Skip to main content

How did Scrooge change as a result of his visit with the Ghost of Christmas Present?

Scrooge changed in a number of ways as a result of his visit with the Ghost of Christmas Present, mainly because of the tactics employed by the spirit.  The Ghost of Christmas Present relies heavily on shock value to get Scrooge to change.  For example, even before he "meets" the ghost, Scrooge is forced to take the first step in changing.  While the Ghost of Christmas Past appeared in Scrooge's room, coming to the old miser, Scrooge must get up out of bed and enter into another room of his home in order to make contact with the Ghost of Christmas Present.  The effort must be Scrooge's.  Upon entering the room, he is shocked by what he sees.  The walls are hung with garlands and mistletoe, a great feast is piled all around, and the fireplaces blazes warmer and brighter than it ever did when tended by Scrooge.  

The Ghost of Christmas Present also employs a specific tactic to help Scrooge change.  More than the other spirits, this ghost makes a habit of throwing Scrooge's own words back in his face.  After the ghost takes Scrooge to see the Cratchits, Scrooge inquires about Tiny Tim's future.  He asks if the child will be spared, to which the spirit replies "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population" (50).  These are the same words that Scrooge uttered to the men who came to his door in Stave One, asking for alms for the poor.  Upon hearing his own words coming back to him, "Scrooge hung his head" (50).  He is already beginning to understand the full import of his words and his worldview.

The spirit also takes Scrooge to a number of other scenes involving miners, a ship at sea, and two men in a solitary lighthouse.  Each of the scenes reveals people who, despite their experiencing harsh circumstances, are happy because they feel the true spirit of Christmas.  These scenes also help to show Scrooge what it is like "in the real world," and how it isn't money, but fellowship, that is the key to happiness and the meaning of life.  Even when taken to his nephew's house, and seeing Fred and his friends enjoying one another's company, Scrooge gets so caught up in the merriment that he wishes to be playing along with them.

Finally, Scrooge's experience with the two children under the cloak of the spirit help to shape him greatly.  The two children are referred to as Ignorance and Want, and their very appearance appalls Scrooge.  They are "meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility" (61).  They are the embodiment of the problems that come from Scrooge's callous, detached worldview.  Scrooge asks the spirit if the two children have no place to seek help for their condition, at which time the spirit again throws Scrooge's own words back in his face, asking "[a]re their no prisons?  [...] Are there no workhouses?" (61).  Even as they part, the spirit again reminds Scrooge of the problems with Scrooge's worldview, thus helping Scrooge to change by confronting who he has become.  

These are the very last words that the spirit speaks to Scrooge.  Before Scrooge can react to them, the bell strikes twelve and Scrooge is left alone.  However, with the disappearance of the Ghost of Christmas Present comes the shocking appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, "a solemn Phantom, draped and hooded, coming, like a mist along the ground, towards him" (62).  Even the final act of the Ghost of Christmas Present relies on shock value, and sets Scrooge up for the final stage in his change.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

etymology - Origin of the greeting "Sweet dreams".

Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one. Answer The OED has the interjection as "a farewell to someone going to bed" from the 20th century: 1908 Sears Roebuck Catal. 198/1 Tenor Solos..Good Bye, Sweet Dreams, Good Bye. But it goes back until at least the 19th and possibly 18th centuries. John Wolcot, writing under the pseudonym of Peter Pindar, used it in his poem "Orson and Ellen; A Legendary Tale" published in 1801: Also from 1801 in The infernal Quixote (Page 287) by Charles Lucas: In the March 1776 of The Universal Magazine was published "The Serenade. A Pastoral Tale. From the German of Gesner" , where the shepherd Daphnis watches over his beloved as she sleeps and sings: The same tale appears in 1776's as Idyl XI, " Daphnis ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices. Answer This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. In my opinion, reads more easily as: This coding style leads to unmaintainable and poorly performing code. The key to well-written documentation and reports lies in ease of understanding. Adding poorly understood words such as performant decreases that ease. In addressing the use of such a poorly ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are the similarities between the relationships of the characters in The Outsiders and Romeo and Juliet?

At first glance, it might appear as if the characters in  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton and  Romeo and Juliet  by William Shakespeare do not have much in common; however, when one isolates the core of the conflicts, it becomes clear that the relationships in both stories are rooted in rivalry and secrecy.  In both  The Outsiders  and  Romeo and Juliet , an overarching theme is rivalry. While   socioeconomic status separates the greasers from the Socs in The Outsiders , last names separates the Montagues from the Capulets, who appear to be relatively equal in terms of socioeconomic status. Due to these rivalries, there are instances of deadly interactions in both stories. In  The Outsiders , Johnny kills Bob (whether his actions were justified or not is debatable). In  Romeo and Juliet , Romeo kills Tybalt and Paris, and Tybalt kills Mercutio. These deaths have profound effects on the main characters. In Ponyboy's case, the Johnny's death and other events in the novel inspire h...
Post a Comment
Read more