How does Dickens present Marley's death in a Christmas Carol?
Ebenezer Scrooge, who has served as Marley's business partner, executor of his will, ''sole friend, and sole mourner'', is well aware of how very dead Marley is. Dickens emphasizes the single fact of Marley's death to prepare readers to be as astonished as Scrooge is when Marley's Ghost appears.
What does Scrooge say about Marley in a Christmas Carol?
Scrooge, he says, must listen to the ghosts or he will eventually suffer the same fate as Marley. Trying to convince himself Marley was merely a hallucination, Scrooge goes to bed but is promptly visited by the first ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Past.
How does Dickens present the four ghosts in a Christmas Carol?
Dickens presents each of the four ghosts in very different ways as they contrast one another throughout the novel. He uses the views and reactions of the character Scrooge and the physical descriptions of the ghosts to portray their moral significance.
What is the message of a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens?
Dickens is trying to portray the message that you should think about the actions in your life and treat everyone with respect because otherwise your regrets made in life could catch up with you like Marley. Another theme in the novel is the theme of redemption, as Scrooge is told by the ghosts he can still change the person he might become.
How is Jacob Marley presented in A Christmas Carol?
The narrator describes Marley's ghost's appearance as he visits Scrooge. Marley looks like he did in life except that he now appears transparent and wears a chain of items related to his business. Scrooge will learn that the chain serves as Marley's punishment.
What does Marley represent in A Christmas Carol?
Jacob Marley symbolises the limitations of a life-lived focused on greed and selfishness, whilst Fred's life appears fulfilled through his perpetual joy, kindness and interactions with others. After his death, Jacob Marley has been condemned to wander the world as a miserable ghost.
How is Marley stave 1 presented?
Marley symbolises worldly greed and spiritual poverty. The same face: the very same. Marley in his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling, like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head. The chain he drew was clasped about his middle.
How does Dickens use Marleys Ghost?
Dickens also uses Marley's character to act as a catalyst for Scrooge's change. He instils feelings of fear in Scrooge, evidenced by the “terrible sensation” he feels after Marley's visit. This ultimately offers Scrooge a chance at redemption, as this fear is what initially drives his desire to change.
What does Marley's ghost symbolism?
Marley's Ghost carries the concerns Marley had in life. The chain it carries is made of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel (p. 14). These items symbolise the things Marley spent his life on – they are all related to money and protecting his possessions.
How does Jacob Marley influence Scrooge?
Marley is more relatable to Scrooge and hence acts as a warning to the possible suffering Scrooge may too have to endure after his death if he does not change his morose and misanthropic behaviours. In Stave four, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is described as a “phantom”.
How is Marley described?
In life, Marley, like Scrooge, was a bitter, greedy and selfish man. When he died, he was cursed to eternally wander the earth as a decrepit spirit, forever burdened by a mass of chains that represent his accumulated sins.
What do we learn about Marley in Stave 1?
What do we learn about Marley? He died 7 years ago on Christmas Eve and he was Scrooge's partner. What do we learn about Scrooge? He's mean, grouchy, old, owns his own business and is rich.
What is the purpose of Marley's Ghost in Stave 1?
Marley's Ghost explains that Scrooge will be visited by three spirits. These spirits will give him a chance to avoid Marley's fate. After showing Scrooge many other ghosts as a warning, Marley's Ghost leaves and Scrooge goes to bed.
What message does Marley's Ghost have for Scrooge?
Marley's Ghost tells Scrooge of the terrible situation it is in. Its punishment for being too concerned with making money when it was alive is to wander through the world – oh, woe is me! – and witness what [I] cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness! (p.
Which Ghost has the biggest influence on Scrooge?
Scrooge was impacted most by the Ghost of Christmas present in the novella A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. The Ghost of Christmas present taught him how to show kindness to others, and showed Scrooge how he affected those around him.
What does each Ghost represent in A Christmas Carol?
The Ghost of Christmas Past, with his glowing head symbolizing the mind, represents memory; the Ghost of Christmas Present represents generosity, empathy, and the Chri stmas spirit; and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents the fear of death and moral reckoning.
How would you describe Jacob Marley?
Role in the story. In life, Marley, like Scrooge, was a bitter, greedy and selfish man. When he died, he was cursed to eternally wander the earth as a decrepit spirit, forever burdened by a mass of chains that represent his accumulated sins.
What is the purpose of Marley's ghost in Stave 1?
Marley's Ghost explains that Scrooge will be visited by three spirits. These spirits will give him a chance to avoid Marley's fate. After showing Scrooge many other ghosts as a warning, Marley's Ghost leaves and Scrooge goes to bed.
What is Marley's punishment in the afterlife?
He is Scrooge's deceased business partner, now a chained a tormented ghost, given as punishment in the afterlife for his greedy, selfish and uncaring attitude when he was living. Marley arranges three spirits to visit Scrooge (Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future), offering him and opportunity for redemption.
What does Marley say was his business in life?
“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!” Marley rues the wrong priorities he held in life.
Who was Jacob Marley in ''A Christmas Carol''?
Jacob Marley was Scrooge's old partner in the money lending business. He died seven years before the novel's start and came back as a ghost to warn...
How is Jacob Marley described in ''A Christmas Carol''?
Jacob Marley is described as having a pigtail and wearing a waistcoat and boots. In his ghost form, he looks the same but is transparent and must w...
Why was Jacob Marley in chains in ''A Christmas Carol''?
The chains represent each act of greed Marley committed in life. The chains are tied to money boxes, ledgers, and other heavy items that symbolize...
What does Jacob Marley represent in ''A Christmas Carol''?
Jacob Marley represents Scrooge's possible fate. If Scrooge does not change, he will become a ghost who must also wander the Earth while pondering...
What does Marley hear when he first enters the room with Scrooge?
When Marley first enters the room with scrooge he is instantly given a supernatural manor and was presented as very frightening. “Scrooge was not a man to be frightened” this gives the reader the impression that what it coming up the stairs is not something normal and is almost foreshadowing the fact that it is a normal human being walking up the stairs. Dickens uses sounds to present the ghost coming up the stairs “echoed through the house like thunder” this simile that Dickens uses makes the sound seem so loud that it begins to shake the house. Even in the first four staves before Marley has even entered the house the supernatural activity gradually has an effect on scrooge “and walked…show more content…
What did Jacob Marley's ghost tell him?
That changed when Jacob Marley’s ghost came back to him to warn him about his future in death how he would have many chains holding him down if he stayed the way he was. Jacob sent Scrooge 3 spirits that night. He sent the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas future. Each spirit taught Scrooge a lesson. After they were done with Scrooge, his ways changed.
How many ghosts are there in A Christmas Carol?
In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold, tight fisted elderly man with a misanthropic nature. He receives visits by three ghosts, each giving him a chance to change the outcome of his future. Each ghost has a significant impact on Scrooge. The Ghost of Christmas Past enables Scrooge to relive the days coming up to Christmas from his childhood up to his teen years. He sees how he neglected his first love, Belle, and it brings back feelings of shame and guilt.
Who is the first supernatural character to visit Scrooge?
Marley’s ghost is the first supernatural character to visit scrooge and probably has one of the biggest effects on scrooge in the first place. Dickens presents Marley as a much more frightening ghost compared to the other ghost that visits scrooge. I think Dickens does this to show how Scrooge is frightened of what Marley has become physically and believes him. Also as Marley was Scrooges only friend I think thus definitely would have made him trust Marley’s ghost as they ran the business together and were the only people that understood each other.
When did Dickens use foreshadowing?
He use foreshadowing when he gave detail on the manette's house. Charles Dickens mentioned the footsteps echoing throughout the house. The authors expression of the house indicated the approaching Revolution. "The footsteps were incessant, and the hurry of them became more and more rapid. The corner echoed and re-echoed with the tread of feet; some, as it seemed, under the windows; some, as it seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping altogether; all in the distant streets, and not one within sight."
What does Boo Radley represent?
Boo Radley represents one of the “mockingbirds” in the book, and a mockingbird is someone that is pure and innocence in the world. He is a good person that is hurt by the evil of mankind. In a lot of ways, Boo Radley might have have wanted to stay shut up in his house after seeing some of the awful acts that the townspeople have committed. But after seeing the Finch kids being attacked by Bob Ewell he had no choice but to leave the comfort of his own home that he has been enclosed in for so long to come out and save them. All though it would have been easier for this man to stay in his house rather than leave and then be drug into court, he did what he knew would be right and rescued the
What does Marley tell Scrooge about the ghosts?
Marley then tells Scrooge that the only hope Scrooge has is to listen to the three Christmas ghosts who will soon visit him. Having experienced the horror of seeing his dead partner’s ghost, Scrooge says, “I think I’d rather not.” When he learns that the ghosts will arrive one at a time, Scrooge requests that they visit all at once because he dreads the experience and wants to get it over with. Marley’s ghost explains that the three apparitions will appear one at a time. Scrooge is exhausted from the experience and falls asleep immediately.
Who is Scrooge's ghost?
The ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's former business partner who died seven years before, appears before Scrooge in chains on the anniversary of his death. He tells Scrooge this same fate awaits him if he does not dedicate himself to his fellow men and women but instead only cares about making money. Scrooge makes many feeble defenses of Marley that he, Scrooge, would also apply to himself, including that Marley was a good man of business and that he was a good friend to Scrooge. To Scrooge's protestation that Marley was good at business, Marley replies, "Mankind was my business," intimating Scrooge should have dedicated himself to other people, not just to making money (23). Scrooge is clearly afraid of Marley's ghost, but he doesn't yet heed his message. After Marley leaves, Scrooge immediately goes back to sleep.
Does Scrooge believe in ghosts?
Scrooge admits to the apparition that he doesn’t believe in ghosts. Then he makes a joke, a practice that is unusual for the typically cranky Scrooge, but the joke is just an attempt to deflect his own attention from the rising fear he feels in the presence of Marley’s ghost. Scrooge is even more terrified when the ghost’s jaw drops to his chest after he unwraps the bandage from his head. Scrooge begs the ghost for comforting words. “I have none to give,” Marley says.
What does Marley tell Scrooge about his chain?
Marley tells Scrooge that his own chain was as long as his seven years ago and Scrooge has “laboured on it since.”. Marley then tells Scrooge that he has “hope of escaping my fate,” when three Spirits will visit him over the next three nights and with that Marley is gone.
How does Dickens present each of the four ghosts in the novel?
Dickens presents each of the four ghosts in very different ways as they contrast one another throughout the novel. He uses the views and reactions of the character Scrooge and the physical descriptions of the ghosts to portray their moral significance.
What are the symbols of Scrooge?
At this point in the novel, the two most important symbols of the story are introduced to Scrooge to make him want to change his ways. He asks “is it a foot or a claw,” as he is wonders what the sprit is hiding under his robes. The spirit shows Scrooge two “ragged, scowling, wolfish,” children which symbolise Ignorance and Want. Ignorance shows Scrooge’s ignorance towards the poor and to others around him and the ghost warns him that if he doesn’t change, he will end up like Marley. It also shows how the rich ignore the suffering of the poor like Scrooge at the beginning of the novel. The child of Want shows Scrooge’s greed of money throughout the novel however it could also represent the want of the poor society, as they are in need of a better life, food, and education and they want to live. Want and Ignorance have been personified into children to make the reader think about what society is becoming and also that it could be society’s fault that they are here.
What is the second ghost that visits Scrooge?
The second ghost that visits Scrooge is the ghost of Christmas present. Dickens presents this ghost as a happy, kind spirit which is very much the opposite of Scrooge who is a miserable and selfish man.
How many chapters are there in Scrooge?
The novel is split into five staves (or chapters) with the three ghosts of the past, present and future visiting Scrooge in the middle three chapters and the readers first meet Scrooge when he is introduced by Marley’s ghost in the first chapter who was Scrooge’s former business partner, however in Stave 5 we see how Scrooge has changed, contrasting to the first chapter when he is a mean, stingy old man. Dickens called the chapters ‘staves’ which are references to verses of a song, which he has cleverly linked in with the title of the novel ‘A Christmas Carol’, so each chapter is like a verse in a carol and this structure of the novel is effective because it emphasizes the story and gets across the spirit of Christmas in a subtle and different way.
What is the theme of Scrooge?
Another theme in the novel is the theme of redemption, as Scrooge is told by the ghosts he can still change the person he might become. When Dickens wrote the novel there was a large divide between the rich and poor societies and he wanted to change that, by selling A Christmas Carol for 5 shillings each which meant that everyone could read the book no matter how much money they earned. Also Dickens was trying to get the message across to the ignorant rich of Victorian times about how the poor lived in poverty like Tiny Tim and his family in the novel. Because of this moral message Dickens portrayed, he hoped that it would encourage more people to give money to the poor, possibly to redeem their sins made in life. Furthermore the character of Scrooge could have related to many upper-class, selfish business men who felt regret about their mistakes and wanted to become better people much like Scrooge, as in the beginning of the story Scrooge is shown as a cold, bitter man but by the end of the novel he is a changed man. This moral message about redemption is still a very important issue today and I think that is why the book is still as popular as it was 100 years ago.
What does the spirit of Dickens mean by the light coming from his head?
Also the spirit could be seen as an angel as Dickens describes the spirit with “a bright clear jet of light” coming from his head which could be perceived as a halo like an angel and because it is shining very brightly out of the spirit’s crown it could represent it’s mind and the strength of his thoughts and memories.