A Christmas Carol: Themes, Characters and Symbols

Fire: Fire is a symbol of the Christian values of which Dickens believed should have been upheld all year round instead of just at Christmas.

Key Quotes:

• “Would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give?”

• “No warmth could warm”

• “Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal”

• “The dying flame leaped up, as though it cried, “I know him! Marley’s Ghost!” And fell again.”

• “Hard and sharp as flint, from which no one had ever struck out generous fire”

Ice: The cold is a symbol of the harshness of Scrooge's personality in the earlier section of the novella. Associated with both the icier weather found at Christmas and Scrooge’s callous exterior.

Key Quotes:

• “The cold froze his features”

• “He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.”

Christmas: The entirety of the novella takes place during the Christmas period as Dickens believed it was at this festive time of year that the rich would be more enquired to give to the poor. By setting the story at Christmas, the reader is reminded of the joy and innocence associated with this time of year where society is expected to treat everyone around us with an utmost respect and care.

Key quotes:

• “I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and I’ll keep my Christmas humour to the last”

• “At this festive season of the year… it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute”

• “A merry Christmas to everybody! A Happy New Year to all the world!”

Family: The theme of family is heavily used throughout A Christmas Carol as Dickens believed all that read the story could relate to the love and care between the relationships we all have. Dickens shows family life as the most normal and healthiest experience that all humans should aspire to. Dickens re-incorporates Scrooge into family life as Fred’s uncle and as a second father to Tiny Tim. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge the life that he could have had with Belle and the lives of the Cratchit family, Fred’s family and the family-like gathering at Fezziwig’s party. This could be linked to Dickens’ own experience with family, as he was separated from them when he was younger.

Key quotes:

• "Good afternoon," said Scrooge. "I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you; why cannot we be friends?" "Good afternoon," said Scrooge.

• “They found a cheerful company assembled round a glowing fire. An old, old man and woman, with their children and their children's children, and another generation beyond that, all decked out gaily in their holiday attire.”

• "It's I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?"

Christian values/redemption: Christianity was commonly believed in during the 19th century as science was yet to oppose religion. One of the key beliefs for christians is people have the power to redeem themselves, to make a change for the better and to help those in need, of which Dickens believed in.

Key quotes:

• “There was an eager, greedy, restless motion in the eye, which showed the passion that had taken root, and where the shadow of the growing tree would fall.”

• "Spirit!" he cried, tight clutching at its robe, "hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been ... Why show me this, if I am past all hope!"

• “Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset.”

Scrooge: Main character of the novella. Miserly old man who represents the greedy upper class of the victorian era. Ebeneezer Scrooge shows the reader anyone, no matter how unpleasant or materialistic has to power to redeem themselves and help society.

"As solitary as an oyster"

This shows Scrooge as having a hard exterior to hide his promising interior. Oysters commonly have a pearl hidden inside, which could suggest that Scrooge has a hidden pearl of goodness inside of him.

"As hard and sharp as flint"

Hard and sharp help to represent his personality and that he has a way of keeping people around him separate from himself. Flint is a piece of stone that is commonly used to start a fire, which could suggest that Scrooge has a chance to redeem himself and start a fire to allow him to reach the path of redemption.

Jacob Marley: Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner in life. Alike to Scrooge with similar attitude towards the poor who never gave freely in life. Appears to Scrooge seven years after his death an apparition to present the consequences of not giving to the poor. Dickens’ way of warning the upper classes of a potential fate lest they choose to be ignorant towards the problems of the poor.

"I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?"

The chain being the symbol of events through life. All of Marley's chains link together as all were deeds of greed. Marley wears a heavy chain of all the bad deeds he committed in life and asks Scrooge if he recognises it as Scrooge is alike in personality to Jacob and therefore will wear a similar chain following his death.

Bob Cratchit: Bob Cratchit represents the typical poorer class man of the time. Dickens presents him as a man with a cheery outlook on life, cherishing the smaller things in life such as getting a day off and a meagre feast. Presented this way to teach the reader happiness is not acquired through economic gain, yet through family and providing for others.

"And I know," said Bob, "I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves, and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it."

Even though Tiny Tim has passed away, Bob is trying his best to keep his family together and around him so that he can get past the ordeal of Tiny Tim dying. It also shows that Cratchit is wanting to be able to keep a cheery outlook on life even though he has experienced familial loss.

Little Fan: Little Fan is Scrooge’s younger sister who is presented as a happy character whilst she was alive.The mother of Fred, she potentially died soon after his birth and therefore the character is used to teach Scrooge how his own family made him feel happiness once and to make him feel guilty towards the way he treats Fred as he invites him to dinner. Dickens portrays Little Fan to teach Scrooge the importance of family and to remind him how as she came to collect him, the happiness he felt towards someone showing care towards him.

“She clapped her hands and laughed, and tried to touch his head; but being too little, laughed again, and stood on tiptoe to embrace him. Then she began to drag him, in her childish eagerness, towards the door; and he, nothing loth to go, accompanied her.”

This shows the love that Scrooge had and also could relate back to Dickens as he had family who he was separated from, due to his father. It shows that with family you can right your path in the world the way Dickens did, but Scrooge is shown to have not been able to do so.

Fezziwig: Fezziwig is Scrooge's previous boss whilst he was an apprentice. Although he is not the richest character ****ens presents in the novella, he is most certainly one of the happiest due to the cheerful nature of the way he treats his employees and the rest of society despite class, by throwing parties for all to enjoy. Fezziwig is depicted as joyful to teach the upper classes money is not essential to have fun and to obtain happiness. By doing good for others, you are achieving personal satisfaction which is worth much more than economic success.

"Hilli-ho!" cried old Fezziwig, skipping down from the high desk, with wonderful agility. "Clear away, my lads, and let's have lots of room here! Hilli-ho, ****! Chirrup, Ebenezer!"

This is where Scrooge realises that he has been a horrible emplyer to Bob and allows him to continue on his path of change and redemption. Fezziwig is shown to have a big heart and that he considers his apprentices to be more like family in the way that he treats them.

Belle: Belle is Scrooge’s previous love interest. The two met at Fezziwig’s party whilst Scrooge still attained his jovial disposition. Dickens presents Belle as a joyful character who is deeply in love with Scrooge, even agreeing to marry him. She also may be the reason Scrooge is fully against marriage, criticising Fred's own marriage in stave one as the relationship entered a downward spiral. Belle states Scrooge is not the man for her as he chose a ‘golden idol’ over their love. This golden idol being money showing the consequences of choosing money over love. Scrooge is shown Belles new husband and children and is able to understand the potential happiness he could have faced if he'd have chosen love.

“Our contract is an old one. It was made when we were both poor and content to be so, until, i god season, we could improve our worldly fortune by our patient industry. You are changed. When it was made, you were another man”

Ghost of Christmas Past: The second apparition to appear before Scrooge is the Ghost of Christmas Past. This character is portrayed to remind Scrooge of his childhood innocence. By showing Scrooge the importance of family in the form of the sharp contrast of his pessimistic feelings of being left alone at school in comparison to the pure joy of Fan coming to collect him, he is truly able to recollect the happiness of caring for others as he has dealt with first hand experience of the issue. In the form of a “bright light”, Dickens presents the ghost as a symbol of warmth and generosity associated with Christmas. This warmth particularly applies to the past as said joy is prominent in children.

Scrooge had the desire to see the Ghost without his nightcap on.

“What!” exclaimed the Ghost. “Would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light i give?”

Ghost of Christmas Present: The Ghost of Christmas Present is portrayed in a fashion alike to santa claus, watching over society during the festive spirit. The ghost is a merry figure with many objects associated with christmas such as a large feast and children’s toys in order to show Scrooge the potential festivity that can be brought upon through money, opposite to the use of Scrooge's economic income. The apparition shows the hardships of modern day life for the poorer of society including the Cratchits household and their meagre feast. By doing so, Scrooge is taught the poor are real people facing real problems and not just a “surplus population” to be dealt with.

“Have never walked forth with the younger members of my family;meaning (for I am very young) my elder brothers born in these later years?” pursued the Phantom.

Ghost of Christmas Future: The last ghost that Ebenezer encounters represents the future of all mankind. The apparition is associated with the end of Scrooge's life and therefore Dickens presents many connotations of death in the final stave of the novella. The future is full of the effect on the poor of the rich classes ignorance towards them. In this case it is Scrooge who is forced to confront the dire impact of his actions in the form of Tiny Tim’s death. The ghost teaches Scrooge he must make a change lest the child’s death will occur. The apparition appears in the form of the grim reaper, symbolising the future for Scrooge is an unpleasant death. The Ghost of Christmas Future remains silent throughout the stave, only adding to the eeriness of the situation and inferring Scrooge’s actions speak for themselves and are so dire they need not be described for the full impact to take hold of Ebenezer.

Ignorance and Want: Ignorance and Want are personifications of the problems of society in the 19th century. While the poor desired care and to evade the pain of workhouses and prisons, the rich were too ignorant to understand the real issues facing those with little wealth and regarded them as a population instead of real people. The Ghost of Christmas Present states Ignorance and Want are the problems of mankind and if they continue, society is doomed as is written across Want’s forehead. The previous scene is Fred’s party which contains a light cheery mood. By contrasting this sharply with the depressing mood of the two ragged children, the reader is forced to understand them and the severity of the problem.

Memory and Past: Dickens uses Scrooge’s memory and his past to encourage readers to sympathise with him. His memories also open Scrooge to change and show him where his life turned to the worse. The memories seen in Stave 1 are of Scrooge’s childhood, his apprenticeship and when his engagement was broken off. Dickens also uses the memories to try and allow Scrooge to examine and draw conclusions from the memories that are specifically relevant to the problems that he faces in real time.

Guilt/Blame: The story mainly focuses on generosity and compassion when is comes to being connected to others, however an equally important motivator is guilt. Scrooge is seen as a cruel, remorseless man and has no sense of responsibility for the welfare of others. When he sees all of his bad deeds, he regains the ability to feel shameful about what he has done and guilt, which encourages him to change his behaviour.