A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

1. PLOT

   • A stingy businessman named Ebenezer Scrooge is known as the meanest man in Victorian London. He over works and underpays his humble clerk, Bob Cratchit, whose little son, Tiny Tim, is crippled and may die very soon. He also has nothing to do with his nephew, Fred, because his birth cost the life of his beloved sister. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge has a haunting nightmare from being visited by the ghost of his business partner, Jacob Marley. He is then visited by three ghosts and is given one last chance to change his ways and save himself from the grim fate that befell Marley.

2. GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST

   • Dickens does not use gender pronouns to describe the ghost of Christmas past. He refers to the ghost as "it." Dickens describes the ghost as having long white hair and a face with no wrinkles. The ghost wears a white tunic and holds a branch of fresh green holly in its hand. On top of its head is a bright flame. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge on a journey to show him specific scenes from his past, including his lonely boarding school days during Christmas and the time when his fiance leaves him. The scenes show Scrooge increasingly becomes obsessed with his fortunes and grows to despise Christmas.

3. GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT

   • The ghost of Christmas Present is next. This ghost has long, dark brown curls and wears a green robe bordered with white fur. He is large in size and wears a wreath of holly with icicles. The Ghost of Christmas present takes Scrooge out on the city's streets to see the common people celebrating Christmas. The ghost sees a vision of Tiny Tim's crutch in a fireplace corner. He tells Scrooge that is changes are not made in the present, the boy will die. Tiny Tim is the son of Scrooges employee, Bob Cratchit. Since Scrooge does not pay Cratchit a sufficient income, Cratchit struggles to financially support his family and care for his ill child.