Comparing A Christmas Carol And Dante's Inferno

A cold chill runs down your spine as you walk through the mountain passes. This odd feeling causes you stop for a moment to rest and look around. You see nothing out of the ordinary so you continue on with your journey. Once again this chill hits you and the hair on your stands up and goosebumps pop up over your body. This time you stop and see a hazy figure standing behind you. The figure looks at you and says that it has a journey planned for you. This parallels what the main characters would have felt in A Christmas Carol and Dante’s Inferno. The main characters set out on a journey and many main points in these stories to each other. The main points shared between A Christmas Carol and Dante’s Inferno abide by the supernatural elements, the implications of choices, and compassion.

The first element, and probably the most evident, that both stories use the supernatural.

In A Christmas Carol the supernatural demonstrates a punishment toward a few people that stand out as dishonorable people. Dickens mentions “Every one of them wore chains like Marley’s Ghost” (Dickens Stave One). This shows that Dickens has chose to punish these sinners by forcing them to drag chains around in the afterlife. This punishment of sinners parallels much of what occurs in Dante’s Inferno. Dantes writes “THROUGH ME THE WAY INTO THE SUFFERING CITY, THROUGH ME THE WAY TO THE ETERNAL PAIN.” (Canto 3, Dante). This hung on a sign above the entrance of hell, showing that all sinners receive punishment and made to suffer. A main difference in these two stories represents how the spirits take in their treatment. In inferno the spirits receive punishment in different ways depending on what sins they committed. In A Christmas Carol all the spirits have the same punishment and many of them carry the guilt of the same sin, showing that Dante condemns more people than Dickens. Many of the spirits represent the implications of

choices.
A second point that these two stories shows of the implications of choices. In A Christmas Carol Dickens provides an example of the this point by saying “”I wear the chain forged in I forged in life,” replied the Ghost. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”” (Dickens Stave 1). This really an outstanding quote because the ghost shows that he forged his chains through his choices and that know one can take the blame for his punishment beside himself. In Inferno people also feel the implications of their choices in life. “I learned that those who undergo this torment are damned because they sinned within the flesh” (Dante, Canto 5). This portrays that since these people sinned in the real world they now face eternal punishment in the afterlife. The main difference in this point shows the religious affiliation. Dickens chose the people to receive punishment based on their behavior toward others not necessarily their religious actions. Many of Dante’s sinners receive punishment because of their attitude toward god. But many of these sinners offer traits to feel compassionate for.
A final common point between these two stories represent the showing of compassion. In A Christmas Carol the Cratchit's show compassion toward Scrooge even with how bad he treats Bob while he works with Scrooge. During their Christmas toast they say ““I’ll drink his health for your sake and the Day’s,” said Mrs. Cratchit, “not for his. Long life to him! A merry Christmas and a happy new year! He’ll be very merry and very happy, I have no doubt!”” (Dickens, Stave 3). Although a slight element of sarcasm felt in this statement, they obviously mean well for him and do not want anyone to unhappy. This has similarity to the feelings that Dante and Virgil feel toward the sinners. Virgil said in canto four “"The anguish of the people whose place is here below, has touched my face with the compassion you mistake for fear." (Dante, Canto 4). This shows that even though these people have done wrong things in their life, Virgil and Dante still feel bad that they get punished the way they do. The main difference of these two stories when it comes to compassion shows the progress through the story. In Inferno the deeper into hell they go, Dante shows less compassion and more disgust toward the sinners. On the other hand, in A Christmas Carol, the further through time Scrooge goes the more compassion he feels toward his fellow man. In the end Scrooge comes out completely changed and now appreciates everything.
Although the main points shared by these two stories shows the supernatural, the implications of your choices, and compassion, there remains many more similarities and differences throughout the story. Many literary minds even think that Dickens may have read Inferno and could have made a related story. It proves to have no challenge to view the parallels between the two stories. A journey similar to the ones took on by the two characters in these stories would benefit many people in this world, especially those who take the wrong track in life.