English Literature- A Christmas carol:Characters Flashcards
Ebenezer Scrooge
Scrooge is the protagonist of the novella and is first presented as a misanthropic businessman who is miserly, callous , materialistic and unsympathetic
He is first described as: “Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out a generous fire”:
Dickens’s description conveys Scrooge’s mean and bitter demeanour and he is firmly established as a symbol of cruelty and selfishness
Dickens uses the simile “as solitary as an oyster” to depict Scrooge as an isolated character and this could be interpreted in numerous ways by the reader:
It could suggest that, like an oyster, Scrooge also has a hard exterior though, within his interior, there is a more vulnerable entity, shielding itself from the outside world
In the same way that oysters must be prised open, so too must the spirits force Scrooge to reveal his inner humanity:
Further, as only some oysters produce pearls (which are viewed as very precious), Scrooge is also finally revealed to the reader as a precious and valuable individual within his society
Scrooge’s attitude is typified by his continual expression “humbug”:
The word is used to signify Scrooge’s attitude towards Christmas, which he views as a sham and a fraud
It demonstrates his strong aversion to Christmas and the society around him in general
Scrooge’s cruel and condescending treatment and ignorance of the poor are depicted as typical of the attitude of many of the wealthy classes:
He makes Bob work in dreadful conditions and makes him live in constant fear of losing his job
In Stave I, he refuses to make a charitable donation to the poor and instead declares: “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”
Despite Scrooge’s initial presentation, in Stave II the reader is presented with details about his younger self which create empathy for his character:
Dickens depicts Scrooge’s childhood as lonely and isolated and this invokes sympathy for him as a young boy: “A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still”
Further, Scrooge’s sensitivity is revealed to the reader by his emotional reaction to this scene: “And he sobbed”
Through Scrooge’s sister Fan, the reader learns that his father is less harsh than before, which could hint that his home life was once difficult and perhaps devoid of love
His engagement to Belle, a beautiful young woman, illustrates the contented life that Scrooge could have had and underscores the corrosive consequences of greed
His past suggests his character is not completely depraved and Dickens uses this to hint at the possibility of his future redemption:
It suggests that past events may have corrupted his once-good nature and this creates sympathy for him as well as provides an element of hope
For Dickens, it is vital that Scrooge revisits his younger self and through the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge’s memories become another catalyst for his transformation
Scrooge’s emotions develop quickly as the plot progresses and he demonstrates the ability to change very early on in the novella:
In Stave II, his first stage of remorse is revealed when he regrets not having given money to a carol singer: “There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something, that’s all”
Similarly, in this chapter, Dickens also hints that he regrets his behaviour towards Fred and Bob
Through the character of Tiny Tim, Scrooge develops his ability to empathise with those who are less fortunate:
Tiny Tim plays an important part in inspiring Scrooge’s transformation, which is central to the narrative
Dickens presents Scrooge’s transformation from avarice to benevolence:
By the end of the novella, Scrooge has been transformed into a charitable philanthropist : “I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy, I am giddy as a drunken man” and “I am not the man I was”
