A Christmas Carol-Guided Notes

Author Charles Dickens

Setting

Time     1840’s    

Place    London, England

Famous words and phrases from the story

1.  Scrooge                     a mean and miserly person

2.  Bah! Humbug!           Nonsense, Used to express disgust

3.  Merry Christmas!      phrase became popular because of the story

4.  God Bless us Everyone!       Made famous by Tiny Tim    

Themes

1.  Taking care of Mankind

The Ghost of Marley’s says,

“Business...Mankind was my business”.

Scrooge thinks of business in terms of work and money

Marley now sees that one's " business " is taking care of people Mankind is everyone's business.

2.  The Poor

Scrooge's says,

• “that poor people should die and reduce the surplus population "
• the surplus population is not just an idea but real people

3.  Redemption

Change is possible however set we are in our ways.

Dickens imagines the most miserable and hard-hearted man he can (Scrooge), and shows how Scrooge can be reformed if he sees his responsibilities

Characters

Ebenezer  Scrooge 

• Cold, tight-fisted, greedy
• Despises Christmas
• Bah! Humbug!
• Will he change before he dies?

The Ghost of Jacob Marley 

• Ebenezer Scrooge’s partner and only friend.
• Died on Christmas Eve.
• Seven years later his ghost visits Scrooge wearing chains
• Tries to change Scrooge’s life

The Ghost of Christmas Past

• First ghost to visit Scrooge.
• Reveals the past
• Scrooge was innocent boy
• Abused by his father
• Abandoned at school during Christmas

The Ghost of Christmas Present

• Shows Scrooge many people celebrating Christmas
• The Ghost of Christmas Present lives only 1 year.
• He has 1842 brothers.
• Story written in 1843, this ghost is the 1843^rd Ghost of Christmas Present.
• Always wears a green robe
• Two children Want (girl) and Ignorance (boy)

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

• Tall shadowy ghost
• Looks like the Grim Reaper
• Never speaks
• Wears a robe, never see his face
• Shows Scrooge the future where no one cares that Scrooge has died

Silas Scrooge

• Scrooge’s father
• Abandoned Scrooge as a child
• Hated Scrooge because his wife died giving birth to Ebenezer

Fran "Fan" Scrooge

• Scrooge’s sister
• The only family member Scrooge loved
• When she dies, he loses any love he had for people

Fred Hollywell

• Scrooge’s nephew
• Only relative
• Narrator of A Christmas Carol

Belle

• Scrooge’s fiancée
• She leaves Scrooge because he is cheap and a workaholic
• She marries someone else and has a happy life

Mr. Fezziwig

• Scrooge’s boss
• Very generous and happy man-Christmas Party for employees
• Scrooge admired Fezziwig as his boss
• Scrooge is the opposite of Fezziwig

Bob Cratchit

• Scrooge’s clerk
• Symbolizes the working poor

• 6 children

• His son, Tiny Tim, is sick

Tiny Tim

• He is ill, uses a crutch
• In the future he will die because his family is poor, Scrooge does not pay Bob enough money
• “God Bless Us Everyone”

Symbols

1.  Cold, Winter Weather              used to describe Scrooge

2.  The Chains                               Marley’s punishment after he dies

3.  Want (girl)                                  poverty

4.  Ignorance (boy)                       lack of education allows poverty to continue

Author’s Purpose

To make Christmas a time of giving to the poor-Christmas Spirit