A Christmas Carol:Character notes

Scrooge:

"Oh! but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge!"

-Stingy with his money

-People fear him

-Brindmens dogs turn away from him

-He eats dinner out at a tavern

Bob Cratchit:

-Cratchit is Scrooge's Clerk

-He is cold - he trys to warm up by a candle.

-Only one coal on the fire - Cratchit cannot get more as the coal is in Scrooge's office.

-He is illtreated by Scrooge.

-He only gets paid 15 shillings a week, poor wage for a family man with 7 children.

Fred:

-Scrooge's sisters son (his nephew).

-Loves christmas - full of christmas spirit.

-'God bless it'

-The complete opposite of Scrooge.

-Scrooge's responce to his goodwill is "Bah humbug" - nonsence "I'll see you in hell first."

Two Portly Gentalment:

-Trying to raise money for the poor.

-Scrooge says "he does enough paying taxes"

-"They had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." (Scrooge to the men).

             -Too many poor people.

             - Scrooge is ignorent to the men.

Carol Singers:

-Scrooge 'seized the ruler with such energy of action.'

-The carol singers 'fled in terror'

                 -This shows how much people are affraid of Scrooge.

Marley's Ghost:

->Marley's face on the door:

-Scrooge reasures himself that Marley is dead (and has been for 7 years). This unnerved Scrooge.

->Marley meeting (ghost):

-Scrooge puts it down to food poisining (or indigestion).

-Chains of sins - weighing him down now. Also was a money lender like Scrooge.

-Marley made the chains when he was alive. He cannot escape them. "I wear the chains I forge in life."

-"Man kind was my business."

The Ghost of Christmas Past:

-'It was a strange figure - like a child yet not so like a child as like an old man'

-'Purest white tunic'

-'It's hair, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle.'

-'from the crown of its head sprung a bright clear jet of light' - a light of truth, memories.

-The spirit carried 'an extinguisher cap'- possibly to stop memories which do not want to be relived.

The Ghost of Christmas Present:

-Treats arranged as a thrown under the spirt (almost as if he is royalty). 'Plentiful feast' // He wore 'one simple Green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur.'-Spirit of Christmas

- Scrooge doesn't have Christmas Sprit (doesn't know Christmas spirt), "Come in and know me better, man" // "Never seen the like of me before" (to Scrooge).-"More than eighteen hundred"

- Each brother dies when Christmas ends every year, because christmas spirt only lasts a few weeks a year so each spirt will die when christmas is over.

-He wears a Scabbard - but know sword, showing peace to all men... both good and bad.

The Cratchit Family:

-Mrs Cratchit-wears a handme down dress, she puts ribbons on the dress to patch it up.

-Bob Cratchit-Comforter, wears thread bare clothes.

-Martha  Cratchit-Eldest daughter.

-Belinda Cratchit-Second eldest daughter, also brave in ribbons.

-Peter Cratchit-Wears his dads shirt and he is proud of wearing it.

-Two Smaller Cratchits-Twins (Girl & Boy), very excitable.

-Tiny Tim Cratchit- Youngest Cratchit, Very ill.

Tiny Tim Cratchit:

-He has a Crutch & his limbs are supported  by an iron frame.

-Tim sits alone at church - he hopes people will see him and feel sorry for him.

-He has the last line in the novel - 'God bless Us, Every One.'

Ghost of Christmas Future:

-Misterious presence.

-Hooded figure with a long, floor length cape.

-Simbolises Death - the Grim reaper.

The New Scrooge:

-He awakes on Christmas day - goes to the window and asks a passing child "What is today?"

-He gets the child to go and buy the prize turkey for the Cratchit's - he does this annomously and takes no credit afterwards.

-He says "Merry Christmas" to the people he was rude to.

-Donates money to charity.

-Asks Fred to spend Christmas with him.

-Second father to Tiny Tim.