Charles Dickens' famous tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his chilling encounters with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
Dickens’ Best Known Work
Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in remarkably quick time, beginning it in October 1843 and completing it in time for publication that same Christmas. Proving that even well-established writers don't always see eye to eye with their publishers, Dickens ended up publishing the book himself. The book sold 6000 copies, the whole of the initial print run, in its first few days of release, and is perhaps still Dickens' best known work.
The Ghost of Jacob Marley
Even if you haven't read the book, chances are you are familiar with the story. Ebenezer Scrooge is a bad-tempered miser who values only money, and the story begins on the seventh anniversary of the death of his like-minded business partner, Jacob Marley. It is Christmas Eve, although this matters little to Scrooge, who sees Christmas as “a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer” (chapter one), and thus coins his now famous expression “’Bah! Humbug!’”
Once alone, Scrooge finds himself haunted by Jacob Marley’s ghost, first as his door knocker, then in his bedroom carvings, and finally an appearance from the man himself, dragging a chain heavy with the symbols of his former life: keys, money boxes and so on. He is here to warn Scrooge that those who are mean in life are punished in death, and promises that three spirits will visit during the night to show him the error of his ways.
The Ghost of Christmas Past
The first of these is the Ghost of Christmas Past, who leads Scrooge on a journey through some of the events of his early life, those key moments who have helped make Scrooge the man he is, such as the death of his sister and his mistreatment at the hands of the father who seems to care little for him.
The Ghost of Christmas Present
The Ghost of Christmas Present appears next, and shows Scrooge how his clerk, Bob Cratchit, is spending Christmas. Despite their poverty and the disability of their son, Tiny Tim, the family are enjoying each other’s company: “They were not a handsome family; they were not well dressed; their shoes were far from being water-proof; their clothes were scanty; and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbroker's. But, they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time” (chapter three). They even raise a toast to Scrooge, as they feel this is in the spirit of Christmas Day.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears next, and offers Scrooge a chilling vision of the future. Scrooge sees the heartless reaction of his acquaintances to his own death, and pays another visit to the Cratchit home, which is now in mourning for Tiny Tim: “’I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Tim -- shall we -- or this first parting that there was among us?’' (chapter four). It is the sight of his own grave that finally brings him back to the present day.
A Lesson to be Learned
The ghosts have done their job and Scrooge has learned his lesson. He understands that he has a chance to change the future by returning to the kind-hearted person he was before his sister’s death, and he immediately begins making amends for his past behaviour. He sends an enormous turkey to the Cratchits, and enjoys spending Christmas Day with his nephew. He never returns to his miserly ways, and become a well-liked and generous citizen.
Thus Dickens’ morality tale is complete: social injustice has been addressed and the man who has much wealth joyfully shares it with those who have little. As Christmas continues to become more commercial each year, the lessons to be learned from this story seem more relevant than ever.
