How Does Scrooge Change In A Christmas Carol
The novella, A Christmas Carol, by author Charles Dickens, talks about Ebenezer Scrooge, an old man known for his miserly ways. Scrooge is visited by several ghosts on Christmas Eve, starting off with his business partner, Jacob Marley. As the ghosts take Scrooge on many different scenes/memories, he learns lessons on the way. As a result, Scrooge is given a chance to change and make up for his miserly ways. Charles Dickens wants us to understand that the ‘business’ of being human is not always the amount of wealth or money that is our ‘business’ but it’s the “common welfare” of others, sharing happiness with one another.
At the beginning of the story, we see that Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, visits his uncle to invite him to dinner on Christmas, but Scrooge blatantly rejects. The conversation quickly escalates and Fred says “There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,” …show more content…
returned the nephew: “Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round- if anything belonging to it can be apart from that- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time..” This evidence demonstrates that on Christmas, Fred doesn’t gain or profit anything from celebrating the holiday with a dinner, but he has gained a good time; “a forgiving, charitable, pleasant time.” Instead of being like his old grumpy uncle, Fred has a different perspective on Christmas, a merry holiday with good times and events, while Scrooge thinks it is “time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older and not an hour richer.” It becomes clear without a doubt that Scrooge only worries about money and wealth. To continue, the middle of the story where the Ghost/Spirit of Christmas Past describes Scrooge’s childhood, and his parting with Belle.
The quote “Scrooge weeps and says to the Ghost, “There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should have liked to have given him something: that’s all,” represents how mankind is the business of being human. It represents this because Scrooge realizes how even one coin could have brightened the boy’s day. It also could’ve reminded Scrooge about his own behavior and how it may have made others feel like he once did, when he was young & lonely. This also says that our actions have an impact on ourselves and others. “When we were both poor and content to be so, until, in good season, we could improve our worldly fortune by our patient industry. You are changed. When it was made, you were another man,” also shows how Scrooge was filled with greed, and had chosen wealth over love. It shows that he chose money over mankind, and he had affected Belle and himself, losing her in the
process. When the story comes to a close, the Cratchit family is celebrating Christmas (along with Scrooge’s nephew) and all of a sudden, Scrooge takes an interest towards Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit’s son and asks the Ghost of Christmas Present if he’ll live and the Ghost answers with “What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief,” and “Have they no refuge or resource?” cried Scrooge. “Are there no prisons?” said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. “Are there no workhouses?” This could mean that Scrooge finally realizes how harsh he sounded, and probably regrets saying those words thrown back at him by the Ghost. At the time he only cared about himself, and not mankind. The book/author also states “This is the end of it, you see! He frightened every one away from him when he was alive, to profit us when he was dead! Ha, ha, ha!” People are selling Scrooge’s belongings, bed curtains, his blanket and much more when it is foreseen that Scrooge has died. It also informs us that if Scrooge doesn’t change his ways, he’ll end up with nobody to be there when he’s dead. He has affected others, so it might affect him in the end, perfect example of how mankind is our business, others welfare. Scrooge decides to take his chance and change his ways with the quote “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year, I will live in the Past, Present and Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”
In the very end of it all, Scrooge and the reader learn lessons about a historical event, in which C.D teaches us about the business of being human in many different ways. From our childhood life and behavior, our rash actions, being influenced in a certain direction, to changing the ways that we go about in our daily lives, what we do will have an impact on others as well as ourselves and how we, as humans, have a business that is somewhat common in multiple ways: mankind.
At the beginning of the story, we see that Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, visits his uncle to invite him to dinner on Christmas, but Scrooge blatantly rejects. The conversation quickly escalates and Fred says “There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,” …show more content…
returned the nephew: “Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round- if anything belonging to it can be apart from that- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time..” This evidence demonstrates that on Christmas, Fred doesn’t gain or profit anything from celebrating the holiday with a dinner, but he has gained a good time; “a forgiving, charitable, pleasant time.” Instead of being like his old grumpy uncle, Fred has a different perspective on Christmas, a merry holiday with good times and events, while Scrooge thinks it is “time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older and not an hour richer.” It becomes clear without a doubt that Scrooge only worries about money and wealth. To continue, the middle of the story where the Ghost/Spirit of Christmas Past describes Scrooge’s childhood, and his parting with Belle.
The quote “Scrooge weeps and says to the Ghost, “There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should have liked to have given him something: that’s all,” represents how mankind is the business of being human. It represents this because Scrooge realizes how even one coin could have brightened the boy’s day. It also could’ve reminded Scrooge about his own behavior and how it may have made others feel like he once did, when he was young & lonely. This also says that our actions have an impact on ourselves and others. “When we were both poor and content to be so, until, in good season, we could improve our worldly fortune by our patient industry. You are changed. When it was made, you were another man,” also shows how Scrooge was filled with greed, and had chosen wealth over love. It shows that he chose money over mankind, and he had affected Belle and himself, losing her in the
process. When the story comes to a close, the Cratchit family is celebrating Christmas (along with Scrooge’s nephew) and all of a sudden, Scrooge takes an interest towards Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit’s son and asks the Ghost of Christmas Present if he’ll live and the Ghost answers with “What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief,” and “Have they no refuge or resource?” cried Scrooge. “Are there no prisons?” said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. “Are there no workhouses?” This could mean that Scrooge finally realizes how harsh he sounded, and probably regrets saying those words thrown back at him by the Ghost. At the time he only cared about himself, and not mankind. The book/author also states “This is the end of it, you see! He frightened every one away from him when he was alive, to profit us when he was dead! Ha, ha, ha!” People are selling Scrooge’s belongings, bed curtains, his blanket and much more when it is foreseen that Scrooge has died. It also informs us that if Scrooge doesn’t change his ways, he’ll end up with nobody to be there when he’s dead. He has affected others, so it might affect him in the end, perfect example of how mankind is our business, others welfare. Scrooge decides to take his chance and change his ways with the quote “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year, I will live in the Past, Present and Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”
In the very end of it all, Scrooge and the reader learn lessons about a historical event, in which C.D teaches us about the business of being human in many different ways. From our childhood life and behavior, our rash actions, being influenced in a certain direction, to changing the ways that we go about in our daily lives, what we do will have an impact on others as well as ourselves and how we, as humans, have a business that is somewhat common in multiple ways: mankind.