Character Analysis: A Christmas Carol

Part I: Initial Reaction

My selection of A Christmas Carol was due to exposure through various cinematic adaptations of this literary work throughout my lifetime. Noticeable were the commonalities of the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge to many of the people encompassing society today. The embellishing characteristic of greed and selfishness seen in Scrooge reverberated in many people in todays’ society. Charles Dickens’ descriptive detail of the contextual time creating time relevant environment allowing for the appreciation of the author’s perception of his current human being’s greedy, selfish yet redeemable qualities. The reading initially poised somewhat of a saddened presentation of h Scrooge’s bitterness towards the holidays refusing

Further reading shows the ghost of his As I kept reading, we see the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s old business partner utilizing reflective mirroring to show Scrooge his flawed ways. It is Marley who informs Scrooge of how their greed and bitterness towards life condemned him to suffer the fate of a wandering soul for the rest of eternity. I think it interesting that the author saw fit to utilize the old business partner as the guiding light considering that Marley was probably the only individual that Scrooge would have listened to. Interesting to note that most people are selective to whom they choose advice often gravitating towards people they trust. Dickens utilized this methodology in selecting Marley as the guiding principle leading

Ragged schools were institutions dependent on public charitable contributions providing a rudimentary level of education for destitute children. Despite receiving no governmental support attempted to provide food, clothing and shelter for destitute children as well. Given their dependence of charitable contributions these institutions were in slum-like conditions in more deplorable sections of town usually poorly ventilated and decrepit. Children who did not attend ragged school worked in coal mines, shipyard and chimney sweep enterprises at time as young as three years old with a life expectancy no exceeding mid-twenties. It was not unusual to find children working in impoverished conditions as the assumption was that lower or working-class families could not survive without the cumulative wages of every member of the family no matter how small. Employers preferred children due to the mechanization of many industries and children receiving less wages than their adult counterparts with workdays usually exceeding 16 hours.

The author’s biography gives insight on his life’s influence on his literary work. In 1824, Dickens father lost his job with the British Navy and sent to debtor’s prison along with his wife and children with their daughter Fanny and son Charles being the only exception. Fanny remained in