A Christmas Carol-how Scrooge is presented

How is Scrooge presented in A Christmas Carol?

ISOLATED:  Scrooge prefers to isolate himself from society. Dickens describes him as being 'as solitary as an oyster.' This simile presents him as reclusive. But an 'oyster' is also hard and irregular-reflecting that he is hard to approach because of his tough exterior, but he is also hard on the inside. The irregularity of an oyster also links with him because he deliberately wants to isolate himself from everyone. Additionally, oysters are hard to open, suggesting Scrooge does not want to open up to anyone and it is difficult to identify the secret pearl within him

'No warmth could warm'-Nothing could melt Scrooge's tough heart.

Scrooge's deliberate isolation is also conveyed when Fred indignantly trries to invite Scrooge to Christmas dinner, to which Scrooge shows exasperation. This is understandable because a dinner which involves others seems foreign to Scrooge, as he prefers to live in solitude. Scrooge asks why Fred got married, which Fred replies because he fell in love. But Fred adds that Scrooge never came before that, showing the audience that this isn't the real case

When the Ghost of Christmas Past arrives and shows Scrooge his past, the audience can see that Scrooge isn't just isolated in the present, but was all his life. However, in the past he was bright-a child full of light; society had changed that. Society had caused him to change and molded him into a cruel, unpleasant person. He was described as a 'solitary child.' It could be implied that Scrooge prefers to remain in solitude so he isn't reminded of the pain he underwent as a child. He perhaps does not want to get hurt again, so detatches himself from everyone. Dickens could perhaps be warning the audience that people like Scrooge do not become who they are, it's their childhood and experiences thagt mold them into their present self. The moral is to treat everyone nicely which Scrooge fails to do as he was not treated that way himself.

CALLOUS: Scrooge is presented as callous through the way he acts and speaks. Dickens uses unpleasant language to describe him-'he was hard and sharp as flint.' The adjective 'hard and sharp' suggest he lacks empathy and is hard in both exterior and interior. Not just his chafracter is hard, but the way he treats others espcially the poor is displayed here. He was extremely concerned with increasing his wealth, showing how he acted 'sharply' towards the working class/poor

Scrooge is also inconsiderate towards others-this is primarily displayed when he acknowledges that Bob Cratchit is cold, but doesn't provide him with any coal. Scrooge is shown to 'keep the coal-boxes in his room' This highlights his selfishness as he only thinks of himself, but also indicates that he is concerned about wealth in every aspect of his life. It could be inferred that he does not want to unnecessaerily use coal and waste money. Alternatively,…