Marley

• Marley was dead: to begin with.


  Dickens makes absolutely sure that the reader realises there is something of the supernatural, as the Victorians were scared of it, and Dickens wanted to scare them into reform.
• Scrooge never painted out Old Marley's name.

  Shows that Scrooge dislikes change. And surely if someone who dislikes change can change in the way Scrooge does, can't anyone?
• I wear the chains I forged in life.


  Dickens is using Marley to scare the Victorian's into changing their ways.
• [Scrooge's chain] was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. You have laboured on it since. It is a ponderous chain.


  Marley scares Scrooge into changing his ways.
• Were there no homes to which [the Christmas star's] light would have conducted me!


  He is bitter that no one did for him what he is doing for Scrooge. However, he uses his experience to be a better person and change Scrooge too, rather than making him bitter too. This suggests that everyone will change to be better at some point, and scares the Victorian reader into changing before suffering further.
• Expect the first tomorrow when the bell tolls one.

  (Couldn't I take 'em all at once and have it over, Jacob" hinted Scrooge.)

  Expect the second on the next night at the same hour.


  Marley won't be interrupted, meaning he truly believes he is doing the right thing. This suggests to the reader that changing to be more charitable is good thing.
• Scrooge knew this, by the smart sound its teeth made, when the jaws were brought together by the bandage.


  Dickens makes the ghost as supernatural as possible to scare the reader further.