Ghost of Christmas Present

Question 1

“its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air”

Answer 1

• The GHOST could be VEIWED as the PERSONIFICATION of the CHRISTMAS SPIRIT - The GHOST REPRESENTS everything POSITIVE CHRISTMAS. This is EMPHASISED by the ADJECTIVES and VERBS
  ‘ cheerful ‘ , ‘ giving ‘ and ‘ joyful ‘
• The GHOST’S DESCRIPTION JUXTAPOSES how Scrooge is FIRST DESCRIBED - ‘ a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner ! ‘

Question 2

“ bore a glowing torch ”

Answer 2

• The GHOST holds this ‘ glowing torch ‘
• This is in the SHAPE OF THE HORN OF PLENTY ( which is a SYMBOL OF ABUNDANCE ) and as IT SPRINKLES the TORCH OVER PEOPLE THEY ARE filled with KINDNESS and CHEER ASSOCIATED WITH CHRISTMAS
• ’ Horn of plenty ‘ is taken from GREEK and ROMAN MYTHOLOGY, it is a TERM which is ASSOCIATED with HARVEST TIME and an ABUNDANCE OF FOOD
• The MOTIF of LIGHT is USED to REPRESENT the JOY SURROUNDING CHRISTMAS

Question 3

“ antique scabbard , but no sword was in it ”

Answer 3

• The GHOST CARRIES THIS ‘ scabbard ‘
• Dickens DEPICTS, through THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT, that CHRISTMAS is a TIME ASSOCIATED with PEACE and GOODWILL where CONFLICT and DIFFERENCES should be PUT ASIDE