No matter how old or young you are, the path to redemption is one that can always be found and taken. In A Christmas Carol, the cyclical nature of sin and the quest for redemption is explored through the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge’s redemption is not rooted in a commitment to deeper spirituality, but rather in an authentic connection to the lives of other human beings. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens suggests that no heart is so hardened that it cannot be changed in a better direction.
The absence of love prompted young Scrooge to evolve into a miser who only found reward in making money; greed had become his passion. Avarice had hardened Scrooge’s heart and blinded him from seeing the error of his ways. The miserly Scrooge rejects
…show more content…
The occurrence of sin transgresses from years previous; both Jacob Marley and Scrooge are guilty of committing sin. Greed and misplaced values had led Jacob Marley to punishment, wandering the Earth for seven years bound in chains. Destined for the same fate, Scrooge seeks redemption through the many lessons taught by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. The three ghosts are very symbolic; they represent Scrooge’s life in the past, present and future. The Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge as a white-robed, androgynous figure of an undetermined age. It has on its head a blazing light, reminiscent of a candle flame, and carries a metal cap, made in the shape of a candle extinguisher. The light from the Ghost of Christmas Past is representative of truth, revealing that Scrooge’s past Christmases were mostly filled with loneliness. This angelic ghost shows Scrooge scenes from past Christmases in order to demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways. Memory works to remind Scrooge of a time where his relationships and emotions towards others were once in tranquility, before he secluded himself from reality.