Character Analysis in A Christmas Carol

Young Scrooge points out one of the great ironies of the world: poverty is terrible, but people who pursue wealth are condemned. While there may be wisdom in pointing this out, young Scrooge is also using it as an excuse for his behavior—an excuse that he'll use through life as he eventually becomes more miserly. Note also Scrooge's hypocrisy: young Scrooge states how terrible poverty is, and yet he has refused to give to charity and those in need.

With these first words, Fezziwig reveals more about his character to us. Since he tells his employees to stop working on Christmas Eve, this puts him in contrast with Scrooge, who had his clerk work that day instead. This is an example of indirect characterization, in which we can infer character traits from what it said and shown rather than being told directly by the narrator.

With Scrooge now remembering how well he was treated by Mr. Fezziwig, he starts to understand that the way that he has been treating his clerk is not very fair. Furthermore, Scrooge now starts to realize that it would not be all that difficult to treat his employees with the respect that Mr. Fezziwig gave him in his youth.

Fan's statement here suggests that Scrooge's father was unkind for much of Scrooge's childhood. This likely explains why Scrooge was sent to a boarding school and provides further evidence for why Scrooge's memories of Christmastime are not all happy ones.

We've learned that Scrooge spent the Christmas holiday alone at a rundown school with only books for company. Such an experience likely suggests why he has painful associations with Christmas, and it also provides insight into why having money is so important for him.

Scrooge remembers his employer very fondly due to the seemingly “insignificant” acts of kindness he shows his employees. Mr. Fezziwig shows how much he cares for his employees, not by paying them large sums of money or giving extravagant gifts, but by being decent and considerate—he shows them respect. Scrooge is beginning to learn that this is ultimately more valuable than money.

Scrooge is entirely surrounded by a moment in his past that is bright and joyous. Reliving a past Christmas Eve in which he participated and delighted in catapults him back into “his former self,” and we can see that having Christmas spirit is indeed a possibility for Scrooge, even in the present.

Note the significant contrast between the way that Fezziwig keeps his office and the way that Scrooge does. Fezziwig makes certain that the office is comfortable, warm, and bright for his employees. Scrooge keeps the office icy, cold, and dark, refusing to pay for what he considers “comforts” rather than necessities. Dickens uses Fezziwig to symbolize how an ethical and compassionate boss should behave.

Note that Fan is the only person in Scrooge’s past that we have seen that has shown him any compassion and care. Revisiting the memory of his sister and being reminded of her death is certainly painful and prompts Scrooge to reflect on the way that he treats her son. Dickens thus leaves the reader to reflect on why Scrooge treats the boy the way he does.

Dickens humanizes Scrooge further by emphasizing the deeply lonely childhood that he had while at school. Rather than defending Scrooge’s current attitudes and actions towards those around him, Scrooge’s despair for the lonely child helps explain what might have led him to become the man that he is: misanthropic and reclusive.

The strongest emotion we have seen of Scrooge thus far is brought on by a realization that he is the lone child “neglected by his friends.” Notice how Dickens has begun to transform Scrooge into a more sympathetic character as he is humanized by these memories. Here, we arrive at what seems to be a deeply emotional memory for Scrooge. Though we are unsure as to whether this moment is the very source of his hatred for Christmas or not.

“Out upon!” is a command that was commonly used in the past to mean something close to “away with!” or “shame upon!” While Scrooge admits that he is momentarily experiencing the cheer and elation that he felt for Christmas as a child, he invalidates these feelings immediately. There seems to be something painful about these memories for Scrooge.

Just as the memories of youth came back to Scrooge when he first revisited his childhood home, the memories of a time in which Christmas meant joy to him resurface. While Scrooge heavily criticizes and resents Christmas now, it did at one time bring him happiness, and he cannot escape these memories.

The sights and smells of Scrooge’s childhood home reconnect him with all of the thoughts and emotions of his past that he has so far been successful in forgetting. Scrooge has been disconnected from these feelings for a “long, long” time, which seems to make their appearance here all the more powerful for him. Scrooge’s emotional capacity is apparent here, even if only in the shedding of one small tear.

The narrator suggests that even Scrooge is perplexed that his first instinct, after hearing the purpose of the ghost’s visit, is to ask it to put its cap on so as to extinguish the light. For reasons which are unknown at this point in the novel, Scrooge resists reliving his past and we are led to wonder why, creating a sense of mystery and tension.

Despite his best efforts, Scrooge is unable to convince himself that Marley’s visit was a dream. This contrasts with Scrooge’s continuously adamant dismissal of every unexplainable occurrence as “humbug” in the first stave. While Scrooge has been characterized as being fairly impervious to emotion and difficult to shake, we see here that Scrooge has certainly been affected by Marley’s visit.

The passage of time has become irregular and unpredictable for Scrooge. Dickens manipulates time here to illustrate the intensity of Scrooge’s anxieties and fears about the ghosts. Scrooge anxiously awaits the first spirit’s arrival partially due to fear, but also due to the fact that he now has a limited amount of time to change his fate.

Dickens uses irony here: Scrooge wanted to get through the night as quickly as possible up to this point, but now he begs the Ghost of Christmas Present to stay longer. Though watching these games from the sidelines, Scrooge seems to share in their joy and excitement. This is reminiscent of his childhood, when he was always escaping into fictional worlds. Thus, Dickens creates a kind of bittersweet moment: the reader can see that Scrooge is capable of participating in Christmas cheer, but he is still isolated. We are led to wonder if he will seek to participate in festivities in the real world once he returns to it.

Despite how badly Scrooge treats his nephew, Fred does not hold it against him—he feels sorry for him. Fred is more aware of how and to what extent Scrooge suffers from his avarice more than Scrooge himself is. Dickens characterizes Fred’s deep kindness and caring for his uncle in this way. Fred will continue to invite Scrooge to Christmas and to offer him his friendship, no matter how many times Scrooge refuses.

Ironically, by focusing solely on acquiring money to live a happy life free of poverty, Scrooge ends up denying himself any happiness at all. The Ghost of Christmas Present helps Scrooge see this by showing him how people of different backgrounds celebrate Christmas. Scrooge does not need to live an extravagant life in order to enjoy the holidays. He simply needs to appreciate those around him and treat others with kindness.

Scrooge has become more compassionate and understanding for those who are at a disadvantage, a change that is partially prompted by seeing the love that the Cratchit’s have for the “good as gold” Tiny Tim. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge that Tiny Tim has a very large heart, and Scrooge’s pained reaction to Tiny Tim’s predicted death illustrates how much Scrooge has developed in character.

Dickens subtly informs the reader of the extent of the Cratchit’s poverty by emphasizing the fact that the “family display of glass” consists of only “two tumblers and a custard-cup without a handle.” Note that in the next line though, Dickens makes it clear that this family is grateful and happy despite their poverty. The Cratchit’s may not have the money (thanks to Mr. Scrooge) for an elaborate feast in beautiful glassware, but they are celebrating together nonetheless.

The term “dogged” means “stubborn” or “grimly resolved.” Scrooge himself notes that he is not the stubborn person that he once was. The fact that Scrooge “enter[s] timidly” shows that he has been humbled by his meetings with the ghosts and the threat of what will come if he does not change his ways.

The Ghost of Christmas Past’s visit frightened Scrooge. He had not accepted that his situation was real, continually questioning whether he was dreaming or not. Now, Scrooge has accepted this as reality and is no longer a passive participant in his own reclamation, but an active one.

Until this point in the text, the spirit has been presented as a dark presence whom Scrooge fears; unlike the first two ghosts, this spirit has not spoken with Scrooge or interacted with him in any personal way. For the spirit's hand to tremble suggests a change in his relationship with Scrooge as if the man’s words or emotions are truly affecting him.

Notice that while the thieves actively delighted in Scrooge’s death, this man is conflicted about his emotions. Though he seems to be relieved that Scrooge is dead, he recognizes that another’s death is an awful thing to celebrate, making him more of a sympathetic, virtuous figure than the others and instrumental in Scrooge’s change.

“Old Scratch” is a name for the Christian devil, likely originating from the Scandinavian root “skratti,” which means demon. The first man greets the other by saying that Scrooge has finally been taken away by his own kind—the evil and demonic devil, the antithesis of Christmas joy. The second is unaffected by Scrooge’s death and moves the conversation away to the casual topic of the weather. That the two men are people with whom Scrooge believes he has a cordial and friendly relationship is enlightening to readers—who discern that Scrooge is not well-liked—but not yet to Scrooge.

Notice how Scrooge seems to have little agency in this description of the city, which surrounds him and directs its actions. Scrooge will be a passive observer in this journey with the ghost, emphasizing that the events he will witness are what will happen if he carries on the path he’s already chosen for himself.

The man was so unpopular that only a free meal could persuade his peers to go to his funeral. While this certainly helps reveal the man’s character, it also reveals the character of those speaking about him. By emphasizing the lack of sympathy these people have for the dead man, Dickens prompts the reader to empathize with him. He may have been horrible, but the sympathy readers have for the deceased in this scene makes readers willing to root for Scrooge’s transformation.

In this context, “waning” means “decreasing.” Scrooge’s time to change his fate seems to be dwindling rapidly, and his hurried speech reflects his anxiety about this. While Scrooge may be eager to learn his lesson, he wants to escape his fate above all else, which is ultimately, a selfish reason to change.

Scrooge desperately wants the ghost to tell him that this future can be changed. Consider that Scrooge has continually sought himself, in vain, throughout this stave. The fact that Scrooge is so invested in this dead man’s future is very telling, and leads the reader to question whether or not Scrooge is finally starting to wonder if he might be the dead man.

The “place” that Bob Cratchit refers to here is the graveyard in which Tiny Tim will be buried. Compare the image of a lush, “green” graveyard that friends and family promise to visit to the image of the “dark empty house” that the other dead man lies alone in. The difference in the tone of these descriptions emphasizes how much Tiny Tim positively influenced those around him, and that he will be missed and loved after his death unlike the old miser.

The ghost shows Scrooge that the only people that have been emotionally affected by this man’s death are actually happy about it. Scrooge becomes upset at this as he begins to internalize the lesson. Many of us want to be remembered fondly after our deaths, but this future resembles the kind that Scrooge is heading towards if he does not change his ways.

Mrs. Dilber steals her deceased employer’s belongings, and she uses the fact that he hoarded his wealth in isolation to justify this thievery. While her employer may have been a selfish person, Mrs. Dilber’s stealing cannot be justified. The goods could have been donated upon his death, but she uses them for her own personal profit. She is not much more ethical than the deceased man that she judges.

Scrooge is not alarmed that he does not see himself at the Exchange because he assumes that his “new-born resolutions” have paid off in the future. Scrooge hopes that his efforts to change will be successful, which helps indicate his sincerity in telling the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come that he would take these lessons to heart.

Dickens continually reminds the reader that even though Scrooge had a lonely childhood, he chooses not to cultivate friendships in adulthood. While we are led to sympathize with Scrooge for his past, we are also prompted to recognize Scrooge’s own agency in the matter—he only seeks relationships that will result in monetary reward, which is not a noble reason to initiate a friendship.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come greatly differs from the previous two ghosts. It is very frightening and does not resemble a human like the other ghosts did. Although Scrooge admits that he fears this ghost more than the others, he still resolves to learn from the ghost with “a thankful heart” to “live to be a better man.” Scrooge’s determination to overcome his fear indicates how much he has grown in becoming more gracious and selfless.

Although the opinions of others, especially successful businessmen, may have once swayed his actions, Scrooge is a changed man, made wiser by his encounter with the Christmas spirits. He does not mind the incredulous laughter that accompanies his transformation—in fact, he prefers that people laugh at him rather than express contempt in other ways. He may have once been one of those who would have scorned his newfound Christmas spirit, but that is the case no longer.

Notice how Scrooge’s demeanor has changed to that of a cheerful child wondering at the world. This recalls stave four’s religious allusion to becoming like a child in order to become a good Christian. Here, Dickens shows that transformation in practice.

Scrooge’s willingness to buy not just any turkey but the largest one is a symbol of just how much he has changed. While any gift of food would be helpful to the Cratchits, Scrooge goes above and beyond what is simply adequate, showing a depth of apparent and profound generosity.

Recall that Scrooge’s office was very cold because he refused to buy an adequate amount of coal, even during the chilly winter months. Dickens uses the warm fire to show the reader how much Scrooge has improved. Now, Scrooge values the well-being and comfort of his employees above his own riches.

The term “intercourse” in this context means “communication,” and the term “abstinence” means to refrain from doing something. Thus, by “Total Abstinence Principle,” Dickens means that Scrooge no longer had any interactions with spirits after that one evening. This is Dickens way of letting the reader know that Scrooge’s transformation has been permanent and successful. Scrooge will treat people with compassion and generosity, so that he will never require another visit from the ghosts again.

The fact that Scrooge must “feign” his old temperament is extremely telling. This playful trick emphasizes how much Scrooge has developed and how genuinely he has taken these lessons to heart. Scrooge’s joy runs so deeply now, that he must pretend to be the old and miserable penny-pincher that he used to be. In this way, Dickens indicates that Scrooge's change is genuine and lasting.

Scrooge worries about startling Fred’s wife, something that he never would have concerned himself with prior to his transformation. In this way, Dickens subtly shows the reader how selfless Scrooge has become. Scrooge is finally taking other people’s feelings into consideration.

The fact that Scrooge now wants to cultivate a friendship with this man illustrates that he has started to view his friendships much differently than before. Friendship now has inherent value in it for Scrooge, and he no longer builds relationships solely for business or profit.

Scrooge loved Christmas as a younger man, and it seems that his Christmas spirit has finally returned. However, if we think about Scrooge's comments about redemption in the beginning of the stave, his excitement that another Christmas has not passed him by indicates an excitement to give to others, rather than enjoy Christmas for himself. While Scrooge's reclamation does not depend on Christmas Day, he can "redeem" himself by giving those around him a merry Christmas, something that he has failed to do for years.

During his adulthood, money became the only source of happiness for Scrooge, and it was a shallow happiness. The fact that Scrooge delights in talking to this boy illustrates how much he has changed. He is finding joy in the little things and certainly not seeking solitude in the way that he previously was.

Note that Scrooge does not want Bob Cratchit to know that he sent him the turkey. Not only does he want to do something kind for Bob Cratchit and his family, but he desires no reward for this goodness. Scrooge is simply satisfied and delighted in the knowledge that he has helped the Cratchits to have a merrier Christmas.

Throughout the entire final stave, Scrooge can be found full of laughter and "chuckling." His revelations have brought him a lightheartedness that we have not seen from him since his youth, and they help show the reader what joy can be found in caring for others.

Recall that the thief in the fourth stave tore down Scrooge's bed curtains after his death. Scrooge's overwhelming relief that the curtains have not been torn down indicates just how terrified he was that this future was unavoidable—that his efforts would be futile. Not only does Dickens emphasize Scrooge's emotional state at this moment of revelation, but he also reminds us that working for positive change is never futile—that no one is beyond reclamation.

When Scrooge states that he “will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future,” he vows to take the lessons that he has learned from the spirits into his everyday life. While we might have worried that Scrooge would have gotten through the frightening evening only to revert back to his old miserly ways, this helps indicate that his change has been permanent—or at least that he is willing to continually strive to make it so.

Note that Scrooge is no longer only excited at the prospect of changing his future for his own personal gain, but rather for what he can do with the time for others. This is an important change in his attitude from even the previous stave, when he was still largely concerned with his time for selfish reasons.