting house, keeping a cruelmonopoly on the coal supply and keeping his clerk Bob Cratchitin the cold. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, makes a visit, but hisincessant seasonal merriness aggravates Scrooge, and he says“Humbug!” to Fred’s idea that he spend Christmas dinner atFred's house. The next visit is from two gentlemen collectingfor the poor, but Scrooge believes in keeping the poor in theworkhouses and sends them away.

When Scrooge arrives home, he is greeted by a series of spookyapparitions. First, his door knocker turns into Jacob Marley’sface. Scrooge refuses to believe his senses and hurries upstairs.But he is visited again, this time by the full-length spirit of

INTRINTROO

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Marley, bound in a huge, clanking chain. Marley’s ghost tellsScrooge that he has been wandering the earth trying to undothe wrongs that he neglected in his lifetime. He warns thatScrooge is headed for the same fate, an even worse oneconsidering his horrible spirit. Marley tells Scrooge that he willbe visited by three spirits on the next three nights. Marley thendisappears, and Scrooge falls into a deep sleep.

When Scrooge wakes up, it is still dark, as if no time has passed.He is greeted by the first spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Past, acandle-like apparition that is brightly glowing and remindsScrooge of youth and age at the same time. He flies Scroogethrough the window and they pass over the scenes of Scrooge’syouth, firstly witnessing his lonely days in the schoolroom untilhis sister Fan comes to bring him home. Then, they see Scroogeas an apprentice with the Fezziwigs – it is a joyous time ofparties and music. Then, Scrooge sees the moment that hisfiancée Belle broke off their engagement because of Scrooge’ssingle-minded focus on making money. Scrooge is upset by thisvision. The spirit is extinguished and Scrooge falls asleep.

The next time Scrooge wakes, there is a warm light coming intothe room and he finds the Ghost of Christmas Present, a gentlegiant in a fur robe, sitting atop a feast of Christmas food. Thisspirit takes Scrooge through the town, invisibly visiting themerry townspeople and sprinkling the spirit’s magic incense ontheir dinners to make them filled with joy. They visit BobCratchit’s house, where Bob’s large, hard-working family arehappily preparing for Christmas. Bob brings his crippled sonTiny Tim home and tells his wife that the poor lad is doingbetter. Tim’s bravery touches Scrooge, but the spirit cannotpromise Scrooge that Tim will be alive much longer. Then, theygo to Scrooge’s nephew’s house and watch the party sing andplay games, often making fun of Uncle Scrooge. Scrooge startshaving fun invisibly playing along with the games but the spirit’stime is running out. He reveals two impoverished childrensheltering under his robe, called Ignorance and Want and tellsScrooge to beware of Ignorance most of all.

The next night, the third and final spirit comes towardsScrooge, enrobed in a black cloak, so that all Scrooge can see ishis eerily pointing bony hand. Scrooge is terrified but eager tolearn the lessons of this ghost. He is led to the trading district,where businessmen are casually discussing the death of amiserly man. Then they witness a group of scavengers, tradingin the dead man’s possessions for money. Scrooge istransported to a dark room, where he sees the corpse itself,covered with a cloth. He begs to see some tender emotions ortears shed for this man’s death, but all the ghost can show himis a family who are relieved at his death because it lifts theirdebt, and the house of Bob Cratchit, which is overcome withgrief at the loss of poor Tiny Tim. Lastly, the spirit pointsScrooge to a grave in a churchyard—the grave of themysterious dead man—and Scrooge sees his own nameengraved. He is beside himself with fear and sadness, and

desperately promises the spirit that he will keep Christmas inhis heart from now on. But the spirit vanishes, leaving Scroogein tears.

Scrooge wakes up and is overjoyed that he has the chance tochange the future. He laughs and shakes uncontrollably, and,upon discovering that it is Christmas morning, he joyfully sendsa prize turkey to Bob Cratchit’s house. He says MerryChristmas to everyone he meets on the street, and goes to hisnephew’s to celebrate and play games. The next day he givesCratchit a raise, and over the ensuing years helps ensure thatTiny Tim not only survives but thrives and becomes known forhis Christmas spirit.

Ebenezer ScroogeEbenezer Scrooge – The quintessential miser, he is cruel-hearted, underpays his clerk Bob Cratchit, and says “Humbug!”to the Christmas festivities that bring joy to everyone aroundhim. But when he is visited by the ghost of his old partner JacobMarley, he begins to see the error of his ways. Scrooge isshown his own past, and the sight of his neglected childhoodChristmasses begins to explain why he began his downwardspiral into misery. Scrooge is scared and regretful when he seesthe vivid images of the Christmas Yet to Come, whichpredictably leaves him dying alone. His reversal, from the anti-Christmas figure to the spirit of Christmas shows clearly themessage of hope and forgiveness Dickens intended for hisreaders.

The Ghost of Christmas PThe Ghost of Christmas Pastast – A strange combination of youngand old, he has the innocence of an infant, but is seen as ifthrough a veil of time, as if he is very elderly. He wears whiterobes and glows bright like a candle. At the end of his tour withScrooge, this light is extinguished with a cap, making it clearthat he is "reborn" and dies again every Christmas. He showsScrooge the scenes of Christmas past.

The Ghost of Christmas PresentThe Ghost of Christmas Present – A portly, jovial gentleman.When Scrooge sees him, he is surrounded by a warm glow, andfeast-like piles of foods. He carries a cornucopia, a kind of hornwith special powers to bestow seasonal joy on the most needytownsfolk.

The Ghost of Christmas YThe Ghost of Christmas Yet to Comeet to Come – The most ominous ofall the spirits, he is a robed, silent figure and Scrooge fears hismessage most of all. The spirit points his bony hand towardsthe visions he has in store, and eventually leads Scrooge to hisown lonely grave stone, a prediction of his fate if his lifestyleremains the same. This spirit seals the moral lesson of the story.

Bob CrBob Cratchitatchit – Scrooge’s loyal clerk, he is very poorly treatedby his boss and his large family live in cold and poverty. Theeldest children work hard and Bob is always looking to findthem better situations. His youngest son, Tiny Tim, is the lightof Bob's life but is very ill and needs medical attention that Bob

CHARACHARACTERSCTERS



can't afford. Bob is a prime example of the virtues of Christmasand provides the antidote to Scrooge. He is also a symbol offorgiveness – he toasts to Scrooge, despite his horrible workconditions, and in the face of Scrooge’s eventual remorse, isopen and accepting rather than bitter.

TinTiny Timy Tim – The crippled son of Bob Cratchit, he can be seensitting on his father’s shoulder or struggling along with hiscrutch. But far from being a symbol of suffering, Tim is themerriest, bravest character of all, always reminding others ofthe spirit of Christmas. The thought of Tiny Tim’s death, and itsconfirmation in the vision of the Ghost of Christmas Yet toCome, fills Scrooge with regret.

FFred Scroogered Scrooge – Scrooge’s nephew, a jolly fellow who lovesChristmas and never gives up trying to share his merrimentwith his uncle, though he is also able to laugh at Scrooge'sunrelenting miserliness. When Scrooge does repent, Fredaccepts him immediately. He has an infectious, musical laugh.

Jacob MarleJacob Marleyy – Scrooge’s former business partner. Despite notbeing particularly missed by Scrooge, he was nevertheless themiser’s only friend, and is the figure that haunts and protectshim by appearing in place of Scrooge's door knocker andintroducing the three Christmas ghosts. He makes manifestthe horror of regret with his burdensome chain and describeshow he is doomed to wander the earth for eternity, a fate thatScrooge too will face unless he changes his ways.

BelleBelle – Scrooge’s young love, who breaks off their engagementbecause of his altered values—when they met, he was happy tobe poor and in love, but money fuels his thoughts now.

FanFan – Scrooge’s sister and Fred's mother. She is deceased atthe time of the story, but in the vision of the Ghost ofChristmas Past she comes to visit Scrooge in the desertedschoolroom when he is a boy and brings him the happy newsthat she is taking him home. She is a symbol of the lovingkindness of Christmas time and her relationship to Scroogehasn’t always been a miser.

In LitCharts each theme gets its own color and number. Ourcolor-coded theme boxes make it easy to track where thethemes occur throughout the work. If you don't have a colorprinter, use the numbers instead.

1 PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE – THE THREAT OFTIME

Three ghosts appear to Scrooge to show him how he is livingsinfully and what the consequences will be if he doesn’t chooseto live a better life. The three-part ghost story shows thereader a clear path – sins in Scrooge’s past leading to hispresent misery and the continuation of that sin leading in the

future to death, symbolized by the hooded figure. Each ghostshows Scrooge a vision of life gone wrong, set in achronological path to destruction. At the same time, the ghosts’appearance threaten ultimately the absence of time, what willhappen after Scrooge’s death if he continues down this path:the purgatory of endlessly wandering the earth that Marley’sghost warned him was his fate.

Time in the story is distinguished by several motifs. First, bellstolling and chiming fit into the story’s song-like structure andalso recur at key moments, reminding Scrooge of the time andof time passing. Second the chains that Marley shakes atScrooge to scare him are a visual reminder of the endlessprison sentence of purgatory awaiting Scrooge in the afterlife.

Time in the story is also threatening because of the changes itspassing will enact in traditional society. Tradition is importantfor all of these characters – be it Scrooge with his obsessivemoney counting and nightly rituals or Cratchit with his love ofChristmas – and the changing of the city during these industrialtimes threatens to break down all of these traditions throughits transformation of economic conditions and the grindingpoverty it inflicts.

2 FAMILY

The entrance of Scrooge’s nephew Fred at the beginning of thestory introduces another side to the miser. Scrooge is notunfortunate in the way of relatives – he has a family awaitinghis presence, asking him to dinner, wanting to celebrate theseason with him, yet he refuses. This is one of the importantmoral moments in the story that helps predict Scrooge’scoming downfall. It shows how Scrooge makes choices toprolong his own misery. He chooses to live alone and indarkness while even poor Cratchit is rich in family. Scrooge’sdistaste for Fred’s happiness is not just annoyance at the sightof merriness and excess, it is also motivated by bitternesstowards marriage based on Scrooge’s own lost love Belle, wholeft him long ago.

In the story, cold and loneliness are set up in opposition to thewarmth of family. Symbols of coldness such as Scrooge’s emptyhearth, refusal to provide heat for Cratchit, and keeping hisown house dark to save money show Scrooge’s cruelty and lackof connection. But family provides the antidote to this coldness.When Fred enters, the counting house suddenly warms up.Further, Cratchit’s warmth, despite his lack of coal, and thetogetherness and energy of his large family, show him to be oneof the most fortunate men in the story.

Scrooge does have a kind of family in his partner Marley, who isdescribed at the beginning of the novella as fulfilling many rolesfor Scrooge before his death. The inseparability of their namesabove the firm’s entrance shows how close they are—at least inbusiness terms—and though they are bachelors they sharetheir lives, and the suite of rooms is passed down like a family

THEMESTHEMES



legacy from Marley to Scrooge. Ultimately, from Marley’swarning and the visions provided by the ghosts, Scrooge doeslearn to appreciate and connect with Fred and the rest of hisfamily, and to even extend that family to include the Cratchits.

3 GREED, GENEROSITY AND FORGIVENESS

Scrooge is a caricature of a miser, greedy and mean in everyway. He spends all day in his counting house looking after hismoney but is so cheap that he keeps his house in darkness, hisfire small and allows no extravagance even on Christmas day.But we soon learn that he is the most impoverished character –he is lacking love, warmth and the spirit of Christmas, all ofwhich make lives like Bob Cratchit’s so worth living despitetheir hardships.

The story’s structure and Scrooge’s character development areengineered so that as Scrooge becomes aware of his ownpoverty and learns to forgive and listen to his buriedconscience, he is able to see virtue and goodness in the othercharacters and rediscovers his own generosity – he evenbecomes a symbol of Christmas in the final stave.

Scrooge is remedied in the novella by the Christmas-consciouscharacters that surround him, including his own nephew andBob Cratchit and his family, who show Scrooge in the Ghost ofChristmas Present’s tour the true meaning of goodness. All ofthe generous characters in the story are financiallydowntrodden but succeed in being good and happy despitetheir lot, whereas Scrooge needs to go through a traumaticawakening in order to find happiness. But the virtue that reallyensures Scrooge’s transformation is forgiveness – it is this keyof Christian morality that saves him when the characters thathe has always put down—Fred, Bob Cratchit—welcome himinto their homes when he undergoes his transformation, givingDickens’ tale the shape of a true religious redemption.

4 CHRISTMAS AND TRADITION

A Christmas Carol was published as a Christmas story, and takesthe form of a Christian morality tale containing a moral lessonthat the highly religious and traditional English population ofDickens’ time would enjoy. Its structure, with five “staves”instead of chapters, is a metaphor for a simple song, with abeginning, middle and end. Dickens uses the idea of singing toconnect the story to the joyful Christian traditions of theseason, such as caroling, while at the same filling it with moreserious, politically-minded themes.

This theme has two aspects: Firstly, the festive, jolly Christmasatmosphere flourishes in the streets surrounding Scrooge’scompany office, and the ethos of the nativity story is embodiedin characters like Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and Scrooge’snephew – these characters are examples of goodness andcharity, and show Scrooge the way to kindness. The love andstrength of the Cratchit family despite their poverty shows the

reader that the spirit of Christmas can defeat Scrooge’s spiritof misery. At the same time, Dickens uses the seasonal periodaround Christmas to highlight the sort of unfair and crushingpoverty that the Cratchit’s face. The cold, bleak winter weatherexacerbates the terrible privations poor families of the era hadto face, and in presenting the poor in such extremes AChristmas Carol profoundly criticizes the laws, policies, andeconomic system that promote such poverty. In this way, byallowing Dickens to use the harshness of winter to portray theterrible difficulty of the life of the poor, Christmas servedDickens as a vehicle not just for showing Scrooge’stransformation but to appeal to readers’ Christianity as well inan effort to change a society that was organized in some waysthat Dickens saw as being profoundly un-Christian.

5 SOCIAL DISSATISFACTION AND THE POORLAWS

A Christmas Carol has attracted generations of readers with itsclear parable-like structure and compelling ghost story. It’s amoral tale that has proven timeless, but Dickens also wrote thestory with a very present problem in mind, and his structurewas designed to make the real issues of Victorian London standout and provide greater awareness in the reading masses. Forinstance, the two gentlemen that ask for Scrooge’s charity arekindly but unable to inspire Scrooge’s sympathies. In Scrooge’seasy assurance that the poor not only belong in but actuallydeserve to live in the poor house, the story conveys a messageabout the visibility and effectiveness of charity being swampedby common misconceptions that the poor house is a functionalinstitution keeping poor people usefully employed. In fact, thepoor house was an institution that did nothing to help the poor.Rather, it was a terrible place that served primarily to keep thepoor out of view of those who were better off. Scrooge’srepetition of his dismissive phrase “Humbug!” is a symbol of theinsensitivity and ignorance of the middle class looking down onand dismissing the poor.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows us not onlyScrooge’s miserable future but also the future of hiscontemporaries, the traders and bankers that are discussing hisfuneral lunch and not caring at all that he has died. Dickensshows us that meanness is often connected to the pursuit ofwealth. Further, he shows how such meanness is a cycle, almostcatching. Scrooge, then, transforms a larger fate than his ownwhen he discovers charity.

In fact, A Christmas Carol has had a tangible effect on poverty, atleast on a small, individual scale – stories abound of factoryowners and merchants being so affected by readings of AChristmas Carol that they sent their workers gifts and changedharsh conditions.



Symbols appear in red text throughout the Summary andAnalysis sections of this LitChart.

MUSICA Christmas Carol was written as a metaphor for a traditionalChristmas hymn. The title conjures the familiar Christmastradition of singing round the fireplace or through the streetsfrom door to door, a seasonal activity that joins rich and poortogether and echoes the political theme of the story. Manyfeatures of the story also reinforce its musical quality. Thevirtuous characters, Fred Scrooge and his family, the Fezziwigs,and many other unnamed townspeople that Scrooge initiallydespises, all bring music into Scrooge’s life, be it throughlaughter, dancing or the joyful chanting of “Merry Christmas!”.

IMAGES OF AGE AND YOUTHDickens was especially aware of the plight of poor children inthe 19th century, and children appear in the story as symbols ofthe ruined youth of Industrial Capitalism. The youths ofIgnorance and Want are especially clear representations ofthese problems. And Tiny Tim is a lasting symbol of the powerof goodness and generosity to overcome adversity. Puttingthese large themes in the figures of children emphasizes thetragedy of the premature suffering of the Victorian youth,affected by the grinding poverty created by the IndustrialRevolution and England's poverty laws which made being indebt a crime punishable by forcing debtors into workinghouses. The story is also populated with images of age, whichtaunt Scrooge with the idea of the past and of his approachingdeath. The Ghost of Christmas Past is a strange mixture of thetwo, both elderly and childlike.

The color-coded and numbered boxes under each quote belowmake it easy to track the themes related to each quote. Eachcolor and number corresponds to one of the themes explainedin the Themes section of this LitChart.

STAVE 1 QUOTES'Business!' cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. 'Mankindwas my business. The common welfare was my business;charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, mybusiness. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water inthe comprehensive ocean of my business!'

•Speak•Speakerer: Jacob Marley

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Ebenezer Scrooge

•Related themes•Related themes: Past, Present and Future – The Threat ofTime, Family, Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness, SocialDissatisfaction and the Poor Laws

••Theme TTheme Trrackacker codeer code:

11 22 33 55

Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! asqueezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetousold sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel hadever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, andsolitary as an oyster.


•Related themes•Related themes: Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness, SocialDissatisfaction and the Poor Laws


33 55

'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' cried a cheerfulvoice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came uponhim so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of hisapproach.'Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!'

•Speak•Speakerer: Ebenezer Scrooge, Fred Scrooge

•Related themes•Related themes: Family, Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness,Christmas and Tradition


22 33 44

Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Jacob Marley

•Related themes•Related themes: Past, Present and Future – The Threat ofTime, Family


11 22

STAVE 2 QUOTES'The school is not quite deserted,' said the Ghost. 'A solitarychild, neglected by his friends, is left there still.'Scrooge said he knew it. And he sobbed.

•Speak•Speakerer: The Ghost of Christmas Past

SYMBOLSSYMBOLS

QUOQUOTESTES




•Related themes•Related themes: Past, Present and Future – The Threat ofTime, Family, Christmas and Tradition


11 22 44

'Our contract is an old one. It was made when we were bothpoor and content to be so, until, in good season, we couldimprove our worldly fortune by our patient industry. You arechanged. When it was made, you were another man.'

•Speak•Speakerer: Belle


•Related themes•Related themes: Past, Present and Future – The Threat ofTime, Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness


11 33

It was a strange figure-like a child: yet not so like a child as likean old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, whichgave him the appearance of having receded from the view, andbeing diminished to a child's proportions.

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: The Ghost of ChristmasPast

•Related themes•Related themes: Past, Present and Future – The Threat ofTime, Christmas and Tradition


11 44

STAVE 3 QUOTESThe sight of these poor revellers appeared to interest the Spiritvery much, for he stood with Scrooge beside him in a baker'sdoorway, and taking off the covers as their bearers passed,sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch.

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Ebenezer Scrooge, TheGhost of Christmas Present

•Related themes•Related themes: Family, Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness,Christmas and Tradition, Social Dissatisfaction and the PoorLaws


22 33 44 55

In easy state upon this couch, there sat a jolly Giant, glorious tosee, who bore a glowing torch, in shape not unlike Plenty'shorn, and held it up, high up, to shed its light on Scrooge, as hecame peeping round the door.

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Ebenezer Scrooge, TheGhost of Christmas Present



11 44

Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too,that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by MrsCratchit since their marriage. […]Everybody had something tosay about it, but nobody said or thought itwas at all a small pudding for a large family. It would have beenflat heresy to do so.

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Bob Cratchit



22 33 44

'God bless us every one!'

•Speak•Speakerer: Tiny Tim



22 33 44

STAVE 4 QUOTES'If he wanted to keep them after he was dead, a wicked oldscrew,' pursued the woman, 'why wasn't he natural in hislifetime? If he had been, he'd have had somebody to look afterhim when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gaspingout his last there, alone by himself.'


•Related themes•Related themes: Past, Present and Future – The Threat ofTime, Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness, SocialDissatisfaction and the Poor Laws


11 33 55



He recoiled in terror, for the scene had changed, and now healmost touched a bed: a bare, uncurtained bed: on which,beneath a ragged sheet, there lay a something covered up,which, though it was dumb, announced itself in awful language.




11 33

The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When itcame, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very airthrough which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom andmystery.

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Ebenezer Scrooge, TheGhost of Christmas Yet to Come



11 44

'Ghost of the Future!' he exclaimed, 'I fear you more than anyspectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do megood, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, Iam prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankfulheart. Will you not speak to me?'

•Speak•Speakerer: Ebenezer Scrooge

•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: The Ghost of Christmas Yetto Come

•Related themes•Related themes: Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness,Christmas and Tradition


33 44

Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went; and followingthe finger, read upon the stone of the neglected grave his ownname, Ebenezer Scrooge.




11 33

STAVE 5 QUOTES'I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!' Scroogerepeated, as he scrambled out of bed. 'The Spirits of all Threeshall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven, and theChristmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, oldJacob, on my knees!'


•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Jacob Marley

•Related themes•Related themes: Past, Present and Future – The Threat ofTime, Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness, Christmas andTradition


11 33 44

'Now, I'll tell you what, my friend,' said Scrooge, 'I am not goingto stand this sort of thing any longer. And therefore,' hecontinued, leaping from his stool, and giving Bob such a dig inthe waistcoat that he staggered back into the Tank again; 'andtherefore I am about to raise your salary!'


•Mentioned or related char•Mentioned or related charactersacters: Bob Cratchit



22 33 44

He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watchedthe people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head,and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens ofhouses, and up to the windows, and found that everythingcould yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk– that anything – could give him so much happiness.


•Related themes•Related themes: Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness,Christmas and Tradition, Social Dissatisfaction and the PoorLaws


33 44 55

The color-coded and numbered boxes under each row ofSummary and Analysis below make it easy to track the themesthroughout the work. Each color and number corresponds to

SUMMARY AND ANALSUMMARY AND ANALYSISYSIS



one of the themes explained in the Themes section of thisLitChart.

STAVE 1The narrator states that therewas no doubt about Marley’sdeath. Scrooge, Marley’sbusiness partner, signed theregister of his burial. Thenarrator considers that thephrase “dead as a doornail”doesn’t even describe Marley'slifelessness well enough. Headds that Scrooge very muchknew that Marley was dead,having been his partner andonly friend. The narrator addsthat he's focused on this pointbecause it is vital to whatfollows, as the death ofHamlet’s father is vital toHamlet.

The opening establishes not justthe friendship between Marleyand Scrooge but also Scrooge'sfundamental aloneness—it's notjust that they are friends; theyare each other's only friends. Theinsistence on Marley's dead-nessand reference to Hamlet, one ofthe most well-known ghoststories of the time, hints thatMarley is about to be un-deadand in so doing significantlychange Scrooge's life, just as OldHamlet's appearance changedHamlet's.

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Scrooge did not seem to grievemuch (apart from the loss ofbusiness), and got a bargainprice for Marley’s funeral.Since the firm’s name hasalways been Scrooge andMarley, Scrooge has taken toanswering to both names. Thenarrator describes Scrooge as“Hard and sharp as flint.” Hisappearance matches hischaracter, with cold-looking,pointy features. He keeps hisoffice cold, not even heating itat Christmas time.Consequently, everybody whocomes into contact withScrooge avoids him. Even thebeggars in the street are silentwhen he passes. But this isexactly the way Scrooge likesit, says the narrator.

Scrooge is not just a grumpy oldman – he is a “squeezing,wrenching, grasping, scraping,clutching, covetous old sinner”.Dickens fills this first Stave withsuperlative and vividdescriptions of Scrooge’s miserlycharacter and in so doing setshim up for quite atransformation. Already, the poortownsfolk are elevated aboveScrooge in moral standing – he isa caricature of a lonely miser. Hechooses being alone.

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On Christmas Eve, Scrooge isin his counting house. It is afreezing, foggy day and is quitedark even though it’s onlythree o’clock. Scrooge has asmall fire, but his clerk, BobCratchit, who works in a littlecell attached to Scrooge’soffice, barely has a coal towarm him. Scrooge keeps thecoal bucket and will not allowCratchit to take any.

The dark, wintry night, and theapproach of Christmas Day,should provide the conditions forsome seasonal camaraderiebetween Scrooge and his clerk,but Scrooge’s misery wins outover all. His greed is so extremethat he will not even spend themoney to allow Cratchit to bewarm in the office.

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Scrooge’s nephew, Fred,enters the office, wishing amerry Christmas. UnlikeScrooge, he is a picture ofhealth and happiness. Scroogereplies with “Bah! Humbug!”He says he doesn’t understandhow his nephew can be merrywhen he is so poor. Fred wittilyresponds that Scrooge has noright to meanness when he isso rich. Scrooge protests thathe is living in a world of fools,and anyone who wastes theirtime being merry when theyshould be paying their billsshould be “buried with a stakeof holly through his heart”.

Fred is the opposite of Scrooge inappearance and spirit. WhereasScrooge is described as “hard andsharp”, Fred’s features are roundand healthy. Though Fred is poor(though not as poor as Cratchit),his attire is colorful and he isgenerous and sociable with hisChristmas provisions. ButScrooge sees any such humansentiment—anything thatinterferes with the accumulationof money—as foolishness. Notehow Scrooge here condemnssuch fools to death, when overthe next few nights it will be hewho learns that he is condemnedto a terrible death.

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Scrooge tells Fred to leave himalone, that Christmas hasnever done any good. Fredresponds that though it hasn’tbrought him any profit,Christmas has done him good.Apart from its sacred meaning,it is a time for goodness andcharity. Bob Cratchit applaudsfrom his cell and Scroogethreatens to fire him if hemakes another sound.

Scrooge sees "good" as referringsolely to profits. Fred knows this,and counters that "good" meanssomething else entirely. Forcharacters like Fred and BobCratchit, Christmas representsthe Christian ideal of goodnessand moral prosperity, butScrooge is at his most miserlywhen Christmas is mentioned. Aswe will later learn, his bitternessoriginates at Christmas time andhas warped his perspective of it.

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Finally, Fred asks Scrooge if hewill dine with him and his wifefor Christmas dinner. Scroogeobjects to Fred having marriedat all. He especially objects toFred’s reason for marrying:that he fell in love. Scroogerefuses to hear anymore. Hedrowns out Fred’s questionswith an angry “goodafternoon!” Fred leaves kindlyand on his way out wishesCratchit a Merry Christmas.Scrooge mutters that Cratchit,with a wife and family andnothing to live on, can’tpossibly be merry.

Despite Scrooge's ill temper Fredgenerously and authenticallyinvites him over. Scrooge couldhave family, if only he wouldallow himself to. But he does not.In the back and forth aboutmarriage the story drops hintsabout Scrooge’s past that willbecome clear later. Scrooge isespecially disgruntled when Fredmentions his wife, for example.

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Two gentlemen call next,asking Scrooge which one ofthe two partners listed abovethe door he is. Scrooge informsthem that Marley died sevenyears ago this very night. Thetwo gentlemen hope thatScrooge will be as generous totheir cause as Marley was.They say the poor areespecially in need at Christmastime.

Through the two gentlemen, weget a glimpse into Scrooge’s pastas half of the business duoScrooge and Marley. From thisexchange, it sounds like Marleywas at least somewhat generous.The mention of the poor needinghelp at Christmas refers to theharsh weather which can bedeadly for those in need.

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Scrooge inquires about theprisons and workhouses, and,hearing that they still exist,doesn’t see any reason whyanyone should be worriedabout the poor. Thegentlemen reply that theworkhouse hardly encouragesChristian seasonal merriment,and that some would ratherdie than be put there. Scroogeresponds that the poordeserve to die and relieve thesurplus population. Thegentlemen leave and Scroogegoes back to work in evenmore of a temper.

Scrooge represents the ignorantattitude of the wealthy classesthat Dickens despised in his ownsociety. Scrooge sees theworkhouses as a solution to aproblem, and shuts out the ideathat their inhabitants are realfeeling human beings. He is smugand condescending about thepoor, and refuses to listen to thegentlemen’s reasoning. Scrooge'slogic is somewhat consistent—hesees money as being the soleimportant thing in the world, andtherefore sees anyone lackingmoney as being unimportant. Hedoes not see the basic humanvalue in all people.

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As the day passes, the fog andcold become more severe. Theclock tower that looks downon Scrooge’s office chimes.The shops, decorated withseasonal regalia, are strangelybright in the gloom. Meanwhilethe Lord Mayor gives orders tohis servants to enjoyChristmas. The cold deepens.A youth out in the streetcrouches to Scrooge’s keyholeand sings “God bless you,merry gentlemen”. Scrooge,now in a miserable mood,throws a ruler at the door,scaring the poor boy off.

The power of light and music toshine through the winter gloom isa visual way of showing themoral of this story. It suggeststhat even though cruelty seemsto reign, the goodness embodiedby the Christmas message canalways find a way through,through the fog, through thekeyhole. Scrooge, however,aggressively fights it off.

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At closing time, Scrooge turnsto Bob Cratchit and taunts himfor wanting the day off forChristmas day. He doesn’tunderstand why he should paya day’s wages for no work, buthe lets Cratchit leave on thecondition that he will arriveearly on Boxing Day. Scroogegoes to have dinner at hisusual miserable tavern andCratchit performs a Christmaseve tradition of going down aslide twenty times, beforegoing home to his family.Scrooge, meanwhile, goeshome to a suite of gloomyrooms that used to beMarley’s. The narratordescribes the building ascompletely out of place, as if itwas once playing hide and seekand got stuck in its hidingplace. It was dark and desertedand surrounded by a dark yard.

Scrooge and Cratchit both live onroutine. Cratchit, despite hispoverty, celebrates Christmaswith a childlike ritual of slidingdown a hill with the street boys.In contrast, Scrooge’s routine isdeliberately isolated andmiserable. His stash of moneycould afford him a rich, luxuriousChristmas but he avoids thesetraditions. Dickens sets upCratchit and Scrooge as oppositefigures, Cratchit symbolizing joydespite poverty and hardshipand Scrooge symbolizing thegrave-like sobriety of greed.

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Before telling us the incidentwith the door knocker, thenarrator makes a point oftelling us that Scrooge’s doorknocker had always been avery ordinary door knocker,and Scrooge himself a verysomber, sane man. He alsomentions that Scrooge had notbeen thinking about his latepartner Marley. The narratorthen explains what a surprise itis to Scrooge when he looks athis door knocker that nightand beholds Marley’s face. Itisn’t a trick of the shadows buta real ghost in the shape ofScrooge’s old partner, as ifalive but motionless.

In order to make this night standout as a unique milestone inScrooge’s routine existence, thenarrator focuses first onScrooge's sanity and the usualnormality of his world. Thenarrator wants to make it clearthat what is to come are not theimaginings of a tired, eccentricman, but rather the appearanceof real ghosts. It is, in a sense, aChristmas miracle.

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But as Scrooge looks, theghost turns into a knockeragain, and Scrooge hurriesindoors, annoyed by theapparition. He stops briefly tocheck that the back ofMarley’s head is not similarlybehind the door. Againscorning his fear, Scrooge goesupstairs to bed. The narratordescribes the staircase as wideenough for a carriage to passthrough sideways, and thismay explain why Scrooge has avision of a funeral hearseleading him up the stairs. He isnot afraid of the dark, though.In fact, he likes its cheapness.Scrooge checks that his roomsare in order. Everything is as itshould be, everything simplyfurnished and a saucepan ofgruel on the stove.

Just as Scrooge seems unaffectedby the cold and darkness, he alsoshuns his feelings of fear andrefuses to trust his senses or givein to them. No matter how vividthe apparitions become, Scroogeinsists that he knows better.Marley is a figure of both terrorand kindness – it will becomeclear that instead of wantingrevenge on Scrooge, he has cometo protect him. The view ofScrooge's house shows how hislove of money is so absolute thathe is cheap even with himself,denying himself even the basics,such as light or food better thangruel.

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Scrooge bends over his weakfire. The fireplace is adornedwith tiles that illustrate storiesfrom scripture but over all ofthese famous figures comesMarley’s ghostly face again.Scrooge dismisses the visionwith a “Humbug!” but suddenlya bell in the room, which hasbeen out of order for sometime, starts to toll, and isfollowed by the chiming of allthe other bells in the house.After a long minute of thiscacophony, the bells stop andare replaced by a clankingnoise, coming closer andcloser. Scrooge remembershearing ghost stories of spiritsdragging chains. He refuses tobelieve it until the dooractually opens before him andhe sees with his own eyes:“Marley’s ghost!”

Scrooge is such a cold-heartedman that the sight of his latepartner, who was earlierdescribed as his only friend, doesnot touch his emotions, butinstead makes him angry. Byshowing Marley’s face among thefaces of legends and saints fromscripture, Dickens puts him in asaint-like position, showingScrooge the light like a religiousleader. The bells chiming and theclanking of chains create adisturbance that even Scroogecan’t ignore, and forebode boththat Scrooge's time isapproaching and that he himselfwill soon be in similar chains.

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The ghost appears just asScrooge remembers JacobMarley, except that he istotally transparent and carriesa huge chain about him. Buteven as he perceives the verytexture of Marley’s hair andhandkerchief, Scrooge cannotbring himself to believe it. Hedemands to know who theghost is and the ghost answersthat he was Jacob Marleywhen he was living.

Scrooge refuses to believe inMarley, just as he refuses tobelieve in Christmas. Marleyrepresents a kind of family forScrooge, even though they arenot blood-related. Christmas is atime of family, and despite hisscary appearance, we get thefeeling that Marley is here tohelp.

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Scrooge asks Marley to sit. Hewonders, because of histransparency, if he is able to sit,but Marley takes the seat withease and confronts Scroogeabout his disbelief, asking himwhy he doubts his senses.Scrooge responds that he can’ttrust a thing that is affected soeasily, by indigestion forexample. He then makes a jokethat Marley is more “gravy”than “grave”. He feels the“infernal” power of the ghost’seyes on him, and tells the ghostto look at a nearby toothpick,which Scrooge says wouldcause no end of specters ifswallowed.

Marley's questions and Scrooge'sanswers about the senses areimportant. Scrooge doesn't liveby his senses in any aspect of hislife. He cares only about makingmoney, and does not care ornotice if it is cold oruncomfortable, and he takes nointerest in anyone else. Scroogesees the senses as pointless, aseasily fooled or manipulated. Hebelieves solely in money. And yetthe way he denies the truth withjoke-making, shows his fear. Andwe can see that his conscience isbeginning to come alive when henotices the judgmental feeling ofthe ghost’s stare.

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At this, Marley shakes hischain and makes a terrifyingsound. Scrooge admits that hebelieves now but questionswhy a ghost should come topursue him. Marley explainsthat he is destined to walk theearth to change the wrongs hefailed to change in life – thechain represents this self-made trail of regrets. Marleywarns Scrooge that he ismaking a terrible chain forhimself. Scrooge asks forcomfort, but Marley cannotgive any. He says it is not hisjob to bring comfort.

Marley’s ghost is a terrifyingfigure - his huge clanking chainmakes him look like anexaggeration of a typicalVictorian prisoner. Yet we haveheard that Marley was at leastsomewhat generous in hislifetime. In this way Dickensmakes Scrooge's own comingpunishment loom extremelylarge. Marley brings onlywarnings; he cannot himself helpScrooge.

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Marley cannot stay long, withmany journeys ahead of him.Scrooge jokes that he musthave been wandering slowly,having taken seven years toget here, but Marley says hehas travelled incrediblelengths – there is muchremorse in the world. Scroogedoesn’t understand, becauseMarley was a “good man ofbusiness”. Marley is affrontedat this phrase. He saysbusiness is nothing incomparison to the trade ofhuman woes that he deals in.He says it’s even worse atChristmas, seeing all the poorfolks that he did not help whenhe was alive.

Marley's purgatorial afterlife isdescribed as a wasteland ofendless journeying. Part of thelesson that Scrooge must learn isthat life is short but regrets arelong and haunting, and have anaffect even after death. Note alsoMarley's disgust at theconnection of the words "good"and "business", which Scroogealso used earlier in hisconversation with Fred. Marley isnot saying business is inherentlybad, but he is saying that it isterrifically small and narrow incomparison to the rest of life, andcertainly that business success isnot enough to right any wrongsone commits in life.

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Scrooge is now terrified andvows to listen. Marley tellsScrooge that he will soon bevisited by three spirits, and hehas the chance to avoidMarley's fate of purgatory. Butif Scrooge chooses not tolisten to these visitors, there isno hope for him. Marley tellsScrooge that the first spirit willappear at one o’clock thatnight, the next at the sametime the following night andthe third the night after that.Lastly, he implores Scrooge toremember what he has said,and, with his eyes fixed onScrooge, walks backwards asthe window behind him slowlyopens.

Marley really makes things clearfor Scrooge. Though it seemsthreatening, he is offeringScrooge a very tangible way toimprove his fate. The fact thatthere are three spirits and thatthey will arrive at the same timefor the next three nights creates adefinite, easy structure forScrooge, and the story, to follow.

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Then, Marley’s ghost beckonsScrooge over. Scrooge beginsto hear a chorus of wailingsounds, which Marley’s ghostjoins. Then Marley floats outthrough the window. Scroogelooks out and sees the air filledwith chained spirits, includingmany that he recognizes asfigures from his past who hadnot regretted their actions intime. Then somehow thespirits fade and the night is asit was. Scrooge begins to utterhis “Humbug!” but stops andgoes directly to bed.

The narrator sets Scrooge up asthe quintessential sinner, themost miserable man in the wholecity. But alongside this caricatureof Scrooge, through the wailingsof the multitude he also paints apicture of a spirit realm that’s fullto bursting with chained-uprepentors. In other words,Scrooge is not alone; manypeople, while perhaps lessobviously awful than Scrooge,share his sinful failings. In thisway, Dickens universalizes hismessage. This is not just a tale ofone man's redemption; it is a kindof call to arms for all people totake to heart. Scrooge hasalready

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STAVE 2Scrooge awakes and finds hisroom as dark as when he fellasleep at two o’clock. Helistens for the church bell butwhen it comes, it strikestwelve. He must have sleptthrough a whole day and half anight. He doesn’t believe it, butwhen he goes to the window,the street is deserted and darkas nighttime. He is glad of this,because it means that nightand day have not entirelymerged – he fears thedisruption to trade.

Clocks are always striking in AChristmas Carol, emphasizingthe passage of time now thatScrooge knows how little time hehas let to change his ways. YetScrooge's three days of ghostlyvisits also have an oddtimelessness, with Scroogeseeming to sleep from night tonight, perhaps implying the sortof endless purgatory he mightend up in.

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Scrooge goes back to bed andthinks, but the more he thinksthat the episode with Marleywas all in his head, the morethe visions spring up in hismind and convince himotherwise. Then heremembers that Marley’sghost had said one o’clock wasthe hour to expect the firstspirit. Scrooge listens for thechime of the quarters and isrelieved when he hears thesingle note marking the hourand sees no ghost. But herejoices too soon – thecurtains at his window aredrawn by the hand of a strangenew ghost.

Dickens again goes to greatlengths to insist that what ishappening to Scrooge is not adream or anything imagined,that it is real. Scrooge againlistens in agitation to the passingof time and hopes for the best,just as all men must as they faceeventual death.

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This new ghost appears as ifthrough “some supernaturalmedium”, giving his agedfeatures child-like proportions.He has white hair, but smoothskin. He wears a glowing whiterobe, decorated with summerflowers that contrast with theholly branch he carries. Fromthe top of his head a stream oflight shines forth, but thefigure’s robe comes in and outof shadow, makings its limbsseem to dissolve and reappearin many differentcombinations. He carries anextinguisher cap like a candle-snuffer for putting out his ownflame.

This ghost has a beautiful aura,and makes the past seem like ashining beacon compared toScrooge’s dark, cold present.Childhood is connected to lightand nature, but there is alsosomething unnatural about thisghost – his aged, faraway lookand his angelic presence tell ushow distant and different thepast is.

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The ghost introduces itself, in alow, faraway voice, as theGhost of Christmas Past.Scrooge’s past, in particular.Scrooge gets an urge to shyaway from the ghost’s light andbegs him to disappear, but theghost insists that it is Scrooge’sown fault that he is here.Scrooge apologizes foroffending the ghost and askswhat he wants. The ghost sayshe has come to help him.Scrooge can’t help thinkinghe’d rather do without thiskind of help, but the ghosthears his thought and takeshim by the arm.

That Scrooge does not want toface his past suggests that thereis sadness in that past he findspainful, which has the effect ofhumanizing Scrooge a bit .Scrooge tries to avoid this pastby begging or apologizing, but theghost—not in an unfriendlyway—ensures that he cannotavoid what he must see. Scroogemust face his past choices andexperiences and assess what hehas become.

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The ghost of Christmas Pastleads Scrooge to the window.Scrooge tries to resist, thinkinghe will fall out of the window,but the ghost tells him tomerely touch his hand and hewon’t fall. They fly through thewall and are suddenly passingover the scenes of Scrooge’sboyhood. The ghost is wise andmotherly, and Scroogebecomes childlike in his care.He feels like he is surroundedby ghostly “odours”, full ofhopes and memories just likehe is.

The sight of the spirit world, fullof mournful spirits, has alreadybegun to affect Scrooge. Unlikehis frosty, bitter persona, he nowlooks like a vulnerable child,being taken through the air bythis motherly ghost.

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Scrooge recognizes everythinghe sees, and names themembers of a crowd of passingyouths excitedly, but he can tellthat he is invisible to theseapparitions. He can’t explainwhy he is so pleased to heartheir shouts of “MerryChristmas!”, and remembershis own present miserliness.They pass by a deserted,overgrown school room andsee a lonely boy neglected forthe holidays, with a tiny fireand not much to eat. Scroogerecognizes the boy as hisyoung self and cries. Everysensation and detail of thescene softens and saddensScrooge further.

Taking Scrooge to theChristmases of the past unlocksa side of the old miser that heseems to have forgotten. It takeshim back to his younger self, whohad an excitement for Christmasand its traditions. BecauseScrooge has changed so muchand buried his younger self sodeeply, the feeling of excitementseems very foreign to him. At thesame time, note how he "feels"these scenes of the past, how hegives in to sensation andemotion.

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As the boy is reading, a man ina funny costume appearsoutside the window with adonkey loaded with wood.Scrooge recognizes the man asAli Baba. He rejoices toremember all the fictionaladventure characters of hisboyhood, but then catcheshimself and mourns his poorchildhood self again. Thethought of his own lonelinessreminds him of the boy singinga carol he’d sent away from hisown office door the previousnight.

The adult Scrooge sits in hiscounting house day after day,only really interacting withmoney, but when he was a boy,he filled his mind withimaginative fantasies to try toforget his loneliness. As hewatches his young self, all thesefictional characters come back tohim and we witness the joy theyused to bring him.

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The ghost of Christmas Pastbrings forth other visions.Scrooge is now older, alone foranother Christmas holiday, butthis time a young girl comesinto the schoolroom. She isScrooge’s sister, Fan, and sheannounces that she is takinghim home. Home, for good, shesays happily. She says thattheir father is kinder now andhas asked for his son to bebrought home to become aman and never return to theschoolroom. Then a man’svoice is heard booming downthe hall – it is the fierceschoolmaster who shakesScrooge's hand and gives themwine and cake before theirjourney. The ghost remindsScrooge that Fan died as awoman, with one child,Scrooge’s nephew, Fred.

Fan is an important character inScrooge’s past – she representsthe best of youth, innocence andgoodness, and makes Scrooge’schildhood gleam compared to hiscold, dark present. She showsthat Scrooge has experiencedboth neglect and goodness in hisyoung life, both cruelty andgenerosity. Also note thatScrooge's present existence is notso different from that miserableworld of his school—except thatnow, as an adult, he chooses tobe alone.

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They go to another Christmas,where Young Scrooge isapprenticed at a warehouse.He sees his old boss Fezziwig,a fat, jovial man, whomScrooge is very fond of.Fezziwig calls to hisapprentices. Young Scroogeand another apprentice calledDick answer and Fezziwig tellsthem it’s time to shut up shopfor Christmas. The two youngmen hurriedly closed theshutters and clearedeverything away. Thewarehouse is a cozy place,warmed by a large fire.

The Fezziwigs are portrayed asthe perfect happy family, largerthan life, jolly and musical. Byconnecting them to thesensations of warmth and colorand music, Dickens makes themsynonymous with Christmasitself, meaning that they alsorepresent the values of goodnessand generosity that Scrooge haslost.

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Mrs. Fezziwig enters followedby many townsfolk, all kinds ofcouples and friends from thetown, and the place is turnedinto a ballroom and they alldance to the sound of a verydetermined fiddler. Mr. andMrs. Fezziwig take to the floorand are a wonderful dancingpair, with energy and lightnessdefying their ages. After thedancing they see their gueststo the door, and Scrooge andDick go to their beds. Scroogehas been watching this displayin a frenzy of excitement. Theghost of Christmas Pastmakes a comment that it is asmall thing to be so gratefulabout, and Scrooge answersthat the Fezziwigs’ effect onhis happiness was huge. Theghost then notices a change inScrooge’s mood and Scroogesays he wishes he could see hisclerk.

The Fezziwigs’ party has a longdescription in the story, showinghow important it was inScrooge’s young life. The image ofthe Fezziwigs’ ball is a joyful,colorful and musical one, almostoverwhelming in its affect on thesenses. It is working on Scrooge,and we see that he is beginningto think with remorse about theway he has treated his employeeCratchit. Seeing how beautifullyhe was treated by his employershas illuminated his ownwretched behavior toward hisemployee.

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The ghost of Christmas Pastannounces that he is runningout of time and the visionchanges again – now Scroogeis “in the prime of life” next to aweeping girl, who believes shehas been displaced by money,Scrooge’s golden idol. She saysthe hope of being beyondpoverty has taken over all hisother ambitions. She says theywere young, poor, and contentwhen they got engaged. She isgrateful to know his feelings sothat she can release him fromthe engagement. Scroogeclaims he has not asked forrelease, but the girl tells himthat his changed nature hasasked for release withoutwords. She says goodbye andwishes his new self luck in thelife of profit he has chosen.Hearing this conversationtorments Scrooge but theghost has one more vision toimpart.

Again, we see another side ofScrooge. The old miser seemeddedicated to a life of loneliness,but as a young man, Scrooge wasdeeply loved. This is the first signof his personality changing andhis love of money drivinggoodness away. Remember howScrooge got angry when Fredmentioned his wife and howScrooge seemed to disagree withthe idea of marriage altogether.This view has come from hisburied regrets about his fiancéeand the happiness they couldhave enjoyed. Also note howScrooge responded to losing hisfiancée because of his single-minded devotion to money notby changing but instead bydevoting himself even further tomoney alone.

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They are now in a cozy room.The same girl, Belle, now amother, with her daughter anda herd of other children,boisterously running around.The mother and daughterlaugh. Scrooge looks with envyat how the young boys playwith their sister, withoutgetting punished. He wishes hecould have the carelessness ofchildhood, with the wisdomthat he brings to the scenenow.

This is the image of the lifeScrooge has missed out on butcould have had with Belle. Theliveliness of this householdmakes Scrooge’s house, with itsdarkness, single portion of gruel,and simple furnishings, look like ajoyless hovel. He is beginning torealize what he has missed.

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Then there is a knock at thedoor and Belle’s husbandenters with his arms full ofChristmas presents. Happychaos ensues as the childrenaffectionately wrestle thepresents from him and alllaugh until bedtime. Then theman sits down with his wifeand remembers meeting an oldfriend of hers earlier. Belleguesses that it was Mr.Scrooge. Her husband tells herhow he seemed “quite alone inthe world”. At hearing this,Scrooge demands to beremoved from the scene. Hetries to seize the ghost ofChristmas Past. The ghostputs up little resistance so hetakes the extinguisher cap andtries to push it onto the ghost’shead, but he becomes drowsyas he does so and falls asleep.

If the sight of Belle’s family didn’tmake it clear enough to Scroogewhat he missed out on, thearrival of the husband-figure andthe gossip about the old flameScrooge really drives the messagehome. Scrooge’s reaction is toshut it out and try to extinguishthe ghost’s light. This light hasshown him the truth and itdisturbs him – he prefers his olddarkness to this painful light.

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STAVE 3Scrooge wakes up thefollowing night, ready to begreeted by the second spirit.He does not wish to be takenby surprise this time and opensthe curtains. He is preparedfor the ghost to take anyshape. But when the clockstrikes one and he is still alone,he becomes nervous. But soona reddish light appears. At firstthe light scares Scrooge morethan any ghost could have, buthe realizes the obvious, thatthe light must be coming fromelsewhere—and as it turns outit is coming from the adjoiningroom. As he approaches it, hehears the booming voice of thesecond spirit calling for him.

Scrooge, as a man of business, aman who is cold and relies solelyon his mind (not feelings) to beprepared for all businesssituations, tries to be preparedagain. But the ghosts do notfollow a protocol, and whenthings don't go as plannedScrooge becomes nervous.

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The room next-door has beentransformed into a festivecavern, full to the brim withfood and greenery. Amid allthis sits the second spirit, wholifts up a glowing torch asScrooge enters and introduceshimself as the Ghost ofChristmas Present. His eyesare kind, but Scrooge is scaredto look in them. The ghost isdressed in a green robe with awreath of holly round his head– he is the personification ofChristmas.

The Ghost of Christmas Presentis the archetypal FatherChristmas figure. He sits amid afestive scene like a Christmascard, full of plenty. Yet there is akind of sadness in the richness ofthe scene—this is the sort ofamazing feast Scrooge couldafford with his wealth, and yetScrooge chooses darknessinstead.

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The Ghost of ChristmasPresent is surprised thatScrooge has not met a spiritlike him before, because he hasmore than eighteen hundredbrothers. Scrooge apologizes.He tells the ghost that helearned a valuable lesson fromthe previous spirit and to showhim whatever he needs to. Theghost asks Scrooge to touchhis robe. The instant Scroogedoes, they are transported outof the room into the coldChristmas street, where manyneighbors are scraping andshoveling the snow from theirroofs, and talking to each othermerrily, despite the gloomyweather.

The ghost's comment about hisbrothers refers to each of theChristmases that has occurredsince the birth ofChrist—essentially the ghost iscommenting on how Scroogeseems never to have reallyencountered a trueChristmas.Scrooge, meanwhile,has stopped resisting the lessonsof the spirits and now invites thespirit to teach him what hewants. He is polite andapologetic to the spirit and tellshim that the previous spirit’slesson is “working now”, whichsuggests that he is finding somevalue to these visions, eventhough they are painful. Hisdefinition of “profit” is beginningto change.

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The street and shop fronts area glorious display of foods,towering, brightly colored.Smells of figs and spices fill theair. Everybody is rushing aboutbuying things for the seasonand the shopkeepers are toobusy making merry to worryabout getting the right prices.Then the church bells ring andthe flocks of people go off tochurch. As the people pass, theGhost of Christmas Present isentranced by them, andsprinkles incense from historch on their food, which hasa magical effect of making anydisagreements vanish. He tellsScrooge that the incense is aparticular flavor, and is bestgiven to a poor dinner.

This street is the stereotypicalimage of Christmas, full of treatsand spices and happy, musicalvoices. The church bells join inand remind us that Christmas isalso a time for Christianreflection and prayer. Thekindness of the spirit and the wayhe favors the poor with hisincense shows both how strongthe virtues of Christmastime arein the poor population but alsohow those poor are neglected bythe charity of the living.

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They travel on, toward theoutskirts of the city. the Ghostof Christmas Present has amagic ability to fit into anyspace, despite his giant size,and as they enter BobCratchit’s tiny lodgings, this isespecially wondrous. Theghost sprinkles some of hisincense. They see Mrs.Cratchit, in an old dress butmaking it merry with ribbons,and the many Cratchitchildren, all helping to readythe house for Christmasdinner.

The ghost’s special power to fitinto any room symbolizes howChristmas can be found in anysituation—rich or poor, big roomor small. Though Cratchit’smeans are small, he manages tofill his home with the spirit ofChristmas, making it seem largeand glorious, compared toScrooge’s bleak, dark rooms.Compare how Mrs. Cratchitdecorates her old dress withribbons, while Scrooge leaves hishouse bare.

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Martha, a daughter, arriveshome late—she has beenworking and has brought thegoose. Mrs. Cratchit is ecstaticto see her. But just as Marthahas greeted them, they see Mr.Cratchit arrive, carrying theyoungest of their children,Tiny Tim, and Martha goes tohide to surprise him. Shedoesn’t let the joke go on long,seeing her father’s upset face,and comes out to surprise himand is tightly hugged in return.Bob tells his wife, while Tim isbeing shown the pudding byhis siblings, how much bettertheir son’s health is becoming.Bob is tearful when he relatesTim’s wish that passers-byshould see his crippled stateand be reminded of themiracles of Jesus, who helpedthe sick.

It is not just the bread-winningfather that supports this family –the eldest children are expectedto work just as hard. Theexploitation and prematuregrowing-up of Victorian childrenwas a real concern for Dickens,and something he focused on inhis work. Yet, even so, this isclearly a family full of love andjoy. Dickens makes Tiny Timsmaller and more fragile than thetypical child to emphasize thedisparity between his smallmeans and his tremendous spirit.

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Then Tim comes back into theroom and the goose is broughtout. All the trimmings arereadied and placed around it, aprayer is said and then theycarve the bird and are full ofjoy at the lovely smell and howlucky they are. When theyhave eaten every morsel, Mrs.Cratchit goes nervously to getthe pudding. She brings backthe flaming round pudding andthey all agree it is her greatestsuccess yet. Nobody mentionshow small it is.

The Cratchits really appreciatetheir food. Even though it is by nomeans a feast, they all marvel atthe sight of the goose andpudding, and congratulate Mrs.Cratchit as if it were the biggestthey’d ever seen. We can see themoral of the story here, that youcan be happy with nothing, if youare grateful and generous.

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After dinner they have hotdrinks by the fire and toast toChristmas. Tiny Tim sits nextto his father and says heartily,“God bless us every one”.Scrooge eagerly asks the theGhost of Christmas Present ifTim will survive. The spiritresponds that if the future isunaltered, the boy will die. Hecondemns Scrooge, saying thathe is less fit to live than poorchildren like Tim – hecompares Scrooge to an insecton a leaf complaining about hisbrothers in the dust.

Tim really is a symbol of Jesus.Even though he is poor, he showscourage and huge generosity ofspirit – he asks God to blesseverybody, not just him and hisfamily, showing that he is theopposite to the selfish Scrooge.Yet, at the same time, he ispowerless to improve hissituation and will die, becausethose that do have the power tochange his fate, like Scrooge,choose not to do so.

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Just then, Scroogejumps—Bob Cratchit has saidScrooge's name, in a toast.Mrs. Cratchit says she doesn’tunderstand how her husbandcan act so grateful to thatmiser. She says that it's only onChristmas that someone socruel can be toasted. But Bobresponds that he forgiveseverything on Christmas andgently scolds her for talkingnegatively on Christmas day.She drinks the toast for herhusband’s sake, and, after thethought of Scrooge has diedaway, the family is evenmerrier.

Bob Cratchit represents the idealChristmas character. He hasbeen mistreated by Scrooge formany years and has Scrooge toblame for his poverty and hisconstant state of cold, and yet heforgives his master and will notallow anyone to be blamed ortalked badly about on Christmas.

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They talk about employment,and Mr. Cratchit says thatScrooge might have work forPeter, the eldest. MarthaCratchit tells them about herhard work at the milliners,from which she is so tired thatshe might sleep all daytomorrow. Then they listen toTiny Tim sing a song. Andthough they don’t have much,they seem contented, as if theydon’t even need the Ghost ofChristmas Present’s incense.

Dickens shows how the city’spoverty has caused a generationof lost childhoods – Peter andMartha work as hard as theirfather does, but though they’velost their innocence, Christmasmakes them innocent again andmusic soothes their woes.

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As Scrooge and the spiritwander on through the city,they see wonderful sights likethis all over town. So manypeople are on their way to seefamily that Scrooge wonders ifthere is anybody inside at all.The Ghost of ChristmasPresent rejoices in this display.They are suddenly transportedto a far different place, adeserted moor where theminers live—the ghost showsScrooge where they sit besidea fire singing a song with theirwomen and children. Next theghost takes Scrooge evenfurther afield, over the sea,wild and unfriendly, and findstwo men celebratingChristmas in a lighthouse on aremote shore. Then, evenfurther into the wild, they findthe crew of a ship, hummingtogether a Christmas tune.Scrooge is astonished at thekindness he finds in such alonely place.

One of the things that the spiritsare determined to teach Scroogeis the value of knowledge andconscience over ignorance.Scrooge has been living a closed-minded life, only really seeing hisown troubles, but now the scopeof his vision is widened rapidlyand he is able to see theimportance of Christmas spiritand its affect on the world. Inturn he also sees how many poor,honest people surround him.These people are broughttogether by singing Christmassongs—on Christmas peoplealways come together, even inthe loneliest places—makingScrooge stand out as someonewho has chosen to be alone.

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Scrooge is interrupted in hisvision by a hearty laugh. All ofa sudden they are transportedto his nephew’s house. Thereare few things better than agood laugh, says the narrator,and Fred’s is contagious. AsScrooge listens to the party,laughing together, he realizesthat they are laughing at him.They are laughing at his saying“Humbug!” to Christmas.Fred’s wife, who is describedas exceedingly pleasant-looking, thinks he should beashamed of himself. Fred saysthat he doesn’t get anythingfrom his wealth anyway,because he doesn’t do anygood with it. Fred feels sorryfor his Uncle, because he ismissing many pleasantmoments, and he decides tokeep pestering him every yearin the hope that one day, he’llget to him. They all laugh againat this notion.

Fred’s home stands out from thecold and darkness of the winterstreets. Inside, it is warm andfilled with the warm sound oflaughter. This is a foreign soundto Scrooge – it jars and surpriseshim. But all is not lost. This visionshows us that Scrooge doesbelong in the world of goodnessand Christmas excitement. Eventhough Fred’s jokes are atScrooge’s expense, the act ofmaking those jokes still bringsScrooge as a presence into theparty and show that he isconsidered to be part of thefamily, albeit an outside, quitecomical part.

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Scrooge’s niece plays a tuneon the harp that Scroogeremembers fondly. It makeshim feel sentimental, and hethinks that perhaps if he hadheard it more often in hisyoung life, things would haveturned out differently. Then,the family plays games. First, isblind-man’s buff, which one ofthe guests uses as anopportunity to hug again andagain the woman at the partywhom he has a thing for.

Just as the story’s title andstructure mimics a traditionalhymn, this music hides a seriousmessage. It sways Scrooge’semotions and reminds him whatit feels like to be sentimental andnostalgic. In addition to thetransporting effect of the music,the game-playing creates anatmosphere of childhood,transporting Scrooge back tobetter times.

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As Scrooge watches, he joinsin the games, making unheardguesses and contributions. Hebegs the Ghost of ChristmasPresent to let him stay for onemore game. It is called “Yes andNo”. Fred thinks of somethingand the players have to guesswhat it is. After a barrage ofquestions, they find out thatthe thing is an animal, whogrunts and growls. It turns outto be Uncle Scrooge. They alllaugh hysterically, and say atoast to Scrooge for givingthem so much fun.

Scrooge is part of the fun andjoins in excitedly like a child. Itreminds us of the poor young boystuck in the school room withonly his imagination to entertainhim at Christmas time and bringsout the long-hidden sympatheticside of miserable Uncle Scrooge.

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Scrooge has been so enlivenedby the evening that he is verysorry to go, but the spirit tellshim they must journey on, andthey visit many moreChristmas scenes with thesame happy endings, no matterwhat conditions the revelersare in. But as they travel, theGhost of Christmas Present isnoticeably aging. He says hisbrief life will be over atmidnight.

Scrooge has forgotten his grumpyways and has found himselfhappy and excited but he isreminded that this is not thereality, that he has not beenjoining in with Christmas, andthat this happy vision cannotcontinue because time is runningout.

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As the bells chime and timepasses, Scrooge noticessomething strange under theGhost of Christmas Present’srobe. Two children creep out.They are miserable animals, sosick and shriveled that theylook old instead of young.Scrooge asks the spirit if theyare his. The spirit replies thatthey are Man’s. They representIgnorance and Want. He tellsScrooge to beware them both,but mostly the boy, Ignorance.Scrooge asks if there is norefuge for these poor children,but the spirit answers withScrooge’s own words, “Arethere no workhouses?” As thebell strikes midnight, the ghostdisappears and Scrooge seesanother ghost coming towardshim, a “solemn Phantom."

This image is probably the mostsymbolic and dramatic of thewhole story. The vices ofignorance and want arepersonified by these twocowering children. The childrenare poor and ragged, showinghow the vice that Scrooge hasindulged in—Ignorance-- has areal effect on the children in theworkhouses and on the streets.

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STAVE 4The last ghost approaches, butis shrouded in a black garmentso that all Scrooge can see of itis an outstretched hand and amass of black. This figure fillshim with greater dread thanthe other ghosts. It does notspeak to him and beckonsmysteriously with its hand.Scrooge guesses aloud that itis the Ghost of Christmas Yetto Come and the ghost replieswith a slight movement of itshead. Though he fears theghost, Scrooge urges itdesperately to show him whatit has for him.

The spirits have so far been quitebenevolent – glowing, ruddy,childlike and gentle, they haveguided Scrooge through theirvisions firmly but somewhatsympathetically. But this lastspirit brings the moral lessonhome. Reminiscent of the GrimReaper, he shows Scrooge thatthe unknown, unseen fate thathe is heading for is reallysomething to fear deeply.

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Scrooge follows the Ghost ofChristmas Yet to Come andsuddenly they are in the midstof a street, busy with trade.Scrooge stops by a group ofbusinessmen and hears themgossip about the long-awaiteddeath of one of theircontemporaries, whom theysay is bound to have a cheapfuneral. One gentlemancomments that he will only goto the funeral if lunch isprovided.

Christmas Yet to Come is a sad,immoral place, full of people whohave the same miserly values asScrooge has shown in hislife—they don't care about theman who has died; they care onlyabout they can profit from it. Andthat they think this way says agreat deal about the dead man,as well, of course.

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Scrooge looks questioningly tothe Ghost of Christmas Yet toCome, but it just moves on toanother group. Scroogerecognizes these men. Thistime the men merely mentionthe death of the mysteriousman, and don’t seem to care atall. Scrooge puzzles throughwhat he has heard. He knowsthat he is hearing thesecomments for a reason, but hecan’t figure out whose deaththey are discussing. He waitsto see himself appear in thevision, as he did in the scenesof Christmas past, but whenthey arrive at the cornerwhere Scrooge usually stands,another man has taken hisplace. Scrooge hopes that thisis because his future self hastaken a new turn in life.

Scrooge has been in such a small,selfish world that he doesn’t evenrealize that these businessmenare talking about him. He isdisturbed by their callous lack ofcare for the dead man, butdoesn’t realize that they areechoing his own cruel phrasesand opinions. This might remindyou of the little child Ignorancethat stepped out from under theGhost of Christmas Present’srobe – Scrooge is, in a sense,protecting himself with hisignorance. But he is also hurtingboth himself and the world.

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Scrooge realizes the Ghost ofChristmas Yet to Come islooking at him again, and feelsa new surge of terror. Theghost leads him to an infamouspart of town, full of misery andcrime. Here, in a grimy rag-and-bone den, they find an oldman trying to keep warm in hismeager lodgings. He is soonjoined by three others and thegroup start to laugh together.The old man, Joe, invites hisfriends into the parlor and thethree men offer to trade himbundles of things they havecome into possession of after arich man’s death. They agreethat it is no sin to take thesethings without permission,since their owner was sounkind in life.

The dead man was wealthy, aman who might of thought ofhimself as commanding respectthroughout the town andespecially over the poor whom heconsidered his inferiors. Yet hereScrooge sees that for all hiswealth the man died alone, withno one to stand up for him, andthat in fact he is afforded norespect at all by even thescavengers and dealers that heused to dismiss.

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The first opens the first bundleand finds a few small items ofnot much worth. Joe totals upthe value for its owner. Thenext woman opens her bundleand reveals some silver andfabrics. The next reveals a pairof bed curtains and blankets,which the woman says sheunwrapped from the deadcorpse. It would have beenwasted, she adds, by wrappinghim in it. Scrooge listens,appalled.

The three bundles that thescavengers produce for Joeincrease in magnitude. The finalbundle has been taken from thecorpse itself, leaving it to beburied like a pauper. But far fromfeeling guilty for this sin, thescavengers laugh uproariously.Christmas spirit is completelyabsent here.

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The room changes, and now indim light, there is a bed and ontop, a body, covered in a sheet.The Ghost of Christmas Yet toCome points ominouslytowards the head but Scroogefinds he can't make himselfremove the cloth. The narratorrecites a lesson aboutdeath—that the good-naturedbody cannot suffer from deathand will instead “sow the worldwith life immortal.” This lessonis what Scrooge hears in hismind when he looks at thebody, and imagines the wickedthoughts that have led him tobeing rich and not good. Heconsiders the awful prospectof dying alone.

Through the story of this deadman, Scrooge finally realizes howhis own lifestyle has set him upfor a fate worse than death.There is a mere thin clothbetween him and the sight of thedead body, and it causes him toremember the moral lesson thathe has been denying for so long.But he is still thinking of himself,feeling sorry for himself, insteadof feeling remorse for his crueltyto others.

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Scrooge assures the Ghost ofChristmas Yet to Come thathe is aware of the lesson he isbeing taught and begs to leave,but the spirit will not rest andseems to be staring at him.Scrooge begs him to show oneperson who is sorry for thisdead man. They are instantlytransported to the home of ayoung family. The husbandcomes home, burdened by badnews, but he says there ishope. He tells his wife that theman they are indebted to isdead. His wife can’t help butbe thankful. They don’t knowwho will take over their debtbut it’s very unlikely that heshould be such an incrediblemiser as the last. The housebecomes a little lighter andhappier for the man’s death.

This vision goes from bad toworse. Scrooge seems to have asense that the fate he iswitnessing is his own—though asof yet he still hides behind aveneer of Ignorance—andbecomes more and moredistraught, but with the spirit’slack of sympathy, there is nothinghe can do but watch as his worstfears regarding the dead man areconfirmed. Even the omnipotentghost is unable to find a singlescene that shows any sadness forthe loss of this man. In fact, theworld seems to be better off forhim being gone

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But Scrooge wishes to seesome scrap of tenderness todim even slightly the terribleimage of the body lying alonein that house. The Ghost ofChristmas Yet to Come takeshim to Bob Cratchit’s house,where the Cratchits areunusually silent, waiting forBob to come home. Mrs.Cratchit is sewing but stopsbecause the color is makingher eyes tired. As Scroogeenters with the spirit he hearsa phrase as if in a dream, “Andhe took a child, and set him inthe midst of them.” Scroogerealizes that Tiny Tim has died.Bob is due home but one of thechildren says he’s been walkingslower recently, and they allagree that he used to go morequickly with Tiny Tim on hisshoulders.

There is a huge differencebetween the body lying alone inthe dark house and the body ofTiny Tim, kissed and adored inthe Cratchit house. The Cratchitshave picked a green, fragrant plotfor the boy, and have promised tovisit him every Sunday. The childis given religious significance, as akind of savior. But the body ofthe miserly man is left alone, in agodless place. At the same time,Cratchit is crushed by Tiny Tim'sdeath, and of course hadsomeone just had some charityTiny Tim wouldn't have had todie.

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At that moment, Bob enters,wrapped in his blanket. Hisfamily help him to tea and hischildren gather around him tocomfort him. Bob is pleasantwith everybody. He has beento see the place where Tim willbe buried – he is pleased tofind it green. He promised Timhe would walk there everySunday. At the thought of hispromise, he breaks down intotears. He goes upstairs to theroom where Tim has been laiddown on a bed. He composeshimself, kisses Tim's little face,then goes downstairs again.

Mr. Cratchit shows bravery andcheerfulness even in the face ofgrief, but the loss of Tiny Timleaves a huge gap in the Cratchithousehold. Tim was the unlikelyleader of the holiday cheer andwithout him, the household has adifferent, solemn atmosphere.Fitting in with the story’s use ofextremes and caricatures tomake its point, it is the purest,kindest, smallest character thatsuffers most.

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Bob then tells his family of thebeautiful kindness ofScrooge’s nephew, whom hemet in the street. Fred noticedthat Bob looked sad and gavehim sincere condolences, andsent his love to his family andgave him his address, so thatthey could be in touch if theyneed anything. Bob thinks hemight even be able to getPeter, the eldest, a job. One ofthe other children says thatPeter will soon leave them andset up with a family of his own.Bob admits that this may be so,but that they will never forgetthis time together, and theirfirst loss, of Tiny Tim, and howvery good he was.

The effect of Tiny Tim’s life andloving nature is far reaching. Ithas left its mark on everybody.Even those who didn’t reallyknow him have positive thoughtsabout him and have been leftbetter off because of him, eventhough he offered nothing but hisgoodness. This shows how thebest things are not affected bymoney or even death, theyoutlast us.

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Scrooge can tell that theGhost of Christmas Yet toCome is about to leave him. Hewants to know finally who thedead man is. The ghost takesScrooge to his office, but theyseem to be passing through it.Scrooge asks to see himselfinside his house, but the spiritpoints in another direction. Hejoins the spirit again at the irongate of a churchyard, awretched, lifeless place.

Scrooge seems to know deepdown that he is the dead manthat has been the subject of thisvision but he clings onto hisignorance until the last moment.

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The Ghost of Christmas Yet toCome keeps pointing, now it isclear that he is directingScrooge to one grave inparticular. Scroogedesperately asks whether thethings the spirit has shown himcan be changed or whetherthey are set in stone, but thespirit only points with moredetermination. Scrooge goesto the gravestone indicated bythe spirit. It is neglected, andScrooge's own name isinscribed on it. Scrooge criesout, knowing that he is thedead man on the bed, aloneand unloved. He gets down onhis knees before the spirit andbegs him to reassure him thatan altered life will produce analtered fate. He vows to honorChristmas and learn all hislessons. He catches the spirit’shand, and squeezes, and thespirit floats down into theground and disappears.

This is the climax of the story–finally, Scrooge is forced todiscard his ignorance and fullyface that the dead man is him.That this story he was seeing wasnot symbolic; it was his life, andhe must now grapple with thecertain understanding that hisgreed has led him inexorably tothe horrible loneliness that hehas witnessed in this vision of thefuture, to a death uncared aboutby anyone. Face with this vision,with this understanding, Scroogebegins to suddenly anddramatically repent.

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STAVE 5Scrooge wakes to find himselfback in bed, in his rooms, hisface wet with tears. He is sograteful to see everything, andto know that he has time aheadof him to make things right. Hejumps out of bed and puts onhis clothes and declares thathe is “happy as an angel.” Helaughs like he hasn’t laughed inyears. He doesn’t even knowhow long he has been asleep orwhat has occurred here, but hefeels like a baby.

Scrooge’s awakening from thisdeep, strange sleep is a momentof enlightenment, a completetransformation, a bit like abaptism or birth itself. Scroogecries like a baby, and is purifiedlike a newly baptized disciple.

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The church bells start chiming.Scrooge runs to the windowand sees a beautifully clear,cold day. He shouts out to ayoung boy on the street whatday it is. The boy replies that itis Christmas Day. Scrooge isecstatic not to have missed it.He asks the boy to go to thenearby shop with the hugeprize turkey in the window andto buy it, and offers him half acrown if he comes back quickly.The grateful boy dashes off. Ashe waits for the turkey, he seeshis door knocker again, andexclaims how thankful he is toit for showing him JacobMarley’s face.

The fog has lifted and thecacophonous sound of the bellsat the arrival of Marley's ghosthas turned into a beautifulchime. Though Scrooge spentthree nights with the Ghosts henonetheless wakes up onChristmas Day, and he isreminded of how wonderfulwaking up on Christmas Day wasas a child. He turns thisknowledge into action, andpasses his joy on, to a poor boy,whose grateful face repays himimmediately. Scrooge is so full ofChristmas spirit that he eventhanks his door knocker!

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The turkey arrives andScrooge delights in sending itto the Cratchit house, payingeveryone handsomely for thejob. He can’t stop chuckling, somuch so that he has troubleshaving and dressing. He goesinto the street and greetseverybody warmly. Some evengreet him back. He meets oneof the gentlemen who hadcome to see him the daybefore and wishes him MerryChristmas. He tells the manthat he knows that his name isnot pleasant to him, but asks tobe forgiven and gives him alarge donation for the poor. Hesays he won't accept the man'ssurprised offer of thanks, butasks the gentleman to comeand visit him.

In Stave One, Marley’s ghostdescribed his awful fate to walkthe earth, enchained, for eternity,and Scrooge’s fate loomed aheadof him. Now, Scrooge has thechance to make amends for allhis bad deeds – one by one heapologizes to the virtuouscharacters he has met andscorned. This structure allowsDickens to show Scrooge’scomplete transformation fromevil to good

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All morning, Scrooge walksthrough the town, greetingand talking to people. Then hegoes to his nephew’s houseand summons up the courageto knock. He is met by thehousekeeper and asks kindlyto come upstairs. He stunseveryone when he arrives andannounces he has come todinner, but they rapidly makehim feel at home, and heenjoys an evening that is justas wonderful as it was in thespirit’s vision.

Here is where the true lesson ofthe story lies. Not only is Scroogeusing his new lease of life tomake amends, he is alsoforgiven by those characterswho had been most personallyaffected by his cruelty. Thetransformation of Scrooge’s lifehinges on forgiveness, which is atthe heart of Christian doctrine.Scrooge was so far down thepath toward damnation, but allhe needs to do is transformhimself, to accept and internalizethe spirit of Christmas, andforgiveness will be given.

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The next day, Scrooge goes tothe office, in the hope ofcatching Bob Cratchit comingin late. Sure enough, Cratchitarrives late, and Scroogepretends to be his old self andgrowls at him. He starts as if topunish Bob, but then shocksCratchit by telling him that heis going to raise his salary. Helaughs with joy and promisesto help Cratchit and his family.

Scrooge now takes pleasure inbeing able to shed his oldcharacter in front of Bob. And,just as the other charactersthroughout the story havelaughed and made jokes, so doesScrooge. Through the years, Bobhas been loyal to him and isfinally rewarded. This scene alsoshows how forgiving and goodBob is.

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The narrator ends by sayingthat Scrooge does all that hepromises, and more. Tiny Timsurvives and thrives. Scroogeis popular with many, and itdoesn't bother him that somestill remember and mistrusthim because he was once suchan old miser. He becomesknown for his Christmas spirit,and the story ends with TinyTim’s words, “God bless us,every one!”

The story’s end reminds us of theforgiveness and tolerance shownby Tiny Tim and learned byScrooge. And Scrooge'stransformation actually savesTiny Tim's life. This the lastingmessage of the story, thatgoodness and its attendantcharity can overcome sufferingand poverty and bad will, bothspiritually and in life.

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HOW THOW TO CITEO CITEIt's easy to cite LitCharts for use in academic papers and reports.

MLA CITMLA CITAATIONTIONParfitt, Georgina. "A Christmas Carol." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 8Nov 2013. Web. 26 Oct 2016.

CHICACHICAGO MANUGO MANUAL CITAL CITAATIONTIONParfitt, Georgina. "A Christmas Carol." LitCharts LLC, November 8,2013. Retrieved October 26, 2016. http://www.litcharts.com/lit/a-christmas-carol.



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