Regret is a powerful feeling that can fill you with a disheartening pain or even push you to do better in life. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a grumpy Ebeneezer Scrooge is shown shadows of the past, present, and future by the three Ghosts of Christmas. Scrooge sees how the decisions he’s made have affected him as well as those around him. He develops a sense of regret and finally learns that he needs to change. The theme, or overall message that an author wants the reader to learn from a piece of literature, in A Christmas Carol is that, although being an arduous feeling, regret is sometimes what makes you strive to be a better person. Dickens shows this theme through Scrooge’s character development as he grows from unpleasant and grouchy to jubilant and merry. The regret he felt over his deplorable past made him want to be a more enjoyable person. …show more content…
Without realizing his mistakes through his memories, Scrooge would have never wanted to change. For example, at the point in the story before being visited by the spectors, Scrooge had no fervor for Bob Cratchit’s poor family, as demonstrated by Dickens on page twelve. “‘It’s not convenient,’ said Scrooge, ‘and it’s not fair. If I was to stop half a crown for it, you think yourself ill used, I’ll be bound?’” But, by the end of the novel, Scrooge learns to be sympathetic. Dickens uses the following quote to show that Scrooge grew from his regretful mistakes and became less relentless and much more kind on page one hundred twelve. “‘I’ll raise your salary, and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a bowl of smoking bishop,
Dickens displays guilt as the main form of how Scrooge’s character develops into a compassionate person by the end of the novella. As Scrooge feels this quilt, it's purely based on the visions that the ghosts provide which further causes Scrooge to realise the consequences of his actions. His alienation from specific characters that he used to love such as Belle, “...has displaced me…” whom left Scrooge, due to his desire for money and wealth which grew. This desire grows with him as he is rejecting the christmas joy and spirit as he continuously states that Christmas is a “humbug,” but by stating this it provides comparison. Dickens depicts that Scrooge has become a better person because of fear but in the end he has become kinder. As the
A Christmas Carol is a Novell by Charles Dickens about Ebenezer Scrooge , an old man,who is outstanding for his parsimonious ways.
This is shown in the quote:” I should have liked to have given him something that’s all,” Dickens uses dialogue and the motif of guilt to portray Scrooges realisation. Earlier on a boy comes up to Scrooge to ask for money but Scrooge refuses. But now he regrets not giving him any money and we see a new developed philanthropic attitude. The words “that’s all,” shows how Scrooge is resistant to appearing emotional as it causes everything that he said before those words to be insignificant as he is guilty that he didn’t realise sooner but refuses to appear weak. The quote “looking about him, after drying his eyes with is cuff,” shows that he is guilty and wishes to change his ways. But in this part of the novel (stave 2) Dickens uses fear in this extract very differently and in a much more subtle way. Scrooge regrets not giving the boy money because after he himself looks to his past after the spirit shows him he realises that the boy asking for money reminds him of how he was when he was younger. The fact that he regrets his previous action shows that he is scared that the boy might turn out like him. Dickens uses Scrooge’s fear as not fear for himself but for the people he has wronged. This also makes the reader reflect on their actions. Which links back to my original point fear is needed to makes Scrooge realises the consequences of his actions but
In Conclusion, in the 1st Stave Dickens presents Scrooge as an evil, aged, prosperous man. As you read the Staves 2, 3 and 4, Scrooge’s behaviour, thoughts and attitude changes gradually. In Stave 2 a quote to show how shrude Scrooge is 'All he could make out was that it was still very foggy and extremely cold' this shows that Scrooge is an unpleasant ‘a covetous sinner’. This has an effect upon the reader as it shows how the cold weather can hurt and be distasteful to people just like Scrooge. Scrooge is described as the weather as he is like it; he hurts the people around him. Finally, in the 4th Stave he changes and he admits it, here is a quote “Spirit!'' he cried, tight clutching at its robe, “hear me! I am not the man I was.” This shows Scrooge is pleading that he has changed. I think he has transformed because of the experience he had by the four spirits.
Throughout the play, A Christmas Carol, we learn that change begins simply. As stated by Robin Sharma, “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” Luckily Scrooge changed directly like what Robin Sharma’s quote stated. When he had the help of the three ghosts it was hard in the beginning, messy in the middle, and truly gorgeous at the end. Unfortunately, Scrooge believed that he will suffer too many hardships to change and became a stingy, greedy, and cold-hearted old man. Since Scrooge thought it was hard to change he didn’t think it was worth the time and effort to do it. Luckily for Scrooge, Past, Present, and Future helped him out so he could change. In conclusion moving forward Scrooge will transform into a new man, he keeps Christmas in his heart all year round and will spread love and joy to
(Dickens 11) During the visit of Christmas Past, Mr. Scrooge traveled through the past from another’s perspective, instead of his own. (Video 1984) To Mr. Scrooge, Christmas is no longer a bah-humbug. No matter what medium you watch A Christmas Carol, there will be one moral: greediness and selfishness will result in a depressing life with loneliness surrounding you. This was the message the three Christmas spirits delivered in conclusion, welcome family and friends into your life, and you will enjoy a jubilant life.
“hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse.” “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!” (Dickens, Stave 4, Page 84) Finally, Scrooge changed for good.
Regret: a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done. Most people feel regret over past mistakes or missed opportunities. In A Christmas Carol, regret is dredged out of the main character through memories and visions of his life and others. Scrooge is taken on a journey with the Three Spirits to reclaim his life and change his ways. As Scrooge is forced to introspect by way of the Spirits, Dickens uses Scrooge’s regret help him see his mistakes and change his ways. The lessons Scrooge must learn in order to change his life are the importance of kindness and generosity and the dangers of greed and indifference.
On page 64, we see how Scrooge shows sympathy in the quote, “There was a boy singing a Christmas carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something. That 's All.” After being shown a memory of himself as a boy, Scrooge regrets being harsh to the boy caroling and not giving him any money. Seeing his own sadness as a child made him realize it would have been nice to give the boy something to make him happy. He will probably do nicer things in the future because he now realizes that the boy would have been upset because of how Scrooge turned him away so harshly. He is changing his actions, and regretting bad actions in the past. He wants to fix what he did wrong, and he feels sympathy for the boy. People want to be shown compassion, so in the future if he helps people out and is kind, he will not be as isolated. Another quote to show how he becomes less detached from humanity is on pages 92-93, ‘”Spirit,” said Scrooge, “Tell me if Tiny Tim will live.” Scrooge feels sorry for Bob Cratchit because the spirit says if the future remains unaltered he will die. He feels upset that Tiny Tim will die, and sympathy for Bob because his son will probably die. He probably regrets not giving Bob more time with his son. He had made a comment earlier that if someone will die they better go and die to decrease the population, when the donation collector
When we first met Scrooge, we are informed, and also observe that he is cold, miserly, and bitter. However, after the visit of the Ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge changes into a generous and cheerful man. It is clear that something must have caused a man who is really nice, turn into a mean and nasty person, in this case it was the Industrial Revolution.
In fact, the story implies that a reestablished association with what humankind is,, and the very essence of redemption for the good side of human nature. Heartless individuals can be changed over into charitable and kind members of society through the moralizing lessons. These lessons have taken over the amoral way that Scrooge treated others before, memory serves to remind Scrooge of a time when he still felt emotionally connected to other people, before he cut off himself. Compassion empowers Scrooge to feel for and comprehend Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit are less lucky than himself. The dread of death clues at impending good retribution: he ought not shut himself down and have just little humankind left inside his
The novel introduces Scrooge as a man of greed. This is shown in the first stave when Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit can barely keep warm by such a small fire "that it looked like one coal." Because of Scrooge's greed, he insists on storing up on his wealth by burning less coal, despite it's lack of warmth. Furthermore, one can notice Scrooge's greed as he refuses to give any donation from his surplus wealth to the poor and destitute that the collectors were raising money for. Scrooge's selfish response to the collectors was, " 'I wish to be left alone...I don't make merry myself at Christmas, and I can't afford to make idle people merry..."
There are three main symbols that associate with this play, the ghosts, Scrooge, and Tiny Tim. In this essay, we covered the main symbols that many can relate to in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We discovered why the three spirits can make you remember why things in life are the way they are. Of course, it was also dictated why Ebenezer Scrooge is so important, when he starts out as a antagonist. And finally, Tiny Tim. We asked the daring question of what importance Tim Cratchit plays in this play. But it was answered anyway, with the fact that his presence actually triggers many emotions inside of
The story of A Christmas Carol begins with a misery old man named Scrooge working in his counting house on Christmas Eve, his clerk sitting in the front working as well. Various people come inside to greet him including his nephew whom he basically tells to leave after being invited to a Christmas party. He is then visited by people who are looking for donations for the poor. This sets up Scrooges hate for the holiday as well as his greed. His greed is the primary basis for his loneliness and anger, which is amplified during the holiday season.
...t, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within [him]." With this still resonating in his mind, he jumps out of bed and immediately begins setting things right. He buys a turkey bigger than Bob Cratchit's son and sends it to him, and instead of being rude to the Poulterer, he pays for a cab to get them to Cratchit's home. He then goes out with joy in his heart and bumps into a man who asked him to donate money to the poor the day before. As opposed to being unkind and cruel, the new and improved Scrooge donates a large sum of money to the cause happily. This kind, happy, and generous man is a complete change from the stingy and unkind Scrooge from Christmas Eve. If someone this awful can change, anyone and everyone can do the same. They just need a little push in the right direction.