Symbolism In A Christmas Carol There are many examples of symbolism in the book, A Christmas Carol. The book is about a grouchy man named Ebenezer Scrooge. He is mean to pretty much everyone involved in the book until a ghost of his deceased partner, Marley, pays him a visit late at night. The books talks about Marley dragging heavy chains around with him. This is so because he was, as well as Scrooge, a terrible person. He treated people poorly, and in the end paid the price. He came to Scrooge in the dead of night to save him from the same, if not worse,fate. He tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts on three separate nights. The ghosts that came to visit Scrooge were mean’t to teach Scrooge lessons. The first spirit that came …show more content…
to visit was the ghost of christmas past. He was describes to have what appeared to be light coming from his head. This is due to the amount of wisdom he carries. The spirit ordered Scrooge to come with him, and he did so. Together they flew out the window and began visiting some of his earliest memories. They saw a school house, and this arose many deep and overwhelming memories to Scrooge, thus making him weep. Another memories brought to his attention was the one of his fiancee at the time, Belle, breaking off their engagement. Her reason being his obsession with material things. Scrooge’s past was full of heartbreak and sorrow. This is one of the many reasons his heart is cold to people. He is tired of being hurt by the ones he cares most about. The second spirit that came was the Ghost of Present. He had green robes and sat atop a throne of food. The throne symbolizes the greed and gluttony in the world. When Scrooge touched the sprirt’s green robes they were sent to a room of people in the midst of a Christmas celebration. Scrooge recognizes one of his employees, Bob Cratchit. His family was not the wealthiest, and they did the best they could with what they had. One of the members of the Cratchit family was none other than Tiny Tim. He was small and frail, and he carried illnesses that the family could not afford to treat. The family was more than happy with what they had, despite the fact they had so little. Happiness doesn't reside in materialistic things, but rather being surrounded by those one loves and cares about.
Aside from the Crachit household, the spirit takes Scrooge to many various different Christmas gatherings. After visiting the gatherings, the ghost grew older and his time was almost up. Before he went, he showed Scrooge two seemingly starving children who resided underneath the ghosts robes. Their names were Ignorance and Want. This made him uncertain and overwhelmingly uncomfortable. He decided that nothing could be done to save them, suggesting the children be put in prison or a workcamp. The final ghost to show up was The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come This was the darkest, and most defiantly feared ghost of them all. The ghost was more phantom like. It carried a menacing and intimidating appearance. He wore a black hooded robe and approached Scrooge, making him kneel down on his knees without the intention of doing so. The strange ghost takes Scrooge to a series of dark places. He shows him the Crachit family. They were in the midst of grieving over their beloved deceased Tiny Tim. Not being able to pay for his recovery, he didn't make it. Then, the spirit took him to a graveyard. There lay a fresh dug grave with the name Ebenezer Scrooge. This terrified Scrooge. He begged the strange spirit to undo everything, and that he would change for the
better. The phantom’s garment shrank, then vanished. He was returned to his bed. The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come represented the fear everyone has for death. This arises some of Scrooges emotions like empathy and generosity. After the experiences with the ghosts, Scrooge was a changed man. He was ecstatic for a second chance. He is filled with so much joy, he even began shouting “Merry Christmas!” to everyone in the streets. He offered to pay a boy to deliver a Christmas Turkey if he delivered a turkey to the Cratchit’s. He apologized to people he was rude and cold to. Everyone can learn a lesson from this story. Everyone has the potential to change another’s life, good or bad. its up to the person to decide.
After the previous spirit disappeared, Scrooge looks up to find the final spirit, The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The phantom remains silent and simply takes Scrooge toward the city, where they eavesdrop on a few conversations between people. One of them was between two men who were talking about how someone had recently died. They retorted about how nobody liked the man and, consequently, they expected nobody to show up to the funeral. The twain continued to another pair of businessmen who had also heard the news that someone had died, but did not care. Scrooge, oblivious as to who they were talking about, tries to ask the spirit some questions, in which the spirit doesn’t respond. The phantom just drags Scrooge to a nearly abandoned
On Christmas Eve , Scrooge is gone by a progression of ghosts,starting with his old business accomplice, Jacob Marley. The three spirits follow,the Ghosts of Past , Christmas present and Christmas future ,show how his ,mean conduct has influenced everyone around him. Toward the finish of the story ,he is soothed to find that there is still time for him to change and we see him changed into a liberal and kind hearted person.
In the play, Mr. Scrooge is a greedy man who thinks Christmas is “Bah Humbug!” (Dickens 3). His family has always wanted him to join them for a Christmas feast, but Mr. Scrooge has never wanted anything to do with Christmas. Marley, Mr. Scrooge’s old business partner, didn’t want Mr. Scrooge to end up like him with chains of greed attached to him when he died, so he sent Mr. Scrooge three spirits: Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
The first of the Three Spirits is the "Ghost of Christmas Past" which represents Mr. Scrooge’s memory. Memory here serves as a reminder to Mr. Scrooge that he is still emotionally connected to other people, despite his withdrawal. The first memory that sparks Mr. Scrooge’s feelings is the scene from his childhood: the little boy Ebenezer that had to spend the Christmas holidays alone at his school.
The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge the kindness of his former employer Fezziwig. Scrooge realizes how he has been a terrible employer to his own clerk Bob Cratchit. Scrooge denied Cratchit even simple pleasures and showed him no kindness or generosity. Scrooge is later visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present and is shown the effect of his greed on the Cratchits. Scrooge learns that Bob Cratchit has an ill child called Tiny Tim. He is grieved to find out that if the future is not changed then Tiny Tim will die. Scrooge wants to change the future for Tiny Tim, but the Ghost of Christmas Present reminds Scrooge of what he said to the collectors when they came to ask for a donation for the poor, by saying “If he like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.’” (pg. 52). Seeing Tiny Tim makes him realize that he was wrong and that those he might consider to be unnecessary, could very well be like Tiny Tim. Scrooge is later visited by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and finds that Tiny Tim has died. Scrooge regrets having not treated Bob Cratchit better and for having a hand in the death of Tiny Tim. He regrets that his lack of generosity will have resulted in the death of the sweet child and probably others who needed his
During the story, Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts from Christmas past, present, and future, who shows the ill-tempered Scrooge how to be feel compassion towards others human beings. A large quantity of the story revolves around money, and it plays a large role, to contrast how generosity is viewed in society. Scrooge is incredibly wealthy, as he lives a l...
Just like the play, Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in the story. He is a mean, cold-hearted man that has no Christmas spirit whatsoever. All that Scrooge cares about and will ever care about is his wealth until he is taken on a journey. He is lead by 3 ghosts of his past, present, and future as he was in the play. These ghosts show him what Christmas spirit is and try to force it upon him. All of this finally hits him once he is taken to the future and witnesses his own grave. Scrooge pleads for a second chance to change his bad ways. Once he wakes up in his bedroom after all of this craziness, he jumps for joy and makes many new friends while mending with some old friends. He fixes many of his wrongs and lives out the rest of his life as a happier, friendlier, and a generous
The Ghost takes him to the Cratchit's house first. At the house, Scrooge sees a lot. He sees that Tiny Tim is hurt and he wants to know why. The Ghost tells him that Tiny Tim has a disease and that he doesn't have enough to eat so it just gets worst and worst. Scrooge is curious about why Tiny Tim doesn't eat that much. The Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge that because you only give Bob Cratchit 15 shillings he can only provide so much for his family. Scrooge started feeling so guilty because he knows he has the power to give more money to the Cratchits. Mr. Cratchit gives a toast about Scrooge and Mrs. Cratchit got upset because Scrooge has done nothing to help this family. Bob Cratchit defends Scrooge and says that he still believes in Scrooge. Scrooge feels guilty because after all that could and has happened Bob Cratchit still believes in him. The Ghost then takes Scrooge to see his nephew Fred. Everyone in the room with him is saying mean and cruel things about Scrooge and Fred defends him. He stands up for him and shows that he still believes in him. Scrooge feels really guilty because both of these people still believe in him and all he does is treat them
Scrooge began to see what a lovely and good hearted human he used to be. Scrooge could not bare to look at the flashbacks because he became disgraced of himself. Scrooge began to blame the ghost of Christmas past for making him feel so incredibly mortified. Secondly, the ghost of Christmas present and Scrooge set forth to the Cratchit's home. As Scrooge looks in on the Cratchit’s Christmas Eve supper, he realizes how Mrs. Cratchit dis favors him as they are saying grace before the feast. Mrs. Cratchit reddens with anger and none the less wishes he would no longer exist in the village. Finally, the ghost of Christmas future transported Scrooge into the near
Around Christmas they get into the joyful Christmas spirit. Ever since Scrooge surprised everyone with his polite actions, everyone else was touched and was in the spirit. Scrooge has always been about money. He always used candles and never paid his workers the amount they deserved. If there were people who did not have money to eat, they would just have to live without the food until they could pay for it. This story also shows that you do not have to have money to be happy, Scrooge had a lot of money but did not use it in the right way. He paid Bob Cratchit the amount he needed to keep his big family well or he would have quit and found a new job. After all three of the ghost visited Scrooge, he realized how lonely and sad he was so he decided he needed to change and be happy before it was to late, and before he became more alone. When Scrooge woke up on Christmas morning and sent the turkey to Bob Cratchit’s house, he also went to Fred’s house. Fred did not care that his uncle Scrooge has been very negative during the holidays, but he let him come in and did not judge him for who he has been like Scrooge hoped for.
In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Present lifts his robes and reveals two frightful and miserable figures that must been there all along. These figures are unseen by Scrooge and he suspects that they must be children, but, he's not sure. He knows they are children but cannot them as such; he observes only an absence in them of everything he thinks child like: "where graceful youth should have filled their features and touched them with its freshest tints ... and where angels have sat enthroned" he perceives perversion and degradation. In this scene, the ghost warns Scrooge saying "This boy is Ignorance, This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see written which is Doom, unless the writing be
The main character in the movie and play is Ebenezer Scrooge. In the movie, “A Christmas Carol,” the story starts off in London at Scrooge’s office. The conflict of this story begins with Scrooge being a lonely old man who doesn’t care about Christmas. Everyone will try to cheer him up, but Scrooge believes Christmas is a, “Bah Humbug!” (Dickens, 2). The climax happened a few moments after the beginning of the movie. The ghost of Jacob Marley appeared in Scrooge’s bedroom and announces,”you will be haunted by three spirits,” then Marley screams in horror confusing Scrooge.(Dickens, 9) The resolution changed Scrooge’s life and thoughts about Christmas. It had happened when three
Well In A Christmas carol Scrooge and Marley “Act 1” and “Act 2” this is just the case where he is visited by something, rather quite frightful, but actually quite delightful. As Scrooge was one of the most horrendous people alive, but he will soon go under a miracle like transformation after meeting Four new people who shift him into third gear and make him drive to his destiny. As it was stated in the text Marley came to visit him to give him his warning of a doomed fate which he has forged for himself. Thus, making the presence of the other spirits horrific to him, but they do make persuade him to shift his way out of the way he is going and enjoy life for what it
To start with Scrooge was a wicked old man. No one really liked him either. He used to be rude to everyone and did not care about anyone but him. Scrooge never thought of changing his cruel ways, until one day, a miracle happened.He started to notice he felt a little different. He felt a small feeling of warmth inside his cold, prune heart. He was more, cheerful. He felt that someone cares for him, ever since he met, the Ghost of Christmas Present. The Ghost of Christmas Present
In "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a transformation as a result of his encounters with three ghosts and becomes a kind, happy, and generous man. His greedy, cruel, and grumpy demeanor is replaced seemingly overnight, but he doesn’t just wake up and decide to be nice. It takes three Spirits to change his outlook on life - The Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. The Ghost of Christmas Past makes Scrooge begin to regret his selfishness, and the Ghost of Christmas Present begins to teach him about others. This second Ghost helps to make him realize that money doesn't buy happiness. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, however, teaches the most profound lesson of all: unless he changes, no one will care if Scrooge dies. Because of the Ghosts, by Christmas morning Ebenezer Scrooge is a completely different person from the man who went to bed on Christmas Eve.