A Christmas Carol Analyized English Literature Essay

Charles dickens novella, ‘A Christmas carol’ has been assembled in a delicate yet powerful in order to have the maximum impact upon the reader. Dickens has constructed the story in ‘staves’ to help support and reinforce the moral message of redemption. A stave is also commonly referred to as a staff it is a musical sheet that consists of 5 lines hence the reason for 5 staves.Charles dickens has cleverly chosen to defiy your stereotypical morale tale as it doesn’t contain chapters but instead staves .Dickens starts with potrayin him a heartless old “miser’ . Dickens has structured the novel in a effective and powerful way and has used the idea of Christmas a vehicle for his ideas .It is essential for Dickens to convince the reader that scrooge is mean but not evil this because a mean person has the potential to change whereas an evil person doesn’t . It is vital for Dickens to create an self serving character and show that he can become charitable and caring this is so that even the worse can change .Dickens has divided the novel into 5 staves, stave 1 and 5 are a reflection of each other and staves 2, 3, and 4 are the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Dickens uses the novella to talk about moral responsibility and should help people less fortunate than us and reflect on it.

Two charity workers approach scrooge whether he would donate money for charity and when asked how much money is he willing to give he says “nothing” the two men misinterpret him thinking that he wishes to remain “anonymous” .Scrooge replies “Are there no prisons “this show that scrooges soul is dead and his ability to be kind and to love Scrooge believed’s that the best way to get rid of the “Surplus population” as there are to many people.

At the first stave Scrooge is presented as being woebegone by Marley the ghost who is condemned for the rest of time to drag heavy padlocks which represents the person he was in life and all the sins he has committed .Scrooge refuses to believe it and calls it ” Humbug” which shows that he is completely skeptical. Dickens purposely uses the word “Humbug” repeatedly through the story so that we can remember scrooge’s ignorance and attitude towards the less fortunate. Marley confronts scrooge “Charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence “Marley is showing scrooge that’s what your business should be about.

The Ghost of Christmas past take Scrooge to see his past .Dickens takes Scrooge to his past to show the audience that he was a decent child but had a tough childhood .At Christmas scrooge was left alone at his boarding school because his father holds a grudge against his as his mother gave birth to him and died.

“A solitary child neglected by his friends is left there still” Even though he is a mean man he still shows emotion “And he sobbed ” .Scrooge was so lonely the only friend he had was his imaginary friend the parrot from treasure island “There’s the parrot “.Dickens wants the audience to feel sympathy towards scrooge for the childhood he never had .Even scrooge feels he has missed out and pity’s for himself ” Poor boy”

When Scrooge is old enough to work, he works for the business man Fezziwig who is the complete opposite of Scrooge .Dickens is showing the audience that that you don’t have to be mean and nasty like, Scrooge you can be like Fezziwig caring and loving. Scrooge later on gets engaged and they agree to propone their marriage for so long the young woman breaks of their engagement this completely shatters him and this is the pivotal point.” Why do you delight to torture me “This shows that scrooge is covering up what he is truly feels by being nasty and mean.

This ghost then takes Scrooge to ex fiancé and he then sees that he could of lived his life like that .He then realized that he could of lived his life like that they could have been his children and she could have been his children and she could have been his children. Dickens end the chapter when his fiancé realizes that he lives a mean, nasty life and scrooge begs the ghost to take him back as he is heartbroken and shattered by what he has seen.

On what Scrooge thinks is the second night, he is visited by the ghost of Christmas present .The ghost takes Scrooge to visit the Crochet family they are poor but happy .It is Christmas day an the best clothes he has is “Threadbare clothes “and his son has an “iron frame” to support his limbs . This is the best clothe they have to Christmas day .Dickens wants the audience to feel sympathy for the family and realise even though they are poor they are happy and united.

Goose was a rare occasion for the Crockett family and would save all year. It is the most important meal in the year.” Its tenderness and flavor, size and cheapness “this shows how important pricing is for the crocket family.” Eked out by apple sauce and mashed potatoes” Potatoes were the cheapest things they could buy .Dickens is showing that the goose was in matter of fact small but they stuffed themselves with potatoes .Christmas is the most important meal of the year the audience dread to think what they eat for the rest of the year Dickens is showing that they are extremely impecunious.

The audience like Tiny Tim and should sympathies for Tiny Tim’s situation .We feel guilty once we realise that tiny Tim will die unless he gets support and enough food. Unless scrooge changes tiny Tim will die but if the reader doesn’t change then million of people like tiny Tim will die. This is the pivotal point of the story when the Christmas ghost points out at tiny Tim and tells scrooge that he is the “Sulphurs population”

The ghost shows scrooge a number of people talking about someone’s death. Scrooge doesn’t realise who they are talking .These people go to extreme measures to steal his curtains and clothes.

As a writer dickens wants to convince the audience that scrooge is reformed and completely changed. He reintroduces the characters that first appeared in the chapter and he approaches them in a different way. This shows us the complete transformation of Scrooges character. Scrooge is showing his extreme joy through his series of similes “I’m as light as a feather , I am as merry as a school boy” .Throughout the story whenever Christmas is mentioned scrooges relies by saying “Humbug” whereas now scrooge has a different approach about Christmas .

Scrooge’s first act of generosity is that he wishes to remain anonymous for his good deeds where as at the beginning of the story he couldn’t care less. This is a complete reverse of the start of the story as he wishes to remain anonymous for all the wrong reasons whereas now he has completely metamorphosed for all the right reasons.

He later on runs into the same men that he met the night before, asking him whether he would donate any money to charity and he replied “Is there no prisons ” but now Scrooge

Whispers into there ears a significant figure of money that would be embarrassing to say out loud .The men doubt him and can’t believe he is the same man “Mr. Scrooge” .Scrooge hasn’t changed physically but in every other aspect he has changed .Dickens is showing that even smiling and having a difference attitude can completely change your appearance .

When the nephew opens the door even he can’t recognize him this shows how much of a transformation scrooge has had “Who’s that” .Such a change in personality nobody has seen him happy and smiling. The next day Bob Cracht returns to work late and he is expected to loose his job and initially scrooge act as the mean man “I am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer” he acts as if he is the same man and then he droops the bombshell that he raised his salary. This insures that the family can live well and Tiny Tim can be saved.

Scrooge finally changes for the better and has become a better man for good. “God bless us everyone” this is Tiny Tim’s phrase that was said earlier in the story .Dickens has purposely don this so tat the last thing the reader can remember is Tiny Tim and helping other people like him.

Dickens has produced a novel with a universal and fundamental message that everyone can relate to regardless of religion or ethnic background. Dickens has confronted society with the world we are living in today and has given society a remedy that through time will help heal .Even in the democratic world that we live in today Dickens’s universal message has great relevance and the idea of being a decant human being and helping others in need is sometimes overshadowed .Since being published it has been constantly retold and made into new adaptations.