A Christmas Carol

• bah! Humbug!’

  Scrooge’s opening words in reaction to Fred’s attempt to wish him a merry Christmas are ‘bah! Humbug!’ 

  ‘Humbug’ means a trick or deceit and this is how Scrooge views Christmas and the Christmas spirit – as a falsehood. It shows how he is suspicious and negative towards anything to do with generosity or community spirit.
• “Bah humbug”


  The short exclamatory minor sentences reveal his rudeness; the ‘bah!’ is an exclamation of disgust. These sentences also highlight how he is a man of limited communication; he is not a man to enjoy a cheerful conversation. His dismissive rudeness contrasts with the cheerful greeting given to him of ‘merry Christmas!’
• Scrooge keeps a ‘very small fire’ in his office for himself but his clerk’s fire is even smaller with just ‘one coal’.

  Dickens uses fire and warmth as a symbol throughout the novella to reflect characters and explore the theme of generosity. Here, Scrooge’s ‘small fire’ reflects his miserly character, with the intensifier ‘very’ emphasising just how meagre (small) the literal fire is and so how limited the generosity is in Scrooge’s personality. Scrooge’s meanness extends to his clerk, Bob Cratchit, who is allowed only ‘one coal’ for a fire.
• context (Ao3)


  One of Dickens’ purposes in writing the novella was to raise awareness in his readership of the dreadful working conditions in which the poor suffered. Through the cold, miserable environment of the counting-house, Dickens shows how it is important for employers to be responsible for their employees.
• Scrooge is described as isolated with the simile ‘solitary as an oyster’.

  This simile establishes him as a lonely man who is cut off from society. Oysters are found at the bottom of cold seas and are closed up, protecting their valuable pearls. This illustrates Scrooge’s meanness and miserliness as he greedily protects his wealth at the cost of human relationships.

  Alternatively, the simile could represent Scrooge as someone with a hidden pearl inside of him; someone who has an inner goodness or beauty that, if the shell is opened, will be revealed.
• Scrooge states that the poor should not be helped; if they die, then they will simply ‘decrease the surplus population’ which is seen as a good outcome.

  This callous (unfeeling) attitude shows Scrooge’s lack of humanity towards the suffering poor. He is not interested in helping them and sees them only as a burden whose deaths will be beneficial to society as there will be fewer people consuming society’s resources.
• ‘No, no… oh no… say he will be spared’

  Scrooge’s agony over the predicted death of Tiny Tim shows how much he is changing. 

  There is a sharp contrast with his deep concern over a poor boy and the dismissive attitude to the ‘surplus population’at the start of the novella. Scrooge is learning compassion; he is connecting with humanity again.

  Context: Dickens’ aim in writing the novella was to show how the Christmas Spirit can change an individual, and also society, for the better. Scrooge’s transformation shows the reader how it is possible to change.
• I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy’

  At the end, Scrooge’s transformation is complete as he states how differently he feels.

  The repetitive sentence structure of similes highlights his newfound positivity. There is a sense of Christian goodness with the comparison to an angel and genuine joy in the comparison to a school-boy. 

  Scrooge proceeds to correct the mistakes he made in Stave One by giving money to charity and improving Bob’s Christmas; Dickens uses a mirrored structure to show the change in Scrooge.
• Scrooge


  A character in a novella
• Scrooge at the start


  • His trademark 'bah! Humbug!' establishes him as a character who we pity but who is also greatly entertaining
  • The idea that anyone who says 'merry Christmas' should be 'boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart' is amusing and many readers will fondly remember the cantankerous old man rather than the jolly chirpy fellow at the end
  • He contributes to his society, paying his taxes to support the institutions that help the poor
• The whole purpose of the novella


  To illustrate how the Christmas spirit can transform us into generous, happy people
• Scrooge at the end


  • He becomes part of a family and takes on the role of a kindly 'second father' to Tiny Tim
  • There is pure joy for the reader in witnessing Scrooge's mischievous side as he plays a trick on Bob
• The view that Scrooge is more engaging at the start

  No
• Bob slides in the snow on his way home from work.

  Bob comes across as a cheerful man; his exuberance is clear through the fact that he slides down the snow ‘twenty times’, showing his sense of fun and zest for life. There is a humorous tone to this description of the excessive sliding; Dickens uses Bob’s cheerful character to contrast with Scrooge’s gloomy personality. 

  Bob is full of the Christmas Spirit; he slides ‘in honour’ of the festival.
• dressed out but poorly in a twice turned gown, but brave in ribbons’

  Mrs Cratchit is poor, having to reuse clothes and material rather than buy new dresses. However, she clearly takes pride in her appearance.

  The conjunction ‘but’ in ‘but brave in ribbons’ emphasises how she copes with her poverty with a sense of dignity and courage.
• Context: Dickens was concerned at how poor people were perceived as lazy or ‘work-shy’ and indeed Scrooge calls the poor ‘idle’. The 1834 Poor Law aimed to punish the ‘idle’ poor by the dire conditions of the workhouses, but here in the Cratchits’ house we see poor people who are not idle; they are decent and proud, and take the time and effort to look respectable.
• The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to visit places where the people celebrate Christmas, such as the Cratchits’ house with the chestnuts on the fire.

  The onomatopoeic verbs ‘sputtered’ and ‘crackled’ help create the warm, vibrant atmosphere of Bob’s poor house.
• Dickens uses the symbol of fire to reflect ideas of generosity throughout the novella; here, the blazing fire which is heating the food shows how rich the Cratchits are in goodwill and Christmas spirit.

  By showing Scrooge the happy family scene, the ghost is helping to show Scrooge how cold and bleak his own life is in comparison to Bob’s life.
• Are the Cratchits too good to be true?

  Yes: Dickens presents an unrealistic picture of the Cratchit family. Bob insists on toasting his unpleasant employer who surely he feels no loyalty towards. Tiny Tim is almost a caricature of young saintliness; even his name, Tiny Tim, is excessively and obviously sentimental and so detaches him from reality. This lack of realism means that the reader does not engage with a boy who is more of a symbol than a convincing character.

  The disabled child who is almost angelically innocent was a common character in Victorian literature.
• ”are the cratchit family good to be true ?”


  There is enough evidence of reality to show the Cratchits as a ‘real’ family. Mrs Cratchit is honest in her outburst about Scrooge, calling him an ‘odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man’. The list of negative adjectives shows her righteous indignation about the way Scrooge treats Bob. Martha too is clearly looking forward to a lie-in and rest from hard manual labour, and Dickens openly states ‘there was nothing of high mark’ about the family. This is not a family of saints and they are not idealised.
• How does Marley impact scrooge?


  Marley challenges Scrooge to recognise his chain which he “forged in his life” with every selfish decision based on avarice not compassion. The direct question forces Scrooge to begin to think about his own way of life. It is also a question to the reader to consider his or her morality. Part of the novella’s purpose is to transform the reader and society, not just Scrooge.
• One of Dickens’ purposes in writing ‘A Christmas Carol’ was to raise awareness in his readership of the dreadful conditions that the poor suffered in and to change the attitudes of the rich towards social responsibility. Here he challenges the wealthy readers to confront the way they conduct their lives.
• Christian tale of redemption


  Scrooge is described as a 'sinner' and the ghosts work to redeem him from the vice of avarice (love of money)
• Ghost of Christmas Past


  • Has a 'bright clear jet of light' that 'sprung' from his head
  • Linked to Jesus Christ, who was named the 'Light of the World' and died to redeem mankind's sin
• Scrooge is a sinner


  Needs to be redeemed (saved)
• Non-Christian elements


  • Dickens draws on pagan ideas as well as Christian
  • The Ghost of Christmas Present holds a torch which resembles the Horn of Plenty or Cornucopia from Greek and Roman mythology
• Dickens' view of redemption goes beyond the realms of the established church and connects to a wider view of humanity
• Scrooge's transformation can be seen through his attitude towards money. At the beginning of the story, Scrooge is obsessed with making money and sees it as the most important thing in life. He believes that "money is hard-earned" and that it is better spent on himself than others. However, by the end of the story, Scrooge has learned to value kindness and generosity above wealth. When the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come shows him a vision of his own funeral, Scrooge realizes that he wants to leave behind a legacy of love and kindness rather than greed and selfishness.
• This quote highlights the idea that we all have control over our actions and therefore our future. If we choose to act kindly then we will reap rewards but if we choose to act cruelly then we will suffer consequences. In this case, Marley has chosen to live a cruel life and now suffers because of it.
• “I wear the chain I forged in life…” - Marley
• Scrooge's transformation also involves learning to appreciate the beauty and joy of life. In the past, Scrooge had been so focused on earning money that he had forgotten how to enjoy simple pleasures like food and drink. But when the Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his childhood home, Scrooge is reminded of the warmth and comfort of family gatherings around the table. This experience helps Scrooge see that there are more important things in life than just material possessions.
• Another way that Dickens portrays Scrooge's transformation is through his relationships with other people. At the start of the novel, Scrooge is isolated and disconnected from those around him. He treats his clerk Bob Cratchit poorly and refuses to give charity to those in need. However, as Scrooge begins to change, he becomes more compassionate and caring towards others. By the end of the story, Scrooge has become a generous benefactor to Tiny Tim and his family, and he even invites the Cratchits to celebrate Christmas at his house.
• "I wear the chain I forged in life" - Marley's ghost
• Marley's ghost represents the consequences of living an unfulfilling life. His chains are symbolic of the burden of regret and remorse that he carries with him into the afterlife. This serves as a warning to Scrooge about the importance of leading a fulfilling life and treating others with kindness and compassion.
• "A solitary child, neglected by his friends..." - Dickens
• Marley’s ghost represents the consequences of living an unkind life. His chains are made up of cash boxes, representing the fact that he was so focused on earning money that he forgot about other aspects of life such as relationships and happiness.
• "A merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken."
• In Dickens' time, there were many people like Scrooge who believed that poverty was caused by laziness and immorality. They saw charity as enabling these undeserving individuals to continue their bad habits. By showing us how Scrooge changes his mindset, Dickens challenges this belief and encourages readers to see poverty differently.
• In conclusion, Dickens uses symbolism throughout the novel to convey deeper meanings about human nature and society. The ghosts represent different aspects of Scrooge's personality and serve as reminders of the importance of compassion and forgiveness. The chains worn by Marley and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come symbolize the consequences of living a cruel and selfish life. And the Cratchit family represents the resilience and hopefulness of ordinary people despite their struggles.
• Marley’s ghost warns Scrooge “Mankind was my business.”