A Christmas Carol: Character Development of Scrooge
Prose coursework: How does Dickens develop the character of scrooge throughout the novel? In the story A Christmas Carol , my reaction changed towards Scrooge through each stave. In the first opening stave. You felt as if Scrooge was an inconsiderate. Horrible man. Throughout the rest of the staves you start to feel bad for Scrooge and almost forgive him, Also his past reflects his personality in the future, This influences my reaction towards Scrooge as Dickens uses contradicting and contrasting techniques.
The moral I received was; dickens IS trying to convey to the reader is that you can always be forgiven for What you have done in the past. In stave one Dickens uses aggressive language ‘Oh! Suit he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinners’ this gives you the Impression that scrooge is a wicked man. Scrooge treats poor people unfairly. Dickens includes Images of the workhouses were the less wealthy people work. , ” Many can’t go there: and many would rather die. It they would rather die,” said Scrooge, ‘they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides excuse me I don’t know that” This shrubs the difference between rich and poor in that time period, As well as producing a stronger dislike towards Scrooge. In stave two dickens changes the readers perception of Scrooge changes. This is done by showing the past of scrooge. When he was a little boy. “The school is not quite deserted:’ said the Ghost. ; A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left here still,” You feel sympathy for Scrooge because he is shown a deserted and solitary child. His also reflects on the previous text ‘solitary as an oyster”. This is were we begin to think of the reflection on his presence. Fizzing is introduced, he treats Scrooge nicely and with respect, You feel sympathy towards him because he does not have anyone like this in the presence it’s old Figuring! Sees his heart; it’s Fizzing alive again! ‘” Scrooge shows his feelings towards Fizzing, this makes you feel pity because his life in the present is not as pappy as it was in the past.
These episodes affect the reader because you have a lot Of thoughts about scrooge and do not know What his true colors are In stave three scrooge starts to realism what happened in his past, this spontaneously changes his views and he starts treat people better ‘It was a much greater surprise to scrooge to recognize It as his own nephews and to find himself In a bright, dry, gleaming room, with the Spirit standing smiling by his side, and looking at that same nephew Witt approving adaptability! ‘ Scrooge is surprised that his nephew is nappy even though he is unfortunate.
The ghost of Christmas presents this and it implies to Scrooge that maybe money cannot buy happiness. This scene contrasts with the first stave because scrooge does not think you can be happy when your not wealthy but this scene reflects that fact that money doesn’t buy happiness. During the story Dickens changes the mood of the story at stave four. He does this by changing from a happy, cheerful scene to a dark and miserable scene ‘No voice pronounced these words in Scrooge’s ears, and yet he heard them when he looked pond the bed.
He thought, if this man could be raised up now, what would be his foremost thoughts? Scrooge is looking at himself in the future and wondering what he would be thinking. This shows that Scrooge does want to change. The selfish life that Scrooge live Just still ended out in a bad outcome – A lonely death. In the ending stave scrooge has decided to be nice and help other people instead of being selfish ” ‘A merry Christmas, Bob! ” said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back.
Scrooge in the opening stave hated Christmas but now he decides he should be nice to other people and he will be treated nicely back. Dickens ends his novel happily so that it reflects back on Christmas being a happy, marry holiday and people should spend it with their families. I think its smart how Dickens writes about Scrooge because at first you despise him because of how horrible and selfish he is towards everyone then during the story you feel sympathy towards Scrooge because of the contrast between his past and present. Brandon Hannah
