Literature Analysis #4

A Christmas Carol
By: Charles Dickens

1. Summary

A Christmas Carol is centered around the main, dynamic character, Ebenezer Scrooge. He starts as a greedy, independent, fun-killer. He is stingy with his money, has not an ounce of festivity, and has been a loner for years since his partner Jacob Marley passed. He is met in this story by the ghost of Marley himself, and three Christmas ghosts with the intent to change his boring, unfriendly ways. The first, being the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Ebenezer back to his relationship with Belle, which failed due to his self-interest. The second, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes him to the frugal life of the Cratchit family. He witnesses the handicapped son, Tiny Tim, and this is the turning point of Ebenezer's outlook. His complete transformation, however, comes when the third ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, informs him that he is the dead, rich businessman on the tomb stone. From this point on, Ebenezer becomes jolly, philanthropic, and kind. He makes a point to be in the "Christmas spirit", and is extremely helpful and giving to Tiny Tim.

2. Theme

The main theme in A Christmas Carol is kindness. The saying, "Honey will get you further than vinegar.", is exemplified in this fictional story. Ebenezer starts as a sour, cranky old man. He has wealth, but no relationships or family in his life. When he lightens up at the resolution, he is loved and enjoys life much more.

3. Literary Devices

Simile:

• "Old Marley was as dead as a doornail."
• "Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire."

Imagery:

• "...Candles were flaring in the windows of the neighboring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air."
• "Foggier yet, and colder. Piercing, searching, biting cold!."

Personification:

• "To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale."

Diction:

• "Bah. Humbug."

4. Characterization

Dickens uses direct characterization throughout the story.

• "Secret and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster."
• "(Scrooge) a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner."
• "The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his his cheek, softened his gait, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice."
• "It was a habit with Scrooge, whenever he became thoughtful to put his hands in his breeches' pockets."