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A Christmas Carol In the timeless tale, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens focuses upon the extreme transformation of a character named Ebenezer Scrooge. The author raises many themes among which is the theme of harmattan that we are going to focus our research upon. The fact that several moralistic themes can be applied throughout the novel confirms why it is a classic. The first significant alteration of Scrooges character occurred when he was a young man, as he became increasingly involved in the occupation of business, where wealth and assets are subjects of great examination and often possessiveness. Described and portrayed as an avaricious, bitter, and solitary man, Scrooge is introduced as critically immoral, occupied constantly by business. Scrooge as a humbug, or fraud, as the faithful celebrate it, refers to Christmas.
On the topic of a merry Christmas, as his nephew related to it, Scrooge declared that an individual as poor as Fred has little or nothing to be merry about. In one of the most disturbing quotations from Scrooge, he casually remarks to two gentlemen requesting donations for the poor, if [idle people] would rather die [than attend prisons and workhouses], they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population (11). Scrooge accuses Bob Cratchits of being greedy for requesting Christmas as a day to retreat from work to be with his family, when in fact it is he who is greedy, essentially concerned with profits, not people. Orally, this point is perhaps best illustrated in the Past when the girl he once loved more than money, Belle, declared that, a [golden] idol has displaced me (37). Fully aware that Scrooges priorities are deranged, and he has been degraded to worship wealth rather than valuing the qualities of human love, Belle leaves him. The intensification of Scrooges wrongdoing leads to the apparitions and chilling noises that spook him, and eventually force him to acknowledge the magnitude of his sins.
The first occasion on which the reader witnesses the hallucinations of Scrooge, is when he sees the ghostly face of the seven-year-deceased Jacob Marley, in the knocker of the door to his home. The image compelled Scrooge to inspect the rooms of his house, and to lock his door uncustomary. But that did not stop Marley's ghost from making a noisy entrance. The phantom wore a chain of cash boxes, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel, for he was Scrooges unappreciated business partner of many years; Scrooge conducted his business even on the day of Marley's funeral. Hearing the haunting, disoriented sounds of sorrow and regret, Scrooge was impelled by the ghost of Marley to witness a serious of phantoms that also wore chains, for they were victims of Scrooges selfishness. Thus we see the sad and grief harmattan of the main character of the novel in aforementioned details of the story.
Scrooge is not only haunted by specters, but also by the dialogue spoken from others who have experienced the reality of the dreadful aspects of his character, and by the abrasive words of the spirits. In the Present, Scrooge listens as Mrs. Cratchits abruptly denounces him after her husband denominated him Founder of the Feast. She indicates that Scrooge is, an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man (53). Later in the Present, the spirit warns Scrooge to beware of Ignorance and Want, vices symbolized by a boy and girl, whose appearances were wretched and extremely depressing.
When Scrooge eagerly alluded the poor children should have shelter and protection, the spirit simply replied, Are there no prisons? ... Are there no workhouses? (64). In relation to the beginning of the novel, these words have a great impact because even during the holiday season, Scrooge refused to donate money exclusively for nourishment and warmth to the less fortunate, but rather he chose to support establishments such as prisons and workhouses where he hoped the poor would reside. In the Future, he listens in disgust as people he was familiar with mock him after his death. Because he has been granted the opportunity to see what his real priorities should be, Scrooge righteously transforms this is the second significant alteration of Scrooges character. Scrooge attends Bob Cratchit's home, wishes him a merry Christmas, informs him that his salary will be raised, and sits down with the Cratchit's to eat the dinner for which he provided an impressive turkey.
Scrooge comprehends for the first time how the Cratchit's can be delightfully content without wealth. He becomes a second father to Tiny Tim, who, contrary to the scene foretold in the journey with last of the three spirits, does not die. Through regret, Scrooge has been enlightened. The central theme of A Christmas Carol can best be summarized by expressing that greed is the root of disgrace and corruption. The passionate struggle of man should be for love, not wealth. Thus, Dickens advocates virtuousness by suggesting weighing the choices presented in life to determine the difference between integrity and covetousness, and to always favor integrity.
Bibliography: Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
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Research essay sample on Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
