A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Key Literary Terms

Protagonist: main character (hero) in any literary work.
Antithesis: the opposite of someone or something. A character can be the complete antithesis of another. We will see how this is true in the first stave. This term is similar to ‘foil.’ (Remember Macbeth and Banquo?)

Epiphany: the point or moment in a literary work in which a character arrives at a significant realization or insight. An epiphany changes a character’s understanding.
Catharsis: the purging of emotions. Catharsis helps bring a character to redemption.
Verbal Irony: when a character says something but means the opposite. It is similar to sarcasm and is typically intentional.
Onomatopoeia: a word that imitates a sound. Ex: buzz, bang!, zip!....

Stave One: Marley’s Ghost

A stave is a musical term. Notice the title of this novel refers to a musical song. Dickens was being cute or clever by breaking the novel into 5 staves; think of each stave as a large chapter.

Stave One

Exposition- Setting (time/place) is established: mid 19th century London
Reader learns “Old Marley was as dead as a doornail.” Notice this
cliché- a very old, common and worn out expression/figure of speech…
Tone/Mood- dark, dreary, flat, bit creepy
Story begins in counting-house (workplace) of misanthropic Ebeneezer Scrooge
Narrator goes to great lengths to establish facts of Marley’s death- reader learns that Scrooge was Marley’s only friend in life, only mourner at funeral
Allusion to Shakespeare’s Hamlet helps clarify that Marley is actually a ghost just like the father of Hamlet.
Characters Introduced

Ebeneezer Scrooge- miserly businessman, hates humankind (misanthrope), no friends, dark weather has no effect on him, laughs at the idea of charity, has not thought about Marley once since he died
Fred- Scrooge’s nephew, his antithesis, or opposite, extends Scrooge an invitation to Christmas dinner, Scrooge rejects him, mocks him for being modest, somewhat poor, married, and for celebrating Christmas, later reveals himself to be kind soul who pities his uncle
Charity Workers/”Portly Gentlemen”- Visit Scrooge after Fred’s visit, ask for donations to poor, rejected by Scrooge who says that prisons and workhouses are good enough for the poor, who he feels they should just die to “decrease the surplus population”
Countinghouse Clerk- mocked by Scrooge when he asked for Christmas Day off, treated horribly by Scrooge, given very little coal to keep warm while working, reader later learns this is Bob Cratchit, father of the crippled boy, Tiny Tim
Jacob Marley- died 7 years ago on Christmas Eve, appears as a spectral vision/ apparition on door knocker of counting house (illusion, foreshadowing), appears as the first of the 4 ghosts to visit Scrooge, lives just like Scrooge when he was alive
Marley’s Ghost

“I wear the chain I forged in life….I made it link by link….”
Since his death, Marley has been wandering, in “incessant torture of remorse,” trying to make amends. He tries to warn Scrooge to “shun the path I tread…”

Significance of Marley’s Ghost

Reveals to the reader the exciting force/inciting incident.
“You will be visited by Three Spirits.”
Marley shows Scrooge the tortured spirits/phantoms outside his window to help him see the life that awaits him unless he changes. They are unable to help those here on earth.

Stave Two
Ghost of Christmas Past

Clock strikes one, and this bizarre-looking ghost appears.
Childlike, like an old man, but also ageless
Light shines from head (symbolic of Scrooge’s past, his memories, his potential)
Hold extinguisher (cap) to block the light
Takes Scrooge first to his schoolhouse where he is a young, lonely boy abandoned by his father, then to visit the Fezziwigs, and finally Belle
Characters Introduced:

Young Scrooge- abandoned by his father, lonely, wants to be loved
Fan- Scrooge’s loving sister who protects her brother, reader learns she later dies, has one child, Fred
Fezziwgs- family who employed Scrooge, allowed Dick and Scrooge to serve as apprentices, treated him very well, wonderful family, mirror images of the Cratchits in terms of wholesomeness and family unit, help Scrooge see how he treats Bob Cratchit (What does Scrooge say?)
Belle- former fiance, Scrooge cannot bear to see her, realizes that he threw love away for money, a kind soul who released Scrooge from their engagement since he loved work and $ more than her “You are changed.”

Scrooge already shows a ‘kinder’ side:

He has been hurt during his childhood, and this upsets him.
He misses the company of the Fezziwigs.
He never recovered from losing Belle.
“Remove me!”- his pain is too much for him….

Stave Three
Climax of the story

Ghost of Christmas Present visits- (like the Jolly Green Giant, happy, welcoming)
Scrooge has started to change significantly- notice/recall his reactions to his young self, to the Fezziwigs, to Belle
Also, notice how Scrooge responds/reacts to this ghost- he is now open to the idea of being shown how he can change…
Characters Introduced:

Cratchits- family of Bob, Scrooge’s clerk, jocund despite being very poor, “happy,” “grateful,” eldest children Belinda and Peter work to help their dad
Tiny Tim- a frail, physically handicapped boy who is the ultimate symbol of goodness and innocence in story. He wants to serve as an example to others, a reminder of how Christ healed those who need Him (according to Bob)

Ghost of Christmas Present

Sympathetic towards the poor- sprinkles incense from his torch on them as he walks around
Takes Scrooge all around the world- to a lighthouse, to hospitals, to cold mining villages- all to show Scrooge there is hope in poverty and happiness in Christmas

Visit to Fred’s house shows Scrooge the error of his ways- Fred toasts to him, says he feels only pity for his uncle

“I am sorry for him. I couldn’t be angry with him if I try…..”

Ghost shows Scrooge children within his robe: “Man’s Children”- Ignorance and Want

Notice the symbolism here- How does this relate to Scrooge? How is verbal irony present in the Ghost’s response?.....

Stave 4
The Ghost of Yet to Come

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is the last of the three spirits that haunt the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to adopt a more caring attitude in life and avoid the horrid afterlife of Marley. Most people find the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come the most fearsome of the spirits; it appeared to Scrooge as a figure entirely muffled in a black hooded robe, except for a single gaunt hand with which it pointed. Although the character never speaks in the story, Scrooge seems to be able to get its messages, usually as assumptions due to his previous experiences.
Marks the beginning of the denouement, the part of a literary work that follows the climax, leads to a resolution- ‘loose ends are tied up.’
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Future)- mysterious, “immovable”, does not speak, appears as ‘Grim Reaper’ type
“It’s likely to be a cheap funeral….”

Scrooge encounters businessmen who are talking about his death.
Scrooge does not yet know whose death they are discussing.

Next stop with ghost: Old Joe’s pawn shop

The low-life type characters (Mrs. Dilbert included) wish to profit by selling goods stolen from the now-deceased Scrooge.
Scrooge is laughed at and mocked as a “wicked old screw.”
Mrs. Dilbert on selling Scrooge’s possessions for cash: “It’s a judgment on him.”

Scrooge asks to visit people who have some sort of “emotion”, some about this mystery man who has died.
He is taken to people who owe him money (Caroline and her husband)

How do they feel about this man’s death? Why?

Ghost escorts Scrooge to the Cratchits. What has happened to Tiny Tim?

What kind of man does Bob Cratchit again show himself to be at this point? How so?

When Scrooge is taken to the graveyard, he finally learns that the man who is ‘dead’ is actually him.

Scrooge, moved by the sight of his tombstone, seems to finally have realized the misery of his past life.
Pleads with the ghost, “I will live in the Past, Present, and Future.” (personification)

Scrooge’s epiphany is clearly illustrated in this stave.
Epiphany: a sudden realization, a flash of recognition

Scrooge experiences an epiphany in one night, thanks to the 4 ghosts. It begins when he first see his young self and is most clear when he pleads w/ the final ghost, “I will honor Christmas in my heart….I will live in the Past, Present, and Future.”

Catharsis: a purging or redemption of great emotions, a ‘coming to terms’ with deep emotions or troubles

Scrooge’s catharsis is fully present and developed in Stave 5. He is happy, fully alive, and wants to make amends for his past.

Stave Five
Resolution is present in this stave.

Scrooge is thrilled to be alive and have a 2nd chance at life.
He orders a huge turkey for the Cratchit family, he has dinner with Fred, he gives Bob a raise, and he becomes a “2nd father” to Tim.
How else does Scrooge make up for his miserable past?
He runs into one of the “portly gentlemen/charity workers” from Stave One and donates a ridiculous amount of cash.
What is the most important effect of Scrooge’s epiphany and catharsis?- Tiny Tim is saved due to his generosity!
Story ends on happy note- Tiny Tim’s quotation: “God bless Us, Every One!”

Literary Terms Continued

Verbal Irony: marked difference between what is stated and what is implied. (similar to sarcasm)

Example- Ghost of Christmas Present to Scrooge, “Are there no workhouses?” (Stave Three)

Onomatopoeia: words spelled the way they sound

Notice the bells/clocks in Stave Five
Examples: Buzz, dong, bam, moo

“Ding dong, bell! Bell, dong, ding!...”

Literary Terms List

Allusion/ Illusion Climax (3)
Antithesis Verbal Irony (3)
Foreshadowing
Denouement (4)
Exposition (*1)
Catharsis (5)
Exciting Force (1)
Resolution (5)
Epiphany (2-4)
Onomatopoeia

* Refers to Stave #

Poets’ Corner

He is buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in London.
Dickens’ epitaph:

He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.

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A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens

The following entry presents criticism on Dickens's novella A Christmas Carol (1843). See also Charles Dickens Short Story Criticism, A Tale of Two Cities Criticism, Little Dorrit Criticism, Our Mutual Friend Criticism, and Hard Times Criticism.
INTRODUCTION
A Christmas Carol (1843) is one of the most recognizable stories in English literature. With its numerous literary, stage, television, radio, and cinematic adaptations, the tale has become a holiday classic, and the character Ebenezer Scrooge has become a cultural icon. First published in 1843, the novella garnered immediate critical and commercial attention and is credited with reviving interest in charitable endeavors, the possible perils of economic success, and festive traditions of the Christmas season. It is the first work in Dickens's series of Christmas stories known collectively as the Christmas Books, as well as the most popular and enduring.
Plot and Major Characters
Set in the 1840s on Christmas Eve, A Christmas Carol chronicles the personal transformation of the protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, the proprietor of a London counting house. A wealthy, elderly man, Scrooge is considered miserly and misanthropic: he has no wife or children; he throws out two men collecting for charity; he bullies and underpays his loyal clerk, Bob Cratchit; and he dismisses the Christmas dinner invitation of his kind nephew, Fred. Moreover, Scrooge is a strong supporter of the Poor Law of 1834, which allowed the poor to be interned in workhouses. As he prepares for bed on Christmas Eve in his solitary, dark chambers, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. In life Marley was very similar in attitude and temperament to Scrooge: remote, cruel, and parsimonious. In death he has learned the value of compassion and warns Scrooge to reform his ways before it is too late. Marley announces that Scrooge will be visited by three more specters: the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge back to his unhappy childhood, revealing that the young boy's experiences with poverty and abandonment inspired a desire to succeed and gain material advantage. Unfortunately, Scrooge's burgeoning ambition and greed destroyed his relationship with his fiancée and his friends. The Ghost of Christmas Present is represented by a hearty, genial man who reminds Scrooge of the joy of human companionship, which he has rejected in favor of his misanthropic existence. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears in a dark robe and shrouded in mystery. Silently, the ghost reveals the ambivalent reaction to news of Scrooge's own death. Scrooge realizes that he will die alone and without love, and that he has the power and money to help those around him—especially Bob Cratchit's ailing son, Tiny Tim. Scrooge begs the ghost for another chance and wakes in his bed on Christmas morning, resolved to changing his life by being generous and loving to his family, employees, and the poor.
Major Themes
A Christmas Carol has been deemed a biting piece of social commentary by some. Critics have underscored the scathing criticism of 1840s London, an economically and socially stratified city that Dickens believed imprisoned its poor and oppressed its lower classes. The prevailing socio-economic theory of that time held that anyone who was in debt should be put in a poorhouse. In his story, Dickens contended that the reformation of such a materialistic, shallow society can be achieved gradually through the spiritual transformation of each individual. The story is well regarded for its expression of a fundamental faith in humanity and its unflagging censure of social injustice, which was inspired by Dickens's troubled background and his visit to the Cornish tin mines where he observed young children laboring under appalling conditions. As Scrooge transforms from a cruel, embittered miser to a kindly philanthropist, Dickens advocates a more forgiving, generous society that values spiritual growth, not material wealth. Other major thematic concerns in A Christmas Carol include the role of memory, the importance of family, and the soul-deadening effect of greed on the human spirit.
Critical Reception
Upon its initial publication, A Christmas Carol was greeted with mixed reviews. Some commentators derided the tale as too sentimental and laden with exaggeration; other critics maintained that A Christmas Carollacked the complexity of Dickens's later work. Yet the novella remains a Christmas favorite. Commentators praise Dickens's evocative portrayal of 1840s London and his passionate exploration of social and political issues. Dickens's fervent belief in social justice as depicted through A Christmas Carol is credited with inspiring an outpouring of charitable endeavors during his time and a revival of Christmas spirit and traditional celebrations. Critics have also explored the fairy-tale and gothic elements in A Christmas Carol, and many praise Dickens's use of wry humor in the story. The relevance and power of Scrooge's transformation from forlorn old niggard to benignant philanthropist is regarded as the key to the novella's unflagging popular appeal. Several scholars have debated the nature of Scrooge's conversion, which is known as “the Scrooge problem.” Some critics, including Edmund Wilson, conclude that the transformation is a temporary one; others have maintained that it is total and irrevocable. Scrooge's metanoia has also been placed within its historical and literary context, and critics have related it to the religious revival then fervent in nineteenth-century England. A few full-length studies of the novella have traced the impact of the story on English and American culture and have discussed the copious imitations, adaptations, and modernized versions of the tale.

(Other)
Jacob Marley, the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge, died seven years ago. On a dingy Christmas Eve, Scrooge, a cold, unfriendly miser, works in his counting-house while keeping an eye on his clerk, a small man named Bob Cratchit. Scrooge's nephew wishes Scrooge a merry Christmas, but Scrooge answers him with a disdainful "Bah! Humbug!" He believes Christmas is the same as any day of the year, a day in which one must still pay bills. His nephew, Fred, thinks of Christmas as a "kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time." He invites Scrooge to dine with him tomorrow, but his uncle rejects the offer.

Two portly gentlemen enter and ask Scrooge for charity for the poor. Scrooge believes that prisons and workhouses are sufficient, and he dismisses them. Outside, it gets colder. A Christmas caroler tries to sing at Scrooge's door, but the old man scares him away. Scrooge closes up the counting-house and tells Cratchit he expects him to work on Christmas day. Cratchit goes home.
Scrooge goes through his dreary routine of dinner in a tavern, then goes to his gloomy home. Scrooge sees the dead Marley's face in the knocker of his door until it turns back into a knocker. It gives Scrooge pause, but he resolves not to be frightened. He thinks he sees a locomotive hearse going up the stairs before him. He walks through his rooms to make sure no one is there. After, he warms himself by a small fire. A bell in the room starts to ring, and soon all the other bells in the house do. After some time, the bells stop, and Scrooge hears the cellar-door open.
Marley's ghost‹transparent and bound in a long chain made of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses‹enters the room. Scrooge claims he does not believe the ghost exists, but soon he admits he does. Marley says his spirit has been wandering since he died as punishment for being consumed with business and not with people while alive. He has come to warn Scrooge and perhaps save him from the same fate. He tells him Three Spirits will come to him over the next three nights. Marley makes incoherent, sorrowful sounds, then leaves. Scrooge looks out the window and sees the sky filled with other chained spirits, some familiar to him, who cry about their inability to connect with others. He goes to sleep.
Analysis:
A Christmas Carol is foremost a Christian allegory of redemption about, as Fred says, the "kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time" of Christmas. Scrooge is a skinflint businessman who represents the greediest impulses of Victorian England's rich. He subscribes to the guidelines of the Poor Laws, which oppress the underclass, and has no warmth in his spirit for anything but money. Cratchit is the underclass's representative, a humble, powerless man who has no choice but to kowtow to his employer's demands.
Yet underneath the simple Christian allegory, Dickens investigates the complicated nature of time in a capitalist system. The references to signifiers of time are numerous in the chapter; the bells ring to herald Marley's arrival, and even the repetitive discussion of Marley's death at the beginning emphasizes the present tense in which Scrooge is stuck.
Why the present tense? Capitalism functions in the now. Always aware of the clock, of how much time has passed and how much is left, capitalism is foremost concerned with what can be done at the present to accumulate money. Scrooge believes Christmas time is simply "capitalist time," to coin a phrase, whereas Fred believes it constitutes a departure from capitalist time.
Scrooge's temporal problem, then, is his inability to hold a more humane version of the present tense. Moreover, he is unable to combine the three tenses‹past, present, and future‹into a singular redemptive vision of humanity. Scrooge foreshadows the concept of the epiphany when he asks for all three ghosts at once; perhaps the epiphany somehow depends on time in such a universal way.
Dickens also structures A Christmas Carol with the musical notation of five "staves." Dickens's choice to call his story a song emphasizes the communal theme‹carolers rarely sing alone, after all‹and perhaps to underscore the temporal theme at play, since songs are temporal forms that rely on repetition of the chorus.

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

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