Thoughtful Ideas about Christmas Carol Characters

Question 1

Scrooge

Answer 1

Warmth, generosity , and overall goodwill, overcome Scrooges bitter apathy as he encounters and learns from his memory, the ability to empathize and his fear of death. Memory serves to remind Scrooge of a time when he still felt emotionally connected to other people, before he closed himself off in a stage of alienation

“Solitary as an oyster” describes Scrooge as a hardened crustacean. Represents the misery and sin that has accumulated over the years that is extremely hard to be dislodged. It implies that Scrooge needs to be broken apart to reveal a softer interior and the Ghosts break down Scrooge psychologically throughout the novella.

The transformation of Scrooge hold strong biblical connotations as Dickens’ novels reflect the 19th century ideas of Unitarianism which included the rejection of materialism.

Question 2

Marley’s Ghost

Answer 2

In Marley’s ghost, chains represent guilt- each link was a transgression/ sin he committed against mankind. In Psalms in the Bible, there is a continual reference to man “weighed down by sin”. Biblical symbolism becomes reality for Marley forced to carry his sins in the form of an iron chain. He is doomed to wander the earth for eternity – desperately seeking redemption.

Question 3

Ghost of Christmas Past

Answer 3

For the Ghost of Christmas Past, the aged appearance of the childlike figure touches on the role of memory as a force that connects the different stages of a persons life. “It was a strange figure- like a child: yet not so like a child as a old man”. Juxtaposing nature of memories associated with pain and loss, but also necessary to stimulate change within Scrooge. Through the ghost sees his transformation from a young, eager schoolboy through to a miserly, sinner. This encounter with his past love brings about an emotional break down in Scrooge and the reconnection with his feeling self-initiates the process of melting away Scrooge’s cold, icy exterior . However, this emotional epiphany is still largely self-serving as Scrooge is saddened by his own past mistakes and regrets. It is not until Stave 3 where he witnesses the struggling Cratchits that his sympathy extends beyond his own interests.

Question 4

Ghost of Christmas Present

Answer 4

Appearing on a throne made of food, the spirit evokes thoughts of prosperity
and merriment. Similarly, the moral outlook of A Christmas Carol has little to do with the solemnity of a religious occasion. Christmas, in Dickens’ mind, should not bring about self-denial, or emotional withdrawal. Christmas is a time of sharing one’s riches–emotional, spiritual, monetary, etc.–with the community of man.In this sense, the Ghost of Christmas Present also represents empathy enabling Scrooge to not only see the Cratchits but to feel and ultimately share the sorrow and hardships of their daily toil.
In essence, the celebratory aspects of Christmas that Dickens promotes are grounded in this empathetic generosity. Christmas should stimulate within people a concern for the wants and needs of others and a euphoric joy in fulfilling these desires – much like the Ghost depicted.

Question 5

Ghost of Christmas yet to come

Answer 5

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents the fear of death, which emphasises Scrooge’s lessons about memory, empathy, and generosity. In the description of the graveyard, Dickens describes the scene overrun with ‘weeds’. This could be a wider metaphor for Scrooge’s spiritual sickness – with his soul unkept and uncared for, for
many years – much like the garden depicted in the penultimate stave. Also the idea that weeds are parasitic feeding off stronger, healthier plants to acquire their nutrients which parallels Scrooge’s personality feeding off society for self gain.

Question 6

The Cratchits

Answer 6

Described using semantics of heat – (direct contrast to Scrooge) Exothermic and endothermic. Shows ability of love and kindness to provide a sense of warmth and comfort even in the most challenging of lives. The scene at Bob Cratchit’s unassuming little abode is pivotal to the development of the novella. Dickens uses the opportunity to put forth a saddening criticism of the unfeeling members of a disconnected upper class and to present a highly sentimentalized portrait of the lower classes.

Question 7

Tiny Tim

Answer 7

Dickens, with every intention of elliticting an emotive reaction in the reader, paints the Cratchits as a destitute family that finds a way to express profound gratitude for its emotional riches. Dickens carries this sentiment even further with the tragic figure of the pure-hearted, crippled Cratchit son, Tiny Tim. Tim is an essential catalyst in Scrooge’s transformation

Question 8

Fred

Answer 8

Becomes a symbol for the power of familial love – enduring love for Fan. Fred offers Scrooge a ‘bridge’ between Scrooge’s cold, hard existence and human relationships. Fred arguably is a static character in the novella undergoing no significant change –
however this is crucial for Scrooge’s development. Fred is a source of stability and comfort – Scrooge can rely upon and again a reminder that familial love (the most inherent of all loves) will endure throughout adversity and throughout time.