ghosts

• Ghosts


  Central to Scrooge's transformation in A Christmas Carol, as he goes from possible damnation to Redemption
• Marley's ghost


  • Aimed to make Scrooge fearful about what awaits him in the afterlife if he doesn't change
  • Described as motionless but with its hair and skirts and tassels still agitated, conveying an unearthly quality
  • Removing the bandage around its head convinces Scrooge the ghost is real, as this was a common practice to stop the jaw of the dead from gaping open
• Marley's ghost


  Must wander the world and witness what he cannot share but might have shared on earth and turned to happiness
• Ghost of Christmas Past


  • Personification of memory, brings to light many of the things Scrooge has forgotten, both good and bad
  • Presented as a creature of contradictions, both old and young
  • Its job is to make Scrooge remember his past so he can see the impact his choices have had
• Ghost of Christmas Present


  • Personification of generosity, wants to show Scrooge what could be shared with others
  • Described as a glorious, glowing, jolly giant, with imagery of abundance and richness
  • Dressed in green, with an open coat and bare feet to symbolize naturalness and generosity
• Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come


  • Personification of death, resembles the traditional Grim Reaper
  • Introduced as a solemn, sinister phantom, evoking dread, melancholy, and mystery
  • Shows Scrooge a version of the future that is uniformly unhappy
• The four ghosts create different effects to evoke fear, awaken emotions, show the power of sharing and cheerfulness, and inspire Scrooge to reform and share his wealth with others
• Ghost of Christmas Present

  The second of the three ghosts to guide Scrooge on his path to Redemption
• Associations of the Ghost of Christmas Present

  • Familiar to modern readers as elements of Father Christmas or Santa Claus
  • References to ancient Roman, Celtic and Norse traditions as symbols of fertility, peace and joy
  • The torch he carries is compared to the Horn of Plenty, associated with harvest time and abundance of food
• The Ghost of Christmas Present is the anti-Scrooge, his complete opposite in look, personality and attitude towards Christmas
• Scrooge's reaction to the Ghost of Christmas Present


  Submissive and respectful, a complete shift in the power dynamic from the last ghost
• Authority of the Ghost of Christmas Present


  Perhaps due to the ancient traditions he symbolizes, he speaks to Scrooge in a commanding way which Scrooge responds to meekly and obediently
• The Ghost of Christmas Present's purpose

  Not just to guide Scrooge to his Redemption, but also to be a mouthpiece for Dickens' views on poverty and social injustice in Victorian England
• The Ghost of Christmas Present delivers scathing moral discourses on the selfishness of the rich and their heartlessness towards the plight of the poor
• Scrooge's stinginess and cruel behaviour

  Have dire consequences for the lives of those he interacts with
• The Ghost of Christmas Present uses Scrooge's previous remarks against him to make him understand the reality of what he is inflicting on the poor with his callous indifference to their suffering
• The theme of light is present in how people celebrate Christmas, representing joy, kindness and peace
• Fred, Scrooge's nephew, hosts a Christmas dinner for his friends with music, laughter and party games, despite the awful way Scrooge has treated him</b>
• Dickens strongly believed in the power of education for the masses and its ability to lift people out of poverty by giving them opportunities to improve their lives
• The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come


  Has an immediate dark and eerie presence, wearing a long black robe and being compared to a Grim Reaper figure, a personification of death
• The approach of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

  Described as slowly, gravely, silently, creating an ominous tone
• Scrooge is understandably terrified by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come's appearance and treats him with great respect
• At this point in the story, Scrooge has already made up his mind to change his ways and live as a better man solely from what the other ghosts have shown him
• Nobody grieves for Scrooge's death or is even sympathetic about it, as he had such a negative impact on those around him</b>
• Scrooge's desperate plea to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come


  Hints that there is hope and that he will be able to change his fate in the future
• The ultimate purpose of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come


  To encourage readers to think about what sort of legacy they are leaving behind once they have died, how people will remember them, and what they did to make the world a better place