Themes

• Theme - isolation


  Solitary as an oyster
• Theme - isolation


  A solitary child, neglected by his friends
• Theme- Pursuit of wealth as bad


  'cash-boxes'
• Theme - Wealth as a positive

  Scrooge recognises that Fizzy wig uses his money to make people 'happy'. Fizzy wig ensures the working conditions in the warehouse instil a sense of 'pleasure'. Scrooge acknowledges that its not the amount of money a person has but the happiness they can create because of it.
• Theme- materialism as negative


  Materialism can be defined as a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. It is a concept that Dickens presents as wrong within the novella.
• Theme- the paradoxical nature of wealth


  Dickens through different portrayals of character with wealth shows the reader that wealth is not exclusively amoral as in some areas of the novella it is presented in a positive light.
• Christmas Carol - moral message


  Through Scrooge's change, Dickens illustrates that philanthropy did not have to be grand wealthy displays. Instead Dickens shows that being good and being charitable is about a change in behaviour.
• Theme- cycle of immorality


  The three thieves illustrates the cycle of immorality through the thieves profiting off of Scrooge's death and his belongings. His behaviour in life has left the same legacy after his death and because of this others believe it is justice for them to mimic the same behaviour.

  'a judgment on him'
• Theme- Malthusian Victorian ideas


  'the surplus population' - This Malthusian assertion (population growth outpaces food supply growth) saw the preventive measures such as celibacy needed to reduce population growth. Seeing poor people as surplus and not needed adds to the callous nature of Scrooge at the beginning.
• Theme- Redemption 


  Concept of redemption can be defined as being saved from error or sin.

  Scrooge is presented at the start as 'Covetous old sinner'. Dickens foreshadows Scrooge's redemption using the description as 'solitary as an oyster'. Oysters are animals which often contain pearls
• Theme- Change


  Dickens uses direct contrast between the opening and closing staves within the novella. Shown in Scrooge's attitude to Christmas- at the start he states that 'every idiot who goes around with "Merry Christmas" on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.' But at the end Scrooge is described 'knew how to keep Christmas well'.
• Theme- Regret

  Ghost of Christmas Present interaction - 'scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.'

  While regret is a negative emotion, Dickens manages to make it something that is used to initiate a positive transformation.
• Theme- Religion and Christmas

  Novella can be seen as holding anti-religious sentiment while others believe Dickens presents a narrative in support of religious ideas.

  Religious hypocrisy - Ghost of Christmas present tells Scrooge that people 'claim to know' religion but do things out of 'passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, bigotry and selfishness' in its name. In relation to the practise of closing shops on Sundays as this prevents the lower class from enjoying the brief time they have off work.