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A Christmas Carol Analysis

Decent Essays

You should measure your wealth not in money, but in who and what you are lucky enough to posses. In “A Christmas Carol”, Ebenezer Scrooge is an elderly, lonely and pessimistic man who cares about nothing more than his money. However, while experiencing 3 separate encounters with 3 Christmas ghosts, he evolves into something different. Some might say he is a Santa Claus-like character by the end; jolly, caring and most of all, grateful. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, adapted by Israel Horovitz Scrooge teaches readers that you should not determine your prosperity in money, but by what you are blessed enough to fill your life with.
From multiple memory moments, we see that Scrooge comes to learn that riches should not be determined in cash, but in the things and people you spend your time with. On page 622, in a conversation between a younger Scrooge and his fiancèe, it states “[Woman] Goodbye, Ebenezer…/ [Scrooge] Don't let her go!/ [Man] Goodbye./ [Scrooge] No!” This memory exhibits a younger Scrooge’s beloved fiancèe calling off their upcoming marriage and relationship because Scrooge is too concerned with his money and business. The Man is actually a younger Scrooge, Woman in his fiancèe and Scrooge is himself, watching the shadows and trying to interact with them. In that moment, Scrooge is over occupied with his finances to realize what is really important. In this example, he lost his love due to measuring his wealth materialistically, opposed to measuring the love between his finacèe and himself. The lessons that Ebenezer Scrooge learns is demonstrated not only in Act I with the Ghost of Christmas Past, but furthermore when he realizes major wake up calls throughout his tale.
Aha moments throughout “A Christmas Carol” develop a similarity of Scrooge realizing that money isn’t all the wealth there is to life, that there is the gift of family and giving, especially in the holiday season. On page 642, Scrooge is visiting with the Ghost of Christmas Future and sees his own, dead body. Scrooge says, “Oh, Spirit, I see it, i see it! This unhappy man- this stripped bare corpse...could very well be my own. My life holds parallel! My life ends that way now!” They most important part to this citation is in

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