“A fortune is of no use if there’s no one to share it with.” Day after day I hear this saying from my mother yet never think much about it. On the evening of Thanksgiving Day at the Broadway Palm Theatre in Fort Myers, Fl I had the chance to experience the meaning of such a quote in the production of A Christmas Carol, titled after Charles Dickens story. As a central figure in the play, Scrooge’s character development throughout the play acts out a major theme of the power of kindness and cheer in relationships in the production. As the protagonist of the play, Scrooge’s decisions and actions are central to the theme and development of the production as a whole. Throughout the first part of the play it becomes obvious that a cycle of …show more content…
Throughout the first part of the play Scrooge’s misery makes everyone with whom he encounters uneasy, making it difficult for anyone to be close to him. Those who would approach him are fearful and reluctant, as is the case when Mr. Cratchit asks for Christmas day off. Even the aural elements seem to echo caution around Scrooge, as the flowery music of the play stops abruptly when he speaks. Instead it is harsh beats that move with the sound of his harsh voice. Light also seems to creep away the closer any character gets to Scrooge, as if to say that light cannot be in communion with such a dark figure. The cycle continues throughout his life, greed breeding loneliness breeding misery fueling more greed, as Scrooge becomes older and lonelier. As the play moves from on, there is a further development in Scrooge’s character. After the visits from the three spirits of Christmas, Scrooge realizes the error of his ways and his character becomes a total flip of what he was at the beginning of the play. In the after math of his crazy night, Scrooge wakes up and the first boy to whom he speaks receives his first act of kindness. This first random act of kindness leads him to giving money to a blind woman, buying the prize turkey for the Cratchit family and visiting his nephew’s home for Christmas
Imagine a staged production of A Christmas Carol set in 1843. See the stage set in the exact time it was written by Charles Dickens. The foggy, crowded streets abuzz with carolers and shoppers, the children staring wide eyed into the shops and bakeries. Hear the bells ringing as a round of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” fills the gaslit streets with joy. As a child, going to see A Christmas Carol was one of my fondest Christmas memories. To witness Scrooge 's’ transformation from a mean, greedy old man to a joyous, loving benefactor always left me smiling and filled me with hope.
The vivid images of the plight of the poor that are presented to Scrooge ultimately act as a catalyst for him to change his miserly ways in order to help the destitute and the needy in society. St the beginning of the novella Scrooge states “if they would rather die…they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population”. In contrast, at the end of the novella Scrooge is depicted as a benevolent man who is “so fluttered and glowing with his good intentions”, who wished to help the lest fortunate. The personified children “Ignorance” and “Want” act as a catalyst for Scrooge to change his derisory and self-interested nature as he shows interest in the plight of the poor as he is shocked by these two “ragged, scowling” demons by saying ‘ “are there no refugee or resource?” The Ghost states that “there is no degradation, no perversion of humanity” for these “wretched, abject, frightful,” children, which makes Scrooge realise that he needs to change in order to assist them as he “hung his head, overwhelmed with penitence and grief”. This, it is illustrated in the novella that Scrooge transforms his previous, pessimistic self, into an individual who is no just self-interested, but who becomes responsible and generous to the poor by the end of the novel.
In Scrooge’s past and present, his actions had not been admirable. In reaction to this, Scrooge had closed himself off and become cold and impenetrable by any kindness. He had no empathy for others. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come changed this mindset by showing Scrooge the most severe consequences of his cold hearted actions. In
In the beginning of the Christmas Carol Scrooge was an old man who didn’t like Christmas, but toward the end he was happy with his friends and family. He has changed much by the ghost that had helped him realize that if he kept going the way he was going that the future was going to be horrible,
In conclusion when you change how you act and what your values are your entire life changes typically for the better. Scrooge was at first ignorant and greedy, but through the help of the spirits Scrooge changes into a better person who is capable of caring for others. This shows that anyone can change their
Foremost, Scrooge regrets not appreciating his clerk’s work. For instance, when Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past visit Scrooge’s old boss, Scrooge whispers, “No. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now” (40). Scrooge mistreats his clerk due to his off day on Christmas. He does not enjoy other people mooching off of his money. However, the events of his past life change Scrooge to the point of thinking about others. He imagines his clerk who can barely support his family and works cold as ice in his working quarters. Furthermore, when Scrooge meets his former self when he visits his past, he mutters, “I should like to have given something” (33). Scrooge strangles a kid who comes caroling to his door the night before. He hates Christmas with all his heart. However, after seeing his lonely self he imagines what that caroler felt. He regrets not granting that kid a gift of some sort. Hence, Scrooge regrets his hasty
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of the most classic stories that has been embraced by Western culture. There is a certain timelessness to the entire story, in that it demonstrates the powerful transformation of an incredibly stilted and unlikeable character to that of someone who is giving, kind and generous. The popularity and timelessness of this play is representative of how deeply human being want to believe in the possibility of change, even radical change, and that it's not too late to change one's life. However, the timelessness and popularity of this tale also reveals something else about human nature: there's a tendency such as an overwhelming whiff and desire for human beings to believe that transformation can be overnight and immediate. The reality is that most transformation and change takes years of hard work. However, change as it is presented in this play is a manifestation of the human desire to experience quick and instantaneous transformation, even with someone's character which has formed over a period of decades. In regards to the notion that "Ebenezer Scrooge is difficult to like, but easy to understand" this is generally true if an individual has had a fair amount of life experience. This paper will demonstrate that Ebenezer Scrooge is someone who has a fatal flaw, but the flaws which are demonstrated in this play, aren't as unique as some might view them. In many respects, Scrooge is
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol presents to the reader the transformation of an egotistic, miserable man, named Ebenezer Scrooge, to a compassionate and merrier elderly who finds the true perception of Christmas. Good afternoon, my name is Hayley Harris-Organ; I am here before you to address the importance of studying the humorous yet stern approach to Scrooge’s plight in the novella A Christmas Carol. This short novel acknowledges the threat of holding a selfish life. The author makes a clear reference to greed, cost on fate and redemption in the text.
end, The Spirit of Christmas Present makes Scrooge realize that he is affecting people badly, but
In 'A Christmas Carol', Charles Dickens represents Scrooge as an unsympathetic man who is offered the opportunity to redeem himself. Through use of language, the reader is positioned to view him adversely, but during the journey of morality lessons shown by three spirits, Scrooge recovers his sense of joy by undergoing a significant transformation. Scrooge seeks redemption through the many lessons taught by the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
In A Christmas Carol, an allegory of spiritual values versus material ones, Charles Dickens shows Scrooge having to learn the lesson of the spirit of Christmas, facing the reality of his own callous attitude to others, and reforming himself as a compassionate human being. The reader is shown his harshness in the office, where he will not allow Bob Cratchit enough coal to warm his work cubicle and begrudges his employee a day off for Christmas, even claiming that his clerk is exploiting him. In the scene from the past at Fezziwig’s warehouse, Scrooge becomes aware of the actions of a conscientious, caring employer and feels his first twinge of conscience. The author suggests an origin for Scrooge’s indifference to others as Scrooge is portrayed as a neglected child, the victim of a harsh father intent on denying him a trip home for the holidays and only reluctantly relenting.
Scrooge is a very mean person and he doesn't care for anyone, he will be an old miser and he could care less about anything in the world except himself.He does mean stuff all the time liked decline charity and he doesn't even wanna make the world a better place.He even declined his nephews invite to a Christmas party now that's mean and when he's asked to donate for charity he is too much of a greedy soul to do anything to help anyone and he says that they need to go to a workhouse or prison, He doesn't care about anyone and he ignores everyone and could care less about the world's problems. He thinks that that is ok and then he gets a visit from a ghost saying that three ghosts are gonna come get him and that he shouldn't have been that greedy and he is gonna get a visit from them. Scrooge is freaking out and it takes him a while and he eventually gets sent to bed. In my opinion, though he is acting like that because Marley died and he is emotionally depressed and he takes his pain out on others because he is very said that's just my opinion.
Ebenezer Scrooge was a slave to his desire for wealth would be an understatement. His very innate being was controlled by this one all consuming want, and it infected and ruined every relationship he was ever part of. However, Mr. Scrooge isn’t remembered necessarily for his greed, rather he’s remembered for his drastic change at the end of the novel. In the beginning of the novel when Mr. Scrooge is approached by two gentleman in order to make a Christmas donation Scrooge says that, “If they would rather die they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population”(11). Mr. Scrooge does not care about his fellow people, all he cares about is their cash. He is a foul and nasty character. However after being visited by three ghosts he starts to become a better person. His transition begins when the Ghost of Christmas Past shows him how he alienated his love and how he lost his sister as well. This starts to put a crack in his psyche and is the beginning of his transformation. Next he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present who shows him the awful conditions that his employee Bob Cratchit is suffering, no thanks to Scrooge. The fact that Mr. Cratchit’s son Tim may soon die because of him wears away at Scrooge’s facade of heartlessness even more, but the transition isn’t yet complete. Although he asks the Ghost of Christmas Present whether Tim Cratchit will live and is “overwhelmed with penitence and grief”(63), his despair at the young child’s
He then realizes how important they are to one other and how strong their connections to eachother are, and how devasting it would be if Tiny Tim would become sicker or even die. After visting the Cratchits he then, travls to Freds. Where his friends gather to celebrate the holidays through, eating, drinking, listing to music, andplaying games. Scrooge then starts to enjoy the celebration. When this type of music sounded through his head, all the living things that ghost told him ran through his head. He softened more and more; and thought that if he could have listened to it often, years ago, he might have cultivated the kindnesses of life for his own happiness with his own hands. This shows that, Sccrooge hasbegun to relax and enjoy the merriment, and that he is even considering how his life might be different had he cultivated kindness instead of focusing on making money. Through Scrooge's change at heart this shows that people should focus , more on impacting eachothers lives , and having a meaningful relationships with others, becasue is brings more happiness, then wealth and
Scrooge’s character has changed throughout the story because he shows emotion and regret, he begins to feel empathy for the less fortunate, and he feels great sorrow when he views the death of himself and others. In the beginning, Scrooge was a cold, stingy man who felt nothing for others. Scrooge drastically changed when the first ghost, The Ghost of Christmas Past visited him, who returned his ability to show emotion and regret. For instance, Scrooge feels great remorse when he mentions “There was a boy singing a Christmas carol at my door last night.