"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." ― Stave 4
Ebenezer Scrooge is the main protagonist in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. He is the brother of Fan and the uncle of Fred.
Initially a stingy moneylender who despises the Christmas festivities, Scrooge’s life is changed forever when Three Sprits show him the errors of his ways, and he becomes a more generous, loving man.
Description[]
Widely considered one of Dickens’s most famous characters, Ebenezer Scrooge represents the greedy wealthy people in Victorian England. As a subscriber to the Poor Laws, he would proudly fulfill his duties by supporting the prisons and workhouses and ignoring the less fortunate. Since Dickens’s father was unfairly imprisoned for debt, he harshly criticized the Poor Laws by portraying Scrooge as a moneylender obsessed with his money and part of the selfish and rich society that Dickens had despised.
The name “Scrooge” has since become synonymous with cranky, greedy misers. Dickens invented the name from the English verb “scourge,” which means “to press” or “to squeeze.” As shown in the story, Scrooge squeezes, or clings, to his money so much that he refuses to part with it or donate any of it. His first name, Ebenezer, is a biblical name that means “stone of help” in Hebrew; in this case, the name derives from the monument that Samuel erected in the Old Testament. Dickens first came up with the name when he visited Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1841 and came upon a headstone of Ebenezer Scroggie Mealman, who died in 1836 and was buried in the Canongate Church’s graveyard. He had misspelled the names “meanman” and “Scrooge,” which would later be used for the main protagonist in his 1843 novella. Scrooge is also believed to be loosely based on an 18th-century politician named John Elwes, who was an eccentric miser in his lifetime. He had inherited a large family fortune and worked for the British Parliament for nearly a decade. But like Scrooge, he was a cruel, greedy man who refused to spend any of his wealth, such as wearing ragged clothes instead of buying new ones, and he even let his food go to waste because he didn’t want to buy fresher food and fought with rats for food. When he died in 1789, he left over £28 million to his two illegitimate sons and nephew.
Scrooge had always despised Christmas because some emotional events occurred at Christmas in his lifetime. For example, his father sent him away to a miserable boarding school as a child, and he was forced to spend Christmas alone while all his friends and classmates went home for the holidays. Later in life, he was proposed to a young woman, but at Christmas, she broke off their engagement after he had become obsessed with his moneylending job, and then he lost his business partner, Jacob Marley, on Christmas Eve. The other reason is that the Christmas celebrations are often in the way of his moneylending business. All his life, he has only seen his own troubled ways, which makes him isolated from the Christmas Spirit, and if he hadn’t changed his ways, he would have likely spent the rest of his afterlife wearing heavy chains like Marley. But in the end, the Ghosts of Past, Present and Future (and possibly even Tiny Tim) have saved Scrooge from his terrible fate and have given him a second chance at redemption. While it may be a while for him to apologize to everyone he has mistreated over the years and make up for all of his mistakes, he has vowed to bring the warmth and love of Christmas to everyone and that his fatherly love for Tiny Tim proves that learning mistakes from the past, witnessing the present, and understanding the possible outcomes for the future, can change a person’s life for the best with generosity and kindness.
Storyline[]
Marley’s Death[]
Following his business partner Jacob Marley’s death, Ebenezer Scrooge signed his burial certificate with the clerk, clergyman and undertaker.[1]Scrooge knew Marley was dead, as he was his sole administrator and only friend. He didn’t openly grieve during Marley’s funeral but received a bargain from it. He only grieved about losing their moneylending business.
They have been business partners for years, and after Marley’s death, Scrooge never removed Marley’s name from the sign above their office door. The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley, and Scrooge has taken to be addressed by both names. The cold climate blends in with his appearance and harsh personality, and he always kept his office cold, not even warming it up on Christmas. Nobody greeted him on the streets or asked for directions, the beggars didn’t ask him for spare change, and the children didn’t ask what time it was. Even the dogs feared him and would tug at their owners when they saw him approaching. But Scrooge didn’t seem to care, as he enjoyed seeing people silently avoiding him.
Christmas Eve/Visitors at the Counting House[]
On Christmas Eve, seven years after Marley’s death, Scrooge works in his office. Outside, the weather is cold and foggy, and he can hear people walking out in the street, beating their hands on their chests and stomping their feet on the pavement to keep warm. The city clocks strike three, but it is already dark, and the candles are lit in other office windows.
Inside the warehouse, Scrooge keeps his door open to keep an eye on his clerk, Bob Cratchit, who works in a small room copying letters. Scrooge has a small fire in his office, but Cratchit barely has a fire at all. Scrooge keeps the coal box in his office, and Cratchit knows his employer will fire him if he takes some coal. As such, Cratchit has no choice but to stay warm with a lit candle.
The office door opens, and Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, walks in. He happily wishes Scrooge a Merry Christmas, and Scrooge mutters, “Bah! Humbug!” Fred asks Scrooge if he doesn’t mean that, and Scrooge laments to Fred why he gets to be so happy despite being poor. Fred asks him why he is so miserable despite being rich. He replies with another “humbug” and protests that everyone around him is foolish and those who waste their time being merry when they should be paying their bills; he even wishes they would be “boiled in their own pudding and a stake of holly through their heart.” He then asks to be left alone.
Fred defends the Christmas festivities by declaring that it has done him good and is a time for joy and charity. Cratchit applauds his speech from his room, and Scrooge threatens to fire him if he makes another sound again. He addresses Fred as a powerful speaker and wonders why he never worked in Parliamentary politics. Fred invites Scrooge to his Christmas party tomorrow, and Scrooge refuses by asking his nephew why he’s married. Fred replies that it’s because he fell in love, and Scrooge orders him to leave. Fred asks him why he never visited him before he married and if they can be friends. He ignores Scrooge’s angry replies and wishes him a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and leaves without getting angry, even wishes a Merry Christmas to Cratchit on his way out. Scrooge mutters that his clerk, who earns only 15 shillings a week and has a wife and family, is still happy during Christmas. He wishes he could retire to the Bedlam asylum.
After letting Fred out, Cratchit lets in two portly gentlemen with books and papers in their hands. They take off their hats and bow to Scrooge. They look at their list, referring to the office as Scrooge and Marley, and ask Scrooge if either of the two names addresses him. Scrooge says Jacob Marley has been dead for seven years, and tonight is the anniversary of his death. The gentlemen hope Scrooge will be more generous than Marley. The first gentleman takes a pen and explains that the most impoverished citizens are struggling around Christmastime and desperately need basic necessities. Scrooge asks if the prisons and workhouses are still open, and the gentleman replies that they are but wishes they weren’t. Scrooge also asks about the Treadmill and the Poor Law, and the gentleman replies that they are still busy. Scrooge is relieved when he hears this.
The gentleman explains that he and his partner are charity workers, and they are seeking donations to buy the poor some food, drink and warmth, and it is around Christmas when their work is needed. He asks Scrooge what he shall put him down for, and he refuses and wants to be left alone. He cannot afford to make the impoverished people merry and support the prisons and workhouses. He states that the poor should go there, but the charity worker says many will die there. Scrooge replies that they should die and lower the surplus population. He isn't interested in interfering with other people’s businesses and orders the charity workers to leave. The charity workers leave empty-handed.
As nightfall approaches, the fog thickens outside, and the cold grows more intense. The church bell rings out the hour, barely visible in the fog. In the main street, some beggar men and boys gather around a brazier fire to keep warm. The grocers and poultry shops became more busy with shoppers, and the Lord Mayor prepared his cooks and chefs for a Christmas pageant inside his home. A small boy approaches Scrooge’s keyhole and starts singing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” when Scrooge angrily grabs a ruler, and the boy runs away in fear.
At closing time, Scrooge turns to Cratchit as he snuffs out his candle, puts on his hat, and assumes he’ll want the day off tomorrow. Cratchit replies that he will appreciate it, and Scrooge finds it unfair that he gets some time off work and does not receive any paid wages. Cratchit says it’s only once per year, and Scrooge reluctantly allows him to have the day off tomorrow but wants him back at work the following morning. Cratchit promises he will, and the men go their separate ways. Scrooge eats dinner at the local tavern, reads all the newspapers, and writes in his bank book his daily routine. Afterwards, he heads home.
Marley’s Visit[]
Scrooge’s apartment is inside a building with a suite of rooms that once belonged to Jacob Marley. They are so miserable that nobody lives in them except Scrooge, and the other rooms are rented out as offices. As he unlocks his door, he sees that the door knocker has a face that resembles Marley. The ghostly face stares at him, but when Scrooge stares at it again, the knocker returns to normal. He goes inside to light a candle and expects to see the back of Marley’s head on the door, but it’s just screws and nuts holding the knocker in place. He shuts the door, locks it, and inspects his rooms in the darkness. A small fire burns inside his bedroom, with a pan of gruel, a spoon and a bowl ready for him. He tightly locks his bedroom door, changes into his nightgown, nightcap and slippers, and sits by the fire to eat his gruel.
Suddenly, the carved faces on the mantlepiece transform into the faces of Marley. Scrooge tries to dismiss it by walking across the room before sitting back down. He looks up at a hanging bell that starts to ring softly and then loudly. All the bells in the house ring loudly before they stop after a minute, followed by the sound of footsteps and dragging chains downstairs in the cellar. The cellar door bursts open, and the footsteps and heavy dragging noise ascend the stairs and approach his door. He watches in horror as a ghostly, transparent figure comes through the heavy door and into his room. It is Marley’s ghost, wearing his usual clothes and covered in heavy chains filled with keys, padlocks, and cashboxes.
Scrooge sarcastically invites Marley to sit, and the ghost asks if he believes in him. Scrooge refuses to admit that he sees the ghost and views him as a strange case of food poisoning. Marley wails and shakes his chains, even removing the bandage tied around his head and causing his jaw to drop. Scrooge becomes frightened and begs Marley why he has come to see him. The ghost replies that every man must walk among his fellow human beings in life, and if they don’t, they are condemned to do so after death before wailing and shaking his chains again. Marley then admits that he made his chain in his lifetime and wore it from his free will, and his chain is heavier and longer than Scrooge thinks. He then informs Scrooge he has been roaming the world for seven years, forced to wear the chains as punishment for his sins, and it feels worse around Christmas. He never has peace and expresses remorse for missing opportunities in life. Scrooge tells him he was a good businessman, but the ghost says that his business should have been the common welfare of humanity.
Marley then tells Scrooge that he doesn’t have much time left and has arrived to warn him that he must escape his fate. He informs him he will be visited by three spirits, and Scrooge refuses. Marley says that without their visits, Scrooge cannot avoid the path Marley treads on now. He says the first ghost will arrive at 1 o’clock in the morning, and Scrooge asks if he can meet all the ghosts at once. Marley explains further that the second ghost will arrive at the same hour and the final ghost after the final stroke of midnight. He reminds Scrooge never to forget his visit, ties his bandage around his head, and walks towards the window, where it slightly opens with every step he takes. He beckons Scrooge to follow him until he orders him to stop when they are two paces apart, and he floats out of the window.
Outside, the air is filled with wailing, mournful and restless ghosts. All of them are wearing chains, and many were acquainted with Scrooge when they were alive. He recognizes one old ghost wearing a waistcoat and a large iron safe attached to his ankle, crying with anguish that he couldn’t help a poor woman and her baby sitting on a doorstep. The ghosts and voices soon vanish. Scrooge shuts the window and examines his door, puzzled that he had locked it tightly, but the ghost somehow came through it. Not believing what has happened is true, he gets into bed and immediately falls asleep.
The Ghost of Christmas Past/Scrooge’s Childhood[]
Scrooge wakes up, and his room is dark.[2] He can’t see outside his window, and the church bell starts ringing. He waits for the hour until the chimes stop at midnight. He remembers going to bed at 2 o’clock and thinks the time is wrong. He’s baffled that he has slept through the whole day and wakes up at night, even assuming something has happened to the sun when it should have been noon. He gets out of bed, walks to the window, and rubs the frost off with his sleeve. It is cold and foggy outside, with no people in sight. He returns to bed and wonders if his meeting with Marley’s Ghost was all just a dream. He lies in bed, waiting for the hour.
As soon as the clock strikes one, his room is brightened, and his bed curtains are drawn aside with a mysterious hand. Scrooge sits up and stares at a childlike figure with an old man’s face but without wrinkles. Its hair is white that glows like a flaming candle, and wears a white tunic covered in flowers. On one hand, it holds a branch of green holly, and it has a candle extinguisher under its arm.
Scrooge asks if it’s the first ghost who will visit him, and the ghost replies yes in a soft, gentle tone. It is the Ghost of Christmas Past. Scrooge assumes it represents the long past, but the ghost says it represents Scrooge’s past. Scrooge begs the ghost to extinguish itself with its cap, and the ghost protests about him attempting to snuff out its shining light and wisdom. Scrooge asks why the ghost has come, and it replies that it is for his welfare and salvation. It holds out his hand and asks him to walk with him. Scrooge protests that it’s too cold and dark for a walk, and he’s only wearing a nightgown, slippers and nightcap. The ghost ignores him, grabs his hand and walks towards the window. Scrooge clutches the ghost’s robe and says he cannot fly and will fall.
The ghost urges him to hold its hand, and they walk through the wall until they are on a country road on a clear winter day. Scrooge recognizes the area where he grew up in. The ghost notices a tear on his cheek, but Scrooge insists it’s just a pimple. The ghost asks if it remembers everything he sees, and Scrooge replies that he could walk around it blindfolded.
Scrooge and the ghost walk along the road. He recognizes everything he sees, such as the trees, gates, and a market town in the distance. A group of boys ride past them on ponies, followed by other boys riding in carts driven by farmers. The boys look happy and cheerful, and Scrooge recognizes them, but the ghost reminds him that they are shadows of the past, which means they cannot see or hear them. The ghost then says there is a school ahead that contains a lonely child, neglected by his friends and left alone in the school. Scrooge sobs when he hears this. They arrive at a large, decaying building with fowls inside the stables, coach houses, and sheds overrun with vegetation.
Scrooge and the ghost enter the school and into a miserable, quiet classroom. A lonely boy sits by the fire reading, and Scrooge weeps as he recognizes the boy is himself. The ghost points him to the boy, and several characters from the Arabian Tales, such as Ali Baba, appear outside the window. He happily names the characters he sees, even pointing out that Ali Baba was his imaginary friend when he was alone at school. He then admits to the ghost that he wishes he had given something to the boy who sang outside his office door yesterday. The ghost waves its hand, and the scene fast forwards, with Scrooge’s younger self growing up. The classroom becomes more decayed, and again, the young Scrooge is alone after his classmates have gone home for the Christmas holidays.
Instead of reading, the young Scrooge is anxiously pacing around the room. Scrooge glances at the door as it opens, and a small, young girl runs in, embracing and kissing the young Scrooge, who she calls her brother. The girl informs him that she has arrived to take him home permanently. She also says that their father has become more kind, that she asked him if she could bring her brother home, and he said yes. The boy calls her “Fan,” and she laughs heartily. After embracing him again, she grabs his hand and drags him toward the door. In the hallway, the schoolmaster stares at Scrooge disdainfully before shaking his hand. The siblings are taken to a lavish parlour where the schoolmaster serves them wine, cake and dainties. Young Scrooge’s trunk is loaded onto the coach, and the siblings bid goodbye to the schoolmaster before driving away.
The ghost says that Scrooge’s sister, Fan, was a delicate girl with a large heart. She died years later, leaving behind one child, who is Scrooge’s nephew, Fred.
Christmas at Fezziwig’s/Scrooge’s Rejected Love[]
The scene changes, and Scrooge and the Ghost are standing in the busy city streets on a Christmas Eve night. He sees a warehouse door and recognizes it as Fezziwig's Warehouse, where he was an apprentice. They enter and see an elderly gentleman wearing a Welsh wig sitting at a high desk. Scrooge becomes ecstatic and recognizes him as his former employer, Old Fezziwig.
Fezziwig glances at the clock, which says 7 o'clock. He laughs hysterically and calls in a jovial, cheerful voice to his apprentices, Dick and Ebenezer. Scrooge sees his younger self again, now a young man, running into the room alongside his other apprentice, Dick Wilkins. Scrooge tells the Ghost that Dick used to be his good friend and was attached to him. Fezziwig announces to his apprentices that tonight is Christmas Eve, and they will close the warehouse to host a Christmas party. Dick and Ebenezer quickly close the windows, and Fezziwig orders them to clear away all the furniture and make room for the party. After the floors are swept, and the fire is lit, the room becomes warm and cozy, and the guests begin to arrive. The fiddler comes first and orchestrates from Fezziwig's desk. Next came Mrs. Fezziwig, her three daughters, and everyone working for Fezziwig's business. Everyone starts dancing, and Fezziwig also dances with his wife as his partner. Food, such as meat, minced pies, and beer, was served at the party. The party ends at 11 o'clock, and the Fezziwigs bid their guests goodbye as they leave, wishing them a Merry Christmas. After the Fezziwigs retire for the night, the two apprentices head to their beds under the counter in the back shop.
Throughout the party, Scrooge remembers everything he sees and enjoys watching the partygoers. He then remembers the Ghost standing next to him, who says it is a small thing to be so grateful about. Scrooge replies that Fezziwig's kindness and warmth affect his happiness. The Ghost notices his mood change, and Scrooge says he wishes to say something to his clerk right now.
The Ghost says its time is running short, and the scene changes again. Scrooge sees his younger self, now an older man, showing signs of greed. He is sitting next to a teary-eyed young woman dressed in black. She is Scrooge's fiancée, Belle, and she believes she has been replaced by a new idol: money. He tells her that the world condemns a man seeking money and wealth, which is difficult for the poor. Belle gently chides him for fearing the world too much, and she watches him change into a different person with a new passion. He retorts that even if he has become richer, he still hasn't changed, but she disagrees. She says he was different when he proposed to her when they had little money and hoped to improve their wealth together. He impatiently says he was still young back then, but she laments that his love for his money would never make him love a poor woman with no dowry. She then breaks off the engagement and leaves him.
Scrooge feels hurt and heartbroken by this memory and begs the Ghost to bring him home. The Ghost says they must see one more memory, and Scrooge begs him not to, but the Ghost forces him to watch the next scene. They are inside a warm, cheerful room, and he sees Belle, now an older woman, sitting next to her young daughter. The room is filled with many of Belle's children, who are being loud, but Belle and her daughter enjoy it. There is a knock at the door, and Belle's husband walks in with Christmas gifts. His children excitedly gather around their father to embrace him and take their presents. After the children go to bed, Belle, her husband and daughter sit together by the fire while Scrooge looks on attentively, wondering what it would have been like if he was the girl's father.
Belle's husband tells her that he met her ex-fiancé this afternoon, who is Scrooge. He says that he saw him sitting alone in his office through his window, with his business partner dying and looked so lonely in the world. Scrooge begs the Ghost to remove him from this memory as he cannot watch it anymore. The Ghost reminds him that these are the life choices he has made, and he must not blame the Ghost for causing them. He wrestles with the Ghost, demanding to be taken home. He takes the Ghost's extinguisher cap and presses it down on the Ghost's head. He tries pressing down hard but becomes drowsy and falls asleep. When he wakes up, he is back in his bedroom. After giving the cap a final squeeze, he goes back to sleep.
The Ghost of Christmas Present[]
The clock strikes one, startling Scrooge from his slumber.[3] He is relieved to be awoken in time to meet the second spirit. But he doesn't want to be taken by surprise, so he draws back his bed curtains. He expects the next ghost to take a new shape, but when the bell finishes striking, nothing happens. He waits for 15 minutes, but still nothing. He notices that the light illuminating the clock is coming from the next room, where there is shining light. He gets up, puts on his slippers, and walks over to investigate. Before he touches the lock, he hears a strange voice beckoning him to enter.
He enters his room, but it has changed. The walls and ceiling are covered in green leaves of holly, mistletoe and ivy. On the floor is a merry giant, sitting on a throne surrounded by a lavish feast of food, such as meats, minced pies, plum pudding, oysters and fruits. The giant is dressed in a green robe with white fur, a holly wreath on its head, equipped with an ancient sheath without a sword, and holding a glowing torch. Scrooge shyly walks in, and the giant introduces itself as the Ghost of Christmas Present. The Ghost is surprised that Scrooge has never met a spirit like it before, as it has 1800 brothers. Scrooge mutters that it's a large family to provide for. He tells the Ghost he is looking forward to what it will teach him next, and the Ghost asks him to touch its robe.
The feast and the brightly lit room vanish immediately, and Scrooge and the Ghost stand in the city streets on Christmas morning. People around them are shovelling the snow in front of their homes. The sky is gloomy, and there is a dingy mist, but despite the grim atmosphere, people are still happy and jovial, calling to one another and playing in snowball fights. The poulterer and fruit shops are half open, with dozens of delicious foods on display and scents filling the air. Everyone is in a hurry with their shopping, and the shopkeepers are too busy being merry to worry about the prices. Afterwards, church bells start ringing, and people head to church while others bring food to the baker’s shop. The Ghost sprinkles its incense on the shoppers' meals, and when some people start angrily arguing, they become jovial and humorous again. Before long, the bells stop ringing, and all the shops close. Scrooge asks the Ghost what kind of flavour its incense is when it's sprinkled on the shoppers' food. The Ghost says that the incense is its own creation and mostly uses it for the poor who need it the most. The Ghost also says that some people act in the name of goodwill and charity but still have selfish desires and asks Scrooge to remember this. Scrooge promises, and they travel into the suburbs of town. He notices that despite the Ghost's massive size, it can still easily fit inside buildings.
Christmas at the Cratchits’ Home[]
Scrooge and the Ghost arrive at Bob Cratchit's house. The Ghost sprinkles the incense on the house to bless it, and Scrooge finds it desirable. Inside, Mrs. Cratchit is wearing some ribbons on her plain, threadbare dress and lays the dinner cloth. Her daughter, Belinda, also wears ribbons and helps her mother, while the eldest Cratchit son, Peter, pokes the potatoes in a saucepan with a fork. Two unnamed Cratchit children burst into the house and announce they smelled some cooked goose outside the baker's shop. Peter blows the fire to cook the potatoes, and Mrs. Cratchit notices that her eldest child, Martha, is late, as well as her husband, Bob, and youngest child, Tiny Tim.
Martha Cratchit then arrives, and Mrs. Cratchit greets her by kissing her and removing her bonnet and shawl. Martha explains that she had to stay late at work, and her mother invites her to sit by the fire. The two Cratchit children say their father is coming home and urges Martha to hide. After Martha hides herself, Bob Cratchit walks in with his son, Tiny Tim, sitting on his shoulders and holding a crutch. Cratchit wonders why Martha isn't here, and Mrs. Cratchit says she isn't coming. Cratchit appears disappointed that his daughter isn't spending time with them on Christmas when Martha comes out of her hiding spot and embraces her father while the two Cratchit children take Tiny Tim to the washhouse.
Mrs. Cratchit asks Bob how Tiny Tim behaved at church today. Cratchit replies that he behaved well, and on the way home, Tiny Tim told his father that he hoped everyone in the church saw him. Because he's a cripple, it might remind the churchgoers of how Jesus Christ miraculously restored sight to the blind and made lame beggars walk. He also tells his wife that Tiny Tim is getting stronger. Tiny Tim reappears and hobbles to his stool with his crutch, aided by his siblings. Cratchit makes a mixture of hot gin and lemon, and the two Cratchit children go out to fetch the cooked goose. Mrs. Cratchit prepares the gravy, Peter mashes the potatoes, Belinda sweetens the apple sauce, and Martha dusts the hot pans. Cratchit and Tiny Tim sit together at the table as the two Cratchit children set the chairs. After the table is set, the goose is served, and Mrs. Cratchit carves it while the children watch delightfully.
Scrooge and the Ghost watch as the Cratchit family enjoy their Christmas dinner, and Cratchit and Mrs. Cratchit admire the food served. Martha serves the pudding, and after dinner, the fire is lit, and the family gathers around the hearth. Cratchit serves the hot refreshments to his family, and while the hot chestnuts roast over the fire, Cratchit wishes his family a Merry Christmas, and Tiny Tim says, "God bless us, everyone." He sits next to Cratchit, and Scrooge, feeling moved by the boy's kindness and charity, asks the Ghost if Tiny Tim will live. The Ghost replies that it sees a vision of an empty stool with a crutch and warns that if the future is unchanged, Tiny Tim will die. Scrooge begs the Ghost to allow the boy to live, and the Ghost echoes Scrooge's words that Tiny Tim should die and "decrease the surplus population." Scrooge is ashamed and heartbroken to hear the Ghost repeat his own words, and the Ghost tells him that he has no right to determine who will live or die, and in the eyes of Heaven, he is worthless to live than millions of poor people that he condemns like Tiny Tim.
Cratchit then proposes a toast to his employer, Scrooge, and calls him the “founder of their feast”. Mrs. Cratchit is disgusted and retorts, saying she would like him to feast on her words. Cratchit reminds his wife that it's Christmas Day, and she reluctantly agrees to drink for Scrooge's health for her husband's sake, but not for Scrooge's. The family finishes their drinks, and Scrooge's name dampens their joy for five minutes. After a while, Cratchit says that he has found a situation for Peter to work and earn a decent income for the family. Martha, who works full-time at a milliner shop, describes her job and how many hours she worked before the family sings together. Despite the Crachits living in poverty, they are happy with each other and grateful for what they have. As Scrooge and the Ghost leave, he can't take his eye off Tiny Tim.
Fred’s Party[]
It's getting dark as Scrooge and the Ghost wander the streets, past the brightly lit windows of people's homes. Children rush outside their homes to greet their family relatives, followed by families and guests chattering and enjoying their Christmas meals. Suddenly, Scrooge and the Ghost arrive in a bleak, deserted moor. The Ghost says this is where the miners live, and they visit a hut where an elderly couple, their children and grandchildren wear their holiday attire and sing a Christmas song. Scrooge and the Ghost then travel across the sea, where they see a solitary lighthouse, where two lighthouse keepers make a fire and wish each other a Merry Christmas despite being surrounded by gloomy, stormy waters. Afterwards, Scrooge and the Ghost visit a ship, where the crew hum a Christmas tune.
Afterwards, Scrooge finds himself inside the home of his nephew Fred. Fred and his wife laugh merrily, along with their guests. Fred says that his uncle hurts himself more than anyone, and he can't hate him for it. He also says that Scrooge's wealth does nobody any good, and he doesn't make himself comfortable with it. Fred is sorry for his uncle declining an invitation to his party and missing out on a Christmas feast. Everyone agrees, and Fred says that Scrooge loses good memories and friends. He pities his uncle and will continue to invite him to his home at Christmas until his uncle's death. The guests laugh heartily at Fred's perseverance. After tea, Fred's wife plays the harp, and Scrooge whistles along to some Christmas songs he remembers from his time at the boarding school. He thinks that if he had listened to the music often, he would have been kinder than paying the sexton to bury Marley. He watches the guests play blind man's buff, and Scrooge even participates despite the guests not hearing him. He is having so much fun that he begs the Ghost to stay longer until the guests leave, but the Ghost refuses. Afterwards, the guests play a guessing game in which they have to guess a described object with yes and no questions. The object is described as an animal that talks and walks the streets, and Fred's wife determines that it's Scrooge. Despite making a joke out of Scrooge, Fred insists on raising a glass to his uncle and toasting to his health.
The scene disappears, and Scrooge and the Ghost continue their travels. They visit hospitals, foreign lands and jails. Throughout the night, the Ghost ages rapidly, but Scrooge doesn't ask him about it. After they leave a children's performance of Twelfth Night, Scrooge and the Ghost stand in an open space where the Ghost's hair has become gray. Scrooge asks if spirits' lives are short, and the Ghost says that its lifespan is short and will end at midnight. At that moment, chimes are ringing three times past eleven. Scrooge notices something under the Ghost's robe. He removes his robe, and two ragged, vicious children cling to his legs. Scrooge asks the Ghost if they are his children, and he replies that they are Man's. The boy is called Ignorance, and the girl is Want. He warns Scrooge to beware of them both, especially Ignorance. Scrooge asks if the children have refuge and resources, and the Ghost echoes his words again if there are workhouses or prisons. The bell then strikes twelve, and the Ghost and the children vanish. After the last stroke of twelve, Scrooge remembers that Marley told him this is when the final spirit will appear. He then sees a hooded figure approaching him.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come[]
A tall, hooded figure stands before him.[4] Scrooge kneels down and is filled with dread. The figure wears a black, hooded cloak that hides its face and body, except for an outstretched hand. Scrooge asks if it's the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghost doesn't speak but only points its hand. Scrooge tells it that it's going to show him events in the future that haven't happened yet but will happen if it's unchanged. The Ghost inclines its head. Scrooge trembles in fear of the Ghost and can hardly stand it when he follows it. The Ghost pauses to give him some time to recover. Scrooge tells the Ghost that he fears it more than any other ghost he has seen but knows that its job is to do him good, and he is willing to bear its company and urges the Ghost to lead on. The Ghost moves away from him, and Scrooge follows it.
They enter the city, where many merchants are hurrying along the street. They spot a group of businessmen, and the Ghost points towards them. The men discuss a wealthy man who died last night, and what will happen to his wealth is unknown. The men doubt that they will attend the man's funeral, and they laugh before departing. Scrooge knows these men and looks to the Ghost for an explanation. Again, it doesn't answer, glides down the street, and points to two people. Scrooge listens again, hoping there may be an explanation for what he has heard. He also knows these men, as they pose as wealthy businessmen. Again, they briefly discuss a man who died, and the conversation abruptly ends. Scrooge is confused about why the Ghost is showing him these trivial conversations. These people don't appear to be discussing Marley, who has been dead for years, and this was the future he is seeing. Scrooge listens to everything he hears that might provide him a clue about himself and even looks everywhere for his future self, but he's nowhere to be seen. He shudders when the Ghost stares at him keenly.
Scrooge and the Ghost leave the busy street and enter an area in town Scrooge has never seen before but recognizes it as a highly impoverished, disreputable area where the buildings are decayed, the people are ugly and dressed in rags, and there is crime and filth everywhere. They enter a pawn shop, where an elderly man smokes a pipe and hangs up a line. A man and two women enter the shop, carrying heavy bundles of junk, and laugh when they recognize each other. The woman who entered first says that the charwoman should go first, followed by the laundress, Mrs. Dilber, and the undertaker. Old Joe, the pawnbroker, invites them into the parlour to examine the items they brought in. He stirs the fire in the parlour, and the first woman dumps her bundle at Old Joe’s feet and comments that it's everyone's right to look after each other. Everyone agrees, and she says that if the dead man they're talking about wanted to keep them after his death, he would have someone look after him instead of dying alone, and it was a judgment against him.
The woman urges Old Joe to open her bundle. He opens it, removing sleeved buttons and a brooch that isn't valuable. Old Joe examines them and sums up the money he would pay them, which is sixpence. Mrs. Dilber's bundle contains towels, blankets, clothing, silver teaspoons, sugar tongs and boots. The first woman's bundle contains bed curtains, and Old Joe hopes the man's death wasn't contagious. She says no and admits that she had the nerve to take them down while the dead man lay on his bed, as well as his blankets and even removed the shirt he was going to be buried with. Scrooge is horrified and disgusted that these people are showing disrespect to the dead man, as Old Joe assures her she will make a bargain for trading in the dead man's stolen possessions. She says that the dead man scared everyone away when he was alive, but now that he's dead, they will make a profit out of him.
Scrooge tells the Ghost that this unhappy, dead man might be him, and the same could happen to him in the future. He recoils in horror when the scene changes, and he's standing at a bed with no curtains and a body laid on the bed covered in a sheet. The room is very dark to see whose body it is, and the Ghost points to its head. Scrooge cannot bring himself to remove the sheet and see the body's face. He realizes that he is being shown the aftermath of his own death, although he cannot bear to face it yet. He begs the Ghost that he fears the place and wants to see someone who has emotion connected to this man’s death.
The Ghost spreads its cloak, and they are standing in a brightly lit room with a mother and her children. She is pacing anxiously and waiting for someone to arrive. There is a knock on the door, and she hurries to the door to greet her husband. He sits at the dinner table by the fire, and the wife, named Caroline, asks for any news and if they have been ruined. He tells her there is hope, and their relentless creditor, who has constantly tormented them, has died. She is relieved and thankful to hear the news, as they have been in debt to their creditor, and hopes they can transfer their debt to someone else. Scrooge begs the Ghost to show him some tenderness connected to this man’s death.
Scrooge and the Ghost wander the streets. Again, Scrooge looks for his future self but doesn’t see him. They enter the Cratchit home, where they find Mrs. Cratchit and the children sitting by the fire. Everyone is quiet as Peter reads aloud, and Mrs. Cratchit and the girls are sewing. Mrs. Cratchit says her eyes hurt from the candlelight while sewing, and Cratchit should return home soon. Peter says that his father has walked slower these past few days. After some silence, Mrs. Cratchit states that he always walked faster with Tiny Tim on his shoulders, and her children agree. Tiny Tim was also very light for his father to carry, and he loved him dearly. Cratchit arrives home and has some tea. His two children sit on his knees, and he speaks cheerfully to his family and tells his wife that he has visited the spot where Tiny Tim will be buried. He promises him he’ll visit him every Sunday.
Cratchit starts to cry uncontrollably, then heads upstairs into a brightly lit room filled with Christmas decor. He sits next to Tiny Tim’s body on the bed and kisses his face. He calms down and returns downstairs to join his family at the fireside. He explains that he met Fred the other day, who expressed his kindness and condolences to him and Mrs. Cratchit. He told him he could come to him if he needed anything. He has even considered visiting him if he has a situation for Peter. Cratchit then reminds his family that they must never forget Tiny Tim. The children promise, and Cratchit kisses his wife and children and shakes hands with Peter.
Scrooge tells the Ghost that their time together will end soon, but he asks who the dead man is and who nobody misses. The Ghost then points to a building that is Scrooge’s office. He peeks inside the window, but the furniture is different, and somebody else sits at his desk. Then, the Ghost points to the iron gates that leads them into an overgrown churchyard. The Ghost points to a neglected grave, and before he approaches the grave, Scrooge asks if the events he has seen will or may happen, but they can still change. The Ghost continues pointing at the grave, so Scrooge approaches it and reads his name, “EBENEZER SCROOGE,” engraved on it. He is horrified that he’s the dead man, and the Ghost points to the grave and Scrooge. He clutches onto its robe and begs that he isn’t the man he once was and he can still change the future events he has seen. The hand trembles as Scrooge vows to keep Christmas in his heart all year, allow all three spirits to live within him and never forget the lessons they taught him. He begs the Ghost to allow him to erase the writing on the stone and clutches its hand. After saying a silent prayer to reverse his fate, the Ghost’s cloak collapses and turns into a bedpost.
Christmas Day/Scrooge’s Redemption[]
Scrooge finds himself clutching onto his bedpost inside his room.[5] He becomes ecstatic, repeats his promise to let the spirits live within him, and makes this promise to Marley. He sobs joyfully when he sees his bed curtains aren’t torn down. He inspects his clothing’s pockets and doesn’t know what to do in a giddy tone. He rushes into his sitting room, where he points to the door where Jacob entered, the corner where the Ghost of Christmas Present sat, and the window where he saw the ghosts after Marley’s visit. He laughs jovially when he realizes it has all happened. He doesn’t know what day it is and hears church bells ringing. He opens his window, and instead of fog and mist, it is a beautiful, sunny day with bells ringing.
A young boy dressed in Sunday clothes walks below Scrooge’s window, and Scrooge calls to the boy what day it is. The boy replies that it’s Christmas Day. Scrooge realizes that the spirits have done all their work in one night, and he didn’t miss it. He asks the boy to buy the large turkey at the nearest poulterer’s shop. The boy is reluctant, but Scrooge insists he buys it and brings it back here. He promises to give the boy a shilling if he returns with the turkey and will give him half a crown if he returns in less than five minutes. The boy immediately takes off, and Scrooge mutters he will send it to Cratchit’s house, and he won’t know who sent it. He writes the address and heads downstairs to greet the poulterer. Outside, he strokes the knocker and vows to love it for as long as he lives. The boy arrives with the turkey, but Scrooge thinks he can’t walk all the way to Camden Town carrying a large, heavy turkey, so he must hire a cab. He laughs heartily as he pays the boy and the cab driver.
After shaving and wearing his best clothes, Scrooge walks out into the streets, seeing everyone from the Ghost of Christmas Present’s vision. He smiles at them and wishes them a Merry Christmas. He meets the charity gentleman who had visited his office yesterday and surprises him by whispering in his ear that he wants to offer a large donation. The charity gentleman is surprised, and Scrooge insists he takes the donation and asks him to come and see him. The charity gentleman promises he will.
Scrooge attends church, walks along the streets, greets the beggars and children, and watches everyone pass by, not realizing anything could give him such happiness. He then arrives at Fred’s house and passes by it a few times until he has the courage to go inside. A servant answers the door, and Scrooge asks her to invite him in, as he is her master’s uncle. He enters the dining room and sees Fred, his wife and guests. Fred is surprised to see him, and Scrooge says he has come for dinner and asks if he will let him in. Fred agrees, and Scrooge participates in the party’s festivities within a few minutes.
Early the next morning, Scrooge is in his office, expecting Cratchit to arrive late. Nearly half an hour after 9 o’clock, Cratchit arrives. Scrooge greets him in his stern voice as to why he has come in late. Cratchit apologizes that he is late and promises not to be late again, as Christmas only comes once a year. Scrooge says he cannot stand this thing anymore and then reveals that he’s going to raise his salary. Cratchit is so shocked that he’s about to knock him out with the ruler and then call someone outside to fetch a straightjacket. But Scrooge says he will raise his salary and promises to help his family. He would like to discuss it over some smoking bishop and asks him to bring back some coals to stir up a fire.
From that moment on, Scrooge lives up to his word. Because of his kindness, redemption and generosity, Tiny Tim recovers from his illness, and Scrooge becomes a “second father” to him. He becomes a charitable, good man, and some people laugh at his new change, but he doesn’t mind it. He never sees the ghosts again but continues to cherish the Christmas spirit, and everyone remarks that he knows how to keep Christmas well.
Personality/Appearance[]
Scrooge is initially a miserly, penny-pitching man who everyone despised and avoided because of his attitude. He keeps his money to himself and refuses to donate some to the less fortunate or to pay for necessities inside his home. He even refused to pay to offer some heat inside his clerk Bob Cratchit’s office. He showed no sympathy for the poor, even stating they should be better off at a workhouse or prison, where they will die and “decrease the surplus population”. Most notable is Scrooge’s annoyance with the Christmas holiday. He gets easily annoyed whenever anyone sends him their Christmas wishes, and he openly avoids the traditions. He’s clearly dumbfounded when he reluctantly agrees to give Cratchit a day off on Christmas Day, stating that it’s not fair that a hard-working employee gets some time off on one of the busiest holidays of the year. He believes that money is more important than human values or virtues.
When he was a selfish miser, Scrooge was often alone and depressed, but seemed to be fine with it. The only friend he ever had in his life was his business partner, Jacob Marley, and they ran their own successful moneylending business for many years. When Marley died, Scrooge wasn’t grief-stricken about losing his business partner, but was more upset about having to run the business on his own. He is mostly bitter from his traumatic past, which likely shaped him into the man he has become, such as when his cruel father sent him to a miserable boarding school, and when his fiancée called off the proposal when he chose money over her. It was around that time that he had lost his closest family and friends, and he acted cold-hearted toward his nephew Fred, who tried to rouse him by inviting him to his Christmas party. Scrooge was also bothered by the fact that Fred is happily married, which reminds him of the woman he had never gotten to marry. In addition, most of Scrooge’s troubled moments in his life often occurred around Christmas, which may explain why he was initially opposed to celebrating the holiday and chose not to participate in it.
However, when the 3 ghosts visit him, Scrooge’s personality slightly changes. When he sees his childhood with the Ghost of Christmas Past, he becomes emotional upon seeing his child self, alone and neglected at his school. As a child, Scrooge was imaginative and would often fantasize about fictional characters from his favourite stories visiting him, such as Ali Baba from "Arabian Nights" and the parrot from "Robinson Crusoe", to distract himself from his loneliness. Scrooge is so moved by his childhood compassion that he even regrets his harsh threat to the boy singing at his door. He also had fond memories of his beloved sister, Fan, who arrived at his school to retrieve him after she successfully convinced their cruel father to let he could come home. This suggests that, after several years of abandonment, Scrooge was able to reconnect with his loved ones and fellow human beings. Fan had brought so much joy and love to Scrooge in their childhood that it broke his heart when she died young, leaving behind Fred, his nephew and only living relative. Scrooge is also moved by his employer Fezziwig’s kindness and gratitude toward him, which prompts him to regret his mistreatment of Cratchit. Ultimately, Scrooge’s regret and heartbreak unravel when the ghost shows him the scene where his fiancée, Belle, breaks off their engagement after he became obsessed with wealth and chose money over her. He even watched a scene where Belle is happily married with a family of her own, making him devastated that he missed out on this future he would’ve had with Belle, and was even disturbed when he listened to Belle and her husband’s gossip about him being lonely and miserable. Even if Scrooge was forced to view his past and confront the error of his ways, he became too overwhelmed by what he saw and attempted to escape it by extinguishing the ghost’s light with its makeshift candle snuffer.
While witnessing the Cratchit family’s Christmas dinner and Tiny Tim’s bravery, goodwill and kindness, he notices that the boy is weak and disabled and hopes that he will live. Scrooge finally shows sympathy and is willing to sympathize with others more generally. However, the ghost scolds him for his previous lack of sympathy for others. It even repeats Scrooge’s words that the poor should die and “decrease the surplus population”, to highlight his own callous, heartless regard for the less fortunate. Scrooge is also moved when he watches Cratchit propose a toast to him, calling him the founder of their feast, despite his wife’s disgust at his stingy employer. Aside from finally showing sympathy, Scrooge also becomes excited and lively when he watches Fred’s Christmas party, even joining in the games and festivities. He was having so much fun that he didn’t want to leave, but the Ghost urged him that time was running out and this jolly vision could not go on. After the Ghost shows him two starved, neglected children, Ignorance and Want, Scrooge learns that these children represent his ignorance of the poor and how his selfishness and greed are depriving them of basic necessities.
Finally, Scrooge prepares to face redemption with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. This ghost shows Scrooge a bleak future where Scrooge is dead and everyone is relieved that he is gone, while others make a profit from stealing his possessions and no longer have to worry about owing him money. Initially, he only worries about himself and does not express remorse for his mistreatment of his fellow humans. But he becomes solely crushed and devastated when he sees the tender emotion of the Cratchits grieving over the loss of Tiny Tim, a death that could have been easily avoided if not for Scrooge’s greed.
He then becomes terrified and uneasy of his own mortality when he sees a body covered in a sheet that’s his own, and even his neglected grave. He finally grapples with the understanding that his own harsh, greedy lifestyle will lead him to a lonely death and even end up wearing the heavy chains like Marley in the afterlife. He openly confesses to the ghost that he wasn’t the man he used to be and repents, promising to cherish the Christmas spirit forever and never forget the lessons the ghosts have taught him. On Christmas morning, Scrooge is a new man. He becomes joyful and ecstatic that the ghosts have given him a chance of redemption and that his possessions are still here. He finally learns how to value human connection, compassion and generosity, and he even becomes jovial, laughing gleefully and not minding people noticing the abrupt change in him. Aside from accepting Fred’s invitation, offering a large donation to the portly gentlemen and anonymously sending a prized turkey to the Cratchit home, he also learns to take his responsibility as an employer seriously by raising Cratchit’s salary and becoming their patron. He still needs to apologize for his cruel mistreatment over the years, which may take time, but he fully embraces forgiveness by those closer to him, such as Fred and Cratchit. Overall, Scrooge’s miraculous transformation from a selfish miser to a kind-hearted soul represents the power of goodness and charity to overcome suffering, poverty, and hatred, especially during the Christmas season.