characters

• scrooge is an elderly businessman who is notoriously greedy and mean-spirited
• at the start, scrooge values his money over the wellbeing of his staff or the affection of his family and shows no compassion for the less fortunate
• by the end, thanks to the three spirits, scrooge is a changed man, full of kindness and generosity for other
• scrooge is represented as miserly, bitter, and repentant
• scrooge's clerk, bob cratchit, is a kind and gentle man who is devoted to his large family and especially his son tiny tim
• bob cratchit is loyal to scrooge and dedicated to his job, despite being overworked and underpaid
• jacob marley was scrooge's former business partner, who died seven years before the story begins
• in life, marley was just as greedy as scrooge and his ghost is doomed to walk the earth in chains as a result
• marley visits scrooge to warn him that he will suffer the same fate if he doesn't change his ways
• bob cratchit is represented as hardworking, grateful, and cheerful
• jacob marley is represented as restless, remorseful, and prophetic
• the ghost of christmas past is the first of the three spirits, and shows scrooge events from christmases in his past
• the ghost of christmas past appears as a strange figure that seems both old and young at the same time, with a glowing light shining from its head and carrying a candle extinguisher as a cap
• the ghost of christmas past is represented as enigmatic, androgynous, and angelic
• the ghost of christmas present is the second spirit which appears as a jolly giant surrounded by a huge christmas feast
• the ghost of christmas present shows scrooge joyful christmas scenes, including the cratchit's family christmas dinner, but also shows him an image of poor and starving children
• the ghost of christmas present is represented as joyful, welcoming, and honest
• the ghost of christmas yet to come is the final spirit which appears as a silent figure cloaked in black
• the ghost of christmas yet to come shows scrooge scenes from a possible future, including the death of tiny tim and scrooge's own grave
• the ghost of christmas yet to come leaves scrooge begging for the chance to change his ways and avoid these events
• the ghost of christmas yet to come is represented as ominous, foreboding, and frightening
• tiny tim is bob cratchit's youngest child who is disabled and walks on crutches but is full of happiness and optimism
• scrooge become determined to change his ways after seeing the vision of tiny tim's death and realising that he could have prevented it by treating bob more fairly
• tiny tim is represented as joyful, welcoming, and honest
• fred is scrooge's cheerful nephew who offers to have scrooge round for christmas dinner every year, an offer which scrooge always refuses
• at the end, scrooge finally spends christmas day with fred and his family
• fred is represented as benevolent, charitable, and optimistic
• mr fezziwig was scrooge's first employer, who treated him like a son
• mr fezziwig is shown as the opposite of the old scrooge: he is wealthy but jolly and generous with his money and shows great affection for his employees
• mr fezziwig is represented as fartherly, generous, and jolly
• belle is the women scrooge loved as a young man
• belle and scrooge were engaged but belle ended the engagement when she realised scrooge cared more about his wealth than about her and she went on to find love and happiness with another man
• belle is represented as beautiful, neglected, and content