Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

For giving us A Christmas Carol, and for teaching us to wish each other a merry Christmas, we need to thank Charles Dickens. It’s likely that before the release of his book on December 19, 1843, the phrase “Merry Christmas” was never heard, never been spoken.

The Plot: A Christmas Carol   

Charles Dickens called it his ‘ghostly little book.’ The story takes us on Christmas Eve when the mean-spirited, miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley, his seven-year dead business partner. Marley, uninvited that he was, warns Scrooge that he is going to be haunted by three ghosts unless he changes (or else be doomed), and that the ghosts’ visits he cannot avoid or run away from.  

Ebenezer Scrooge 

How is Scrooge miserly and cold-hearted?  Ebenezer Scrooge cares for no one and nothing but himself and his wealth. He has no friends, and takes for granted his seemingly only living family, his nephew Fred. Unlike his loyal and hadworking clerk Bob Cratchitt, he doesn’t believe in Christmas and what it means.

The Three Christmas Ghosts

The three ghosts are The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come. During the night, Scrooge is visited by them, who took turns in escorting him to his past, the present and what-will-be.  

The first, Ghost of Christmas Past, shows Scrooge the sorrows of his past Christmases, and we find out some events that made him to become cold and mean. The past of Scrooge includes an isolated childhood boarding school, his beloved sister dying in childbirth, and finally, his loss of Belle, his lady love.

The second, Ghost of the Christmas Present, shows Scrooge a present day Christmas. It is the family of his loyal clerk, Bob Cratchit, whose household includes the crippled Tiny Tim. Scrooge realizes that despite the family’s poverty, they are more content than him because they have each other.

The third, Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come, escorts Scrooge as the miser surveys the forebodings of things to come.  The ghost tells Scrooge that there will be an early death for the gentle child, Tiny Tim Cratchit.  Scrooge also becomes sad on hearing himself mocked by the party-people at his nephew’s home, although Fred insists that his uncle can change. Scrooge sees how humble people celebrate Christmas and can be content with simple things they have.

The Transformation of Scrooge

Chastised by his experiences and taught how others suffer in adversity, Ebenezer Scrooge learns he has hope in the future by changing his ways. He resolves to lead a better life — He sends a turkey to the Cratchit family and he visits his  nephew, Fred. He even donates to charity, as well as increase Bob’s salary.

The tale ends as Scrooge awakens on a Christmas morning with a warm glow of joyful living, a joie de vivre.