Ghost Of Christmas Past Flashcards
“fell upon the heart of Scrooge with a softening influence, and gave a freer passage to his tears”
This illustrates to the reader that Scrooge’s past had a significant impact on him, emphasising the importance of reflection. The phrase “a freer passage to his tears” implies that his tears were previously stopped from flowing. It can be speculated that due to a lack of reflection Scrooge was experiencing an emotional block of sorts. Perhaps this contributed to his miserly and apathetic personality, presenting the idea that if Scrooge had reflected on his past he may have been a very different individual.
“what business” “a night of unbroken rest”
Scrooge begins by challenging the authority of the Ghost of Christmas Past. He questions “what business” brought the Spirit to him and continues this defiance by claiming that “a night of unbroken rest” would have been more beneficial for him.
“Show (him) no more!”. “the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms and forced him to observe what happened next”.
When the Spirit takes him to see Belle, Scrooge becomes pained, commanding the Spirit to
“Show (him) no more!”. The Spirit retains its power however as Dickens writes that “the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms and forced him to observe what happened next”.
“if that can be called a struggle” “no visible resistance”.
This tension builds until the end of the stave, where Scrooge releases his frustrations in a physical struggle with the Spirit. Although, Dickens interrupts the narrative with the narrators voice, who wonders “if that can be called a struggle” because the Ghost showed “no visible resistance”. This firmly places the Ghost in a powerful position above Scrooge, despite his efforts to challenge its authority.
“could not hide the light”,
During the struggle, Scrooge attempts to put out the light that the Spirit emitted, perhaps because he was unable to handle the truth and hope that it symbolised. This implies that while Scrooge has begun to change, his journey is far from complete. Furthermore, Dickens reveals that Scrooge “could not hide the light”, emphasising the power of reflection and self-discovery.
“of purest white” “soft and gentle”.
Dickens emphasises the status of the Spirit through its appearance and mannerisms. It wears a tunic “of purest white” which emphasises its purity and innocence. This gives the Spirit an impression of moral authority which highlights its didactic purpose within the text. The white tunic also alludes to the biblical image of Jesus who wears white and acts as a moral compass for Christians, transmitting the Christian message of goodness to humanity. The Spirit acts as a reassuring force for Scrooge as its voice was “soft and gentle”. Its gentle description and calm demeanour contrasts to the suffering of Marley, the first Ghost the reader is introduced to.
“like a child” “like an old man”. “fresh green holly”, “summer flowers”.
It is also interesting to note that Dickens describes the Ghost using contradictions, detailing that it looked “like a child” but also “like an old man”. He continues with juxtaposing ideas - the Ghost holds “fresh green holly”, a symbol of winter, but has a dress trimmed with “summer flowers”. These paradoxical descriptions illustrate the impossibility of the Spirits existence, emphasising the supernatural theme. Alternatively, it could be argued that the Spirit encompasses all of Scrooge’s past, from his youth to his old age, and so this is reflected in its appearance.
“bright clear jet of light”
In addition, the “bright clear jet of light” that the Spirit emits develops the motif of light which runs throughout the text. Here, it symbolises enlightenment and Christmas spirit. This ultimately presents the Ghost as a positive and comforting influence, despite the fact that a reader might expect the Spirits to be sinister due to the gothic genre.
“waved its hand” “Let us see another Christmas”,
It can certainly be argued that the role of the Ghost is to guide Scrooge towards his redemption by choosing to take him to significant and provocative moments from his past. Dickens writes that the Spirit “waved its hand” while it said “Let us see another Christmas”, suggesting that it is indeed in control of the events Scrooge witnesses and holds a God-like power.
“a small matter…to make these silly folks so full of gratitude”.
The Spirit prompts Scrooge to reflect on his actions by using deliberately leading comments. For example, after Fezziwig’s party, it mocks Scrooge’s delight, calling the party “a small matter…to make these silly folks so full of gratitude”. This portrays the Spirit as wise, because it is evident that this comment was used to make Scrooge realise the error of his ways. Ultimately, this causes Scrooge to reflect on his actions, pushing him towards his eventual redemption.
