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Transformation In A Christmas Carol

Decent Essays

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was first published in London on the 19th of December 1843, the novella was instantly popular and still is to this day. Dickens inspiration for the short story seems to come from his childhood experiences and his sympathy for the poor. In the story a miserable old man, Ebenezer Scrooge, is shown the error of his ways and what will come of it if he doesn’t make drastic changes. Various ghosts and spirits slowly transform him into a kinder more pleasant man. A Christmas Carol is a powerful novella that uses symbolism like the children Ignorance and Want, Scrooge’s transformation, and Scrooges nephew Fred, to reinforce significant themes like social isolation, rebirth, and family. Dickens wanted to show the theme of rebirth through Scrooges transformation. Scrooge is changed from a humpy old man to a kinder nicer man, each stave represents a step in the transformation process. In stave one, two men come into Scrooge’s shop and ask for a donation to help poor people in need, Scrooge gives them no money and asks why these people are not in “prisons” or “Union workhouses” (Dickens 7). He feels by paying his taxes he has done enough to help the poor. Scrooge goes on to say “If they rather die…they had better do it and decrease the surplus population” (Dickens 7). But in stave 3, Scrooge sees that Tiny Tim, a young innocent boy, will pass away in the future. Scrooge begs the second of the three spirits to spare his life, but the spirit says “If

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