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A Christmas Carol: the other characters
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Every character around Scrooge has a job: to warn him, to show him what he has lost, or to show what generosity looks like.
Marley and the spirits
Marley's Ghost warns Scrooge: "I wear the chain I forged in life." His chain shows the burden of a selfish life.
The Ghost of Christmas Past shows memories. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a jolly giant who reveals Ignorance and Want: "This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both."
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is silent, hooded and only points.
The Ghost of Christmas Past shows memories. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a jolly giant who reveals Ignorance and Want: "This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both."
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is silent, hooded and only points.
Family and the past
Fred, Scrooge's nephew, calls Christmas "a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time" and keeps inviting Scrooge.
Fezziwig, Scrooge's old employer, shows how a kind boss can make workers happy.
Belle, his former fiancée, leaves him because "Another idol has displaced me": money.
Fezziwig, Scrooge's old employer, shows how a kind boss can make workers happy.
Belle, his former fiancée, leaves him because "Another idol has displaced me": money.
The Cratchits
Bob Cratchit: Scrooge's poorly paid clerk, loving and forgiving.
Mrs Cratchit calls Scrooge an "odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man".
Tiny Tim: ill and in danger of dying. His blessing, "God bless Us, Every One!", ends the book.
Mrs Cratchit calls Scrooge an "odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man".
Tiny Tim: ill and in danger of dying. His blessing, "God bless Us, Every One!", ends the book.
Why does Dickens include Fezziwig?
- Fezziwig is a generous employer who throws a Christmas party.
- Scrooge admits that Fezziwig had the power to make work a burden or a pleasure.
- This makes Scrooge think about how he treats Bob.
Answer: To give a model of a kind employer, which makes Scrooge reflect on his treatment of Bob Cratchit.
Marley warns; the three spirits teach; Fred and Fezziwig model warmth; Belle shows what greed cost him; the Cratchits, especially Tiny Tim, show poverty and love.
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