scrooge

• • Scrooge is the protagonist of the novella and is first presented as a misanthropic businessman who is miserly, callous , materialistic and unsympathetic
• • He is first described as: “Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out a generous fire”:
  • Dickens’s description conveys Scrooge’s mean and bitter demeanour and he is firmly established as a symbol of cruelty and selfishness
• • Dickens uses the simile “as solitary as an oyster” to depict Scrooge as an isolated character
  • It could suggest that, like an oyster, Scrooge also has a hard exterior though, within his interior, there is a more vulnerable entity, shielding itself from the outside world
  • In the same way that oysters must be prised open, so too must the spirits force Scrooge to reveal his inner humanity:
  • Further, as only some oysters produce pearls (which are viewed as very precious), Scrooge is also finally revealed to the reader as a precious and valuable individual within his society
• • Scrooge’s attitude is typified by his continual expression “humbug”:
  • The word is used to signify Scrooge’s attitude towards Christmas, which he views as a sham  and a fraud
  • It demonstrates his strong aversion to Christmas and the society around him in general
• • Scrooge’s cruel and condescending treatment and ignorance of the poor are depicted as typical of the attitude of many of the wealthy classes:
  • He makes Bob work in dreadful conditions and makes him live in constant fear of losing his job
  • In Stave I, he refuses to make a charitable donation to the poor and instead declares: “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”
• • Despite Scrooge’s initial presentation, in Stave II the reader is presented with details about his younger self which create empathy for his character:
  • Dickens depicts Scrooge’s childhood as lonely and isolated and this invokes sympathy for him as a young boy: “A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still”
  • Further, Scrooge’s sensitivity is revealed to the reader by his emotional reaction to this scene: “And he sobbed”
• • Through Scrooge’s sister Fan, the reader learns that his father is less harsh than before, which could hint that his home life was once difficult and perhaps devoid of love
  • His engagement to Belle, a beautiful young woman, illustrates the contented life that Scrooge could have had and underscores the corrosive consequences of greed
• • His past suggests his character is not completely depraved and Dickens uses this to hint at the possibility of his future  redemption:
  • It suggests that past events may have corrupted his once-good nature and this creates sympathy for him as well as provides an element of hope
• • For Dickens, it is vital that Scrooge revisits his younger self and through the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge’s memories become another catalyst for his transformation 
• • Scrooge’s emotions develop quickly as the plot progresses and he demonstrates the ability to change very early on in the novella:
  • In Stave II, his first stage of remorse is revealed when he regrets not having given money to a carol singer: “There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something, that’s all”
  • Similarly, in this chapter, Dickens also hints that he regrets his behaviour towards Fred and Bob
• • Through the character of Tiny Tim, Scrooge develops his ability to empathise with those who are less fortunate: 
  • Tiny Tim plays an important part in inspiring Scrooge’s transformation , which is central to the narrative
• • Dickens presents Scrooge’s transformation from avarice to benevolence:
  • By the end of the novella, Scrooge has been transformed into a charitable philanthropist : “I am light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy, I am giddy as a drunken man” and “I am not the man I was” 
• In the opening of the novella, Scrooge is presented as a miserly and misanthropic (someone who dislikes other people) businessman with a strong aversion to Christmas and the society around him in general.
• Dickens follows his journey of redemption as his character evolves into a “good” man who “knew how to keep Christmas well”. This is an impressive character development which becomes a defining feature of both the novella and Scrooge’s character.
• It could be argued that this serves two main purposes: firstly to highlight to the reader that anyone is capable of change and that they should actively try to alter any of their weaknesses, and secondly that Christmas is a time of compassion and charity so should be celebrated as such.
• Dickens achieves these goals by presenting Scrooge as an idealised man in the final stave, subtly informing readers on what he believed to be the model way of celebrating Christmas.
• stave 1

  In the opening Stave the narrator is unsympathetic with Scrooge, presenting him as completely unlikeable through the use of an extended metaphor where Scrooge is compared to the weather.

  ● Dickens writes that “a frosty rime was on his head” and that it was the “cold within him” rather than external temperatures which “froze his old features”. This presents him as a cold, hostile and unappealing character.

  ● This description in some ways presents him as an archetypal villain
• stave 2

  The Ghost of Christmas Past teaches Scrooge the value of reflection and causes the reader to sympathise with him, as we see the emergence of regret and a desire to change.

  ● Scrooge reveals that there “was a boy singing a Christmas Carol” at his door and he regrets not giving him anything, highlighting the first stage of his repentance and development.

  ● This furthered when he tells the Spirit that he wishes “to say a word or two” to Bob Cratchit, highlighting that he actively wants to make a change which establishes the start of his reformation.
• stave 3

  The Ghost of Christmas Present builds on the concept of change. He does this through showing Scrooge the Cratchit family on Christmas day.

  ● Here, the reader sees Scrooge develop empathy and display compassion towards Tiny Tim, an interest “he had never felt before”. This signposts the extent to which he has changed, as even he himself can recognise the change within.
• stave 4

  The final Spirit teaches Scrooge that his actions have consequences, causing him to put his material obsessions into perspective as he realises that his wealth will not keep him company in the event of his death.

  The stave ends with Scrooge repenting profusely, promising that he will remember “the lessons” that the Spirits had taught him and change for the better.
• stave 5

  The narrator reveals that Scrooge was “better than his word”, highlighting to the reader that his character has indeed transformed. Dickens emphasises this by drawing direct contrasts between Scrooge’s behaviour in the final and opening staves.

  ● He shows how Scrooge donated money to one of the “portly gentlemen” despite his refusal in the first stave.