Greed In A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, shows how a greedy man turns from his life of cold-heartedness. Ebenezer Scrooge is the greedy man in the novel who values his money more than anyone or anything. His greed has caused many people to dislike him, even his employees find him cruel and cheap. He begins to change, however, when he is visited by his dead partner Jacob Marley. Marley warns Scrooge that three other Spirits will be visiting him throughout the night, and will help convince him to change his ways. Although skeptical in the beginning, Scrooge begins to understand why he must change his ways, and he discovers what he can do to become a better person. Throughout most of the first chapter, Scrooge is very greedy. When two kind men come and ask Scrooge for a small donation to help benefit the poor Scrooge asks if any of the prisons or poorhouses are still in operation, and the men tell him: “Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.” To which Scrooge replies with: “If they rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” Scrooge was already being greedy by not giving money to the men, but he was also being extremely rude by saying people should hurry up and die. Because of Scrooges greed, his employee suffers greatly, poor Bob Cratchit has to warm his hands by the candle because Scrooge keeps the coal-box in his room and surely would not let the clerk take even the smallest piece. Even though he has more than enough money, Scrooge