How did Dickens change the character of Scrooge Essay Example

How did Dickens change the character of Scrooge Essay Example How did Dickens change the character of Scrooge Paper How did Dickens change the character of Scrooge Paper Essay Topic: Literature Life in Victorian times was often hard. There were rich people and also lots of poor people at that time. Charles Dickens wrote this book to make people aware of the plight of the children of the Poor. A Christmas Carol is a novella that describes a character called Ebenezer Scrooge who was a greedy old man who was tight-fisted, miserly, squeezing, wrenching and scraping. He was a man who had a hard heart as the shell of a cloyster. Scrooge was an emotionally cold man who had no passion for anybody. Due to all his sinful acts, the ghost of his long gone partner and friend Joseph Marley visited him and told him he would be visited by three ghosts, Ghost of his Christmas Past, Present and Future if he did not change. After he had been visited by all these ghosts the transformation in his life began and he finally became a jovial, cheerful hearted person. At the beginning of the novella, Scrooges character was unbearable and was also awful to people. Scrooge never liked Christmas or Charity. Caring for the poor of the sick were not his best behavior. He didnt even care and show love to his workers especially Bob Crachit his clerk. He showed his hatred to Bob Crachit by not giving him coal to replenish his fire even though Bob did not have enough. He always kept an eye on the clerk to see if he was working or not. Scrooge also showed a bad attitude to his nephew who came to him and asked him if he would come and dine with them on Christmas day. Scrooge refused and called Christmas Humbug he also said to his nephew . What right have you to be merry? Youre poor enough. But the nephew behaved in a more reasonable way by not replying in a violent manner. Scrooge also behaved greedily by not giving money to the gentlemen who came for money to the poor. But not only did scrooge behaved greedily but he also used abusive words saying . If they would rather die, they better do it, and decrease the surplus population.. . On Christmas Eve Scrooge was visited by the ghost of his long gone friend/partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge was scared seeing Jacob Marley and he was shocked at the tone at the way Marley spoke. Marley knew that Scrooge didnt believed in him so he went straight to the point about why he had come. He told Scrooge that he should change his ways. He should start liking Christmas and he should give to charity and his behavior should improve. Marley also warned him that if he does not change his ways he would be working all over the earth like he was, that he wouldnt move on after death. He also told Scrooge that he would be visited by three ghosts, Ghost of Christmas Past, ghost of Christmas present and ghost of Christmas Future ( If he does not change). Jacob Marley also told Scrooge to change for the better so that he would have real when he dies. Scrooge thought on what Marley said when Marley went and he was quite prepared for the first ghost. At the struck of One oclock. Scrooge woke up and from the curtains came a brighten shine light. And lo and Behold there was a soft gentle voice which called Scrooge and took him to the town where he studied in school as a boy. As a boy Scrooge was lonely and was often in the boarding school even when his friends went home for holidays. This was due to the hatred of his father towards him Scrooge often red fantasy storybooks like Ali Baba to comfort himself. Scrooge felt very sad for his younger self. The ghost asked him what was wrong but Scrooge answered oh nothing, there was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night, I should like to have given him something thats all. The ghost smiled. The ghost later showed him the Feeziwigs party where scrooge learnt that it wasnt wealth that matters it is the state of your heart. After Scrooge observed the way the Feeziwigs treated there workers Scrooge wished he could say a word or two to his clerk Bob Crachit. A;; this things the ghost were showing him were for him to see how his past was and what made him a selfish, greedy man that he was. The ghost then showed him his fianci e Belle who he neglected in favour of the wealth. Scrooge sees Belles happy family and realizes what he had missed. He shows this saying The children of Belle might had called me father He showed grieve saying Remove me from this place Remove me! Take me back, Haunt me no longer! . The ghost saw that he felt bad and he wished he had longer. People speak of Scrooge in bad way, Example of one these people is Mrs. Crachit who was very angry when her husband said a toast should be given to Scrooge. She shows this by saying I wish I had him here. Id give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and I hope hed have a good appetite for it. When Scrooge heard this he felt morose and remorse, sad. He felt as if he had been a good man from the start of his life. Also from the beginning of the chapter we saw that the transformation in Scrooges life as started picking up speed because he said to the ghost of the Christmas Present I want to learn something from what you would show me. After that the ghost showed him all around to the countryside where he saw people that are not all that wealthy but celebrate Christmas. Scrooge learnt from them. The ghost led Scrooge to his nephew Fred to go and show him how Christmas is celebrated there. In Freds house Fred and is friends, cousins played a guessing game where people had to guess who Fred was thinking about. It was Freds turn and he said someone was an animal who was he. Everybody guessed who it was but they failed until Freds cousin said Scrooge and she was right. But Fred gave a toast to Scrooge without feeling bad. Scrooge feeling bad as well. At the Crachits house Scrooge looked at tiny Time and he asked the ghost maybe he would live. But unfortunately the ghost said if Scrooge doesnt change the boy would die. The ghost also used Scrooges words against him .. What then? If he like to die, he had better do it and decrease the surplus population.. Scrooge was overcome with grief and penitence because his own words had been used against him. After the visit of the last scary ghost (Phantom) Scrooge met himself inside is bedroom his curtains, furniture and his bed were still there. He remembered the promise he had made to the phantom saying I will live in the Past, The Present and the Future The spirits of all three shall strive within me . He truly wanted to keep his promise. On Christmas morning Scrooge started enjoying Christmas and he sent a whole large Turkey to the Crachits family. He also told the two men in the beginning of the novella that he would also contribute to Charity. From this part the language Scrooge uses were jovial, light-hearted, cheerful, good honored language. Scrooge became a jovial and happy man. He greeted everyone he found one the way Merry Christmas. He had become a totally changed man. We know this due to the language he uses in the beginning of the novella which were miserable, pathetic and were not joyful. He normally uses words like Bah, Humbug which means rubbish. He also used an awful language against the men that came to him for the money for Charity, Scrooge never liked anything good but again he never uses his money to enjoy himself. Scrooge had changed in all circumstances. He liked Christmas. He never despises the poor again and he gives to Charity. He enjoyed working with Bob Crachit again he doubled Bobs salary so that he could feed his starving family much better. He also saw that Tiny Tim does not die and he became more like a father to him. In the whole novella Charles Dickens showed how a greedy old man changes through all the sights and experiences he has learnt to became a joyful and happy man. Charles Dickens also made us know that behavior like Scrooges would get one nowhere in life. It also makes us know or learn that one should be responsible for each other.