ghost of christmas past

Question 1

I W A S F L A C Y N S L A C A L A O M
- STAVE 2
- supernatural
- kindness / family
- social injustice

Answer 1

“It was a strange figure - like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man”

• contrast between child & old man underpins the interconnectedness of time , emphasizing that the past inevitably shapes the present & influences the future.
• By revisiting scrooges childhood ,ghost aims to catalyze a regression in him, prompting a return to his former compassionate self & setting him on the path to redemption
• by presenting the ghost as an amalgamation of youthfulness & old age , Dickens captures the fascination of his readership allowing him to use the juxtaposing depiction to emphasise the motif of time throughout the novella

Question 2

“Bright ___ jet of ___” “___ white”
- STAVE 2
- supernatural
- religion
- regret / redemption

Answer 2

“Bright clear jet of light” “purest white”
- motif of light permeates throughout the novella, illuminating characters such as GOCP, GOCP & Fred all of whom play a role in encouraging scrooges transformation

• ‘light’ evokes images of hope & radiance , symbolizing how the ghost is a beacon of enlightenment, tasked with illuminating Scrooges path towards moral awakening & personal transformation
• ghost purpose is to reveal to Scrooge the potential for a hopeful & joyous existence if he chooses the path of redemption
• “purest white” creates celestial image of heaven & purity from sin. As the ghost wears a “tunic” of this color , it is suggestive that his aim is to resurface scrooges repressed memories & emotions in order to purify him from his previous sins so he is ready to access heaven
• this celestial symbolism serves as a dual purpose - foreshadows scrooges spiritual journey towards moral transformation & redemption while also emphasising the theme of forgiveness . Dickens suggests that nobody is beyond redemption , regardless of their past sins , salvation & forgiveness can be found