characters

• Who is Ebenezer Scrooge?

  The miserly owner of a counting-house
• What do the three spirits of Christmas hope to achieve with Scrooge?

  To reverse his greedy, cold-hearted approach
• What does Scrooge's name symbolize?

  Cold-hearted, miserly behavior
• How is Scrooge described in relation to weather?

  Immune to cold weather and warmth
• What does Scrooge's character represent in A Christmas Carol?

  Selfishness and apathy against the Christmas spirit
• What critique does Dickens make through Scrooge's character?

  Critique of the cruel upper class and Poor Laws
• What were the Poor Laws in the 1800s?

  Allowed poor to receive aid in workhouses
• How does Scrooge view poverty?

  As a moral failing requiring workhouses
• What transformation does Scrooge undergo in the story?

  From merciless misanthrope to charitable benefactor
• What does Scrooge's childhood reveal about him?

  He once enjoyed Christmas and loved ones
• How does Scrooge's obsession with money affect his relationships?

  It detracts from his empathy and morality
• What does Scrooge's transformation signify at the end of the novel?

  Hope, love, and community inherent in Christmas
• Who is Bob Cratchit?

  Scrooge's clerk, a kind and poor man
• How does Bob Cratchit respond to Scrooge's treatment?

  He remains humble and dedicated
• What does Bob Cratchit symbolize in the story?

  The suffering and poor working conditions of the lower classes
• How does Bob Cratchit show kindness despite his situation?

  He toasts to Scrooge's health
• Who is Tiny Tim?

  Bob Cratchit's young son, crippled from birth
• What does Tiny Tim represent in the story?

  The tribulations of England's poor
• How does Tiny Tim's condition relate to Scrooge's greed?

  His suffering illustrates the impact of greed
• What does Tiny Tim wish for regarding his condition?

  To remind churchgoers of Christ
• Who is Jacob Marley?

  Scrooge's greedy partner who died
• What warning does Marley give to Scrooge?

  Change his ways to avoid suffering
• How does Marley’s appearance symbolize his punishment?

  He is bound in heavy chains of his sins
• What does the Ghost of Christmas Past represent?

  Memory and the nature of remembering
• How does Scrooge react to the Ghost of Christmas Past?

  He attempts to put out the ghost's light
• What does the Ghost of Christmas Present symbolize?

  The joy of current Christmas celebrations
• How does Scrooge's perception of the Ghost of Christmas Present change?

  He begins to regard the spirit with reverence
• What do the symbolic children Ignorance and Want represent?

  Poverty and its urgent need for relief
• How does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come differ from the other spirits?

  It is a silent phantom in a hooded robe
• What is the significance of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come's silence?

  It creates an ominous and foreboding atmosphere
• How does the Ghost of Christmas Present appear to Scrooge?

  As a majestic giant in green robes
• Why does Scrooge not recognize the Ghost of Christmas Present at first?

  He scorns the holiday and is unfamiliar
• What do the symbolic children Ignorance and Want represent?

  Poverty due to society's neglect
• What does Scrooge ask the Ghost of Christmas Present regarding the starving children?

  If there are resources to help them
• How does the Ghost of Christmas Present respond to Scrooge's question about help for the children?

  Mocks him with his own past words
• What is the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?

  A silent phantom in a hooded black robe
• What does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come show Scrooge?

  His lonely death and its consequences
• How does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come communicate with Scrooge?

  Nonverbally, by pointing at things
• What does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come symbolize?

  The inevitability of death
• What realization does Scrooge come to after seeing his death?

  He intends to change his ways