A Christmas Carol - Themes

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  • A Christmas Carol - Themes
    • The Christmas Spirit
      • A time of happiness, kindness and generosity
      • Christmas is a time when people "open their shut-up hearts freely"
      • Fred refers to Christmas as a "kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time"
      • Many characters see Christmas as a time to help those less fortunate than themselves
        • Charity Workers
        • Fezziwig
        • Fred
      • Has a more religious side to it too
        • A lot of the spirit is linked to Christianity, he thought that helping others should be part of peoples faith
      • The Christmas spirit is powerful enough to transform Scrooge
        • First: "humbug" then by the end: "idiot" to anyone that doesn't like Christmas
        • Scrooge promises to "honour Christmas in his heart
    • Redemption
      • In order for Scrooge to achieve redemption he needs to give up his mean and miserly ways
        • By the end he is "glowing with his good intentions"
        • Scrooge learned the value of empathy
      • At first it seems impossible that Scrooge will change
        • Chapter one: negatively portrayed as a misanthropist (attitude to charity)
        • His journey through all the next chapters, by all the Ghosts, is his realization on how he needs to change
          • Ghost of Christmas Past shows that he wasn't always so mean-spirited
            • He did have relationships and close friends, even a good job that he enjoyed
      • Change starts with the choice
        • Marley's Ghost said that he wears the "chain i forg'd in life"
          • Marley's warning makes it seem more likely that Scrooge can change too
      • His redemption is due to his change in behavior towards people
    • Poverty and Social Responsibility
      • At first Scrooge only cares about himself and money
        • "they had better do it" and "decrease the surplus population"
      • Christmas Present reveals Ignorance and Want which are a product of society's neglect on the poor
        • Ignorance will lead to the "doom" of society
      • Tiny Tim
        • Wealthy have a responsibility to make a difference to poor families lives
    • Family
      • Tiny Tim
        • Wealthy have a responsibility to make a difference to poor families lives
      • A source of comfort, strength and joy
        • A contrast between Scrooge's relatives and the Cratchits family

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