Theme of a Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, is a book that reminds all Christians of what inspires the holiday of Christmas and the good will that surrounds it. During the Christmas season, people tend to put their daily needs, selfishness, and working mindset aside for benevolence, friendship, and jubilation. In Dickens' novel, Scrooge, the main character, is surrounded by a handful of characters that stand out as representatives of the good will that surrounds Christmas. Fred represents good humor, cheer, and celebration, while Fezziwig is a kind hearted, generous and spirited employer and friend. Tiny Tim is also courageous and boisterous in his battle with his malady, and the Crachit family, despite their lack of wealth, still believed that God had and would continue to provide them with whatever they needed. However, Scrooge ignores his fellowmen and becomes a very selfish and hateful man. He eventually learns the lessons of Christmas spirit and good will through the visitations of the spirits of Christmases past, present, and future. The spirit of Christmas past taught him that covetousness will chase the ones that love you away and replace God as an idol. The spirit of Christmas present taught him that his greed made others suffer like the Crachit family that barely had enough to eat and could not pay for Tiny Tim's medical care. The spirit of Christmas future taught him that if he were to continue his miserly ways he would die a very lonely man with only his greed to remember him by. With each visit, Scrooge learns that his selfish and greedy habits and self-centered personality do not contribute in any way to the improvement of his life or the spirit of Christmas. He finally realizes that he must change his ways and discover the true meaning of the holiday of Christmas or lose his soul for all eternity. In A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, the message of the true meaning of Christmas stands out with the lessons learned by Ebeneezer Scrooge.