How Does Ebenezer Scrooge Change In A Christmas Carol

In the play, A Christmas Carol (by Charles Dickens) adapted by Israel Horowitz, the three ghosts of Christmas-Past, Present, and Future, visit Ebenezer Scrooge offering him the opportunity to redeem himself and change his mean miserly ways. The first ghost takes him on a tour to his sad past. The second ghost shows him what he is missing in the present. The third ghost forces him to take a look at his future and his dismal fate if he doesn’t change. All the ghosts teach Scrooge great lessons, but I believe that the Ghost of Christmas Future affects Ebenezer Scrooge and changes him the most.

The Ghost of Christmas Past is a very odd character and is the first ghost of Christmas to visit Scrooge. The ghost looks like a child but an old man

[Staggers about, trying to see it all at once. He weeps again]” (Horovitz P275). When the spirit lets Scrooge see his old self in the schoolhouse, at first, was in a state of denial saying that he cannot look at himself, but he soon does and weeps. Scrooge then is agitated when he realized that he wanted to give something to a boy who was caroling outside his door but then realizes it’s too late. Soon Fan, his sister, enters the room and says she is here to take Scrooge home, Scrooge is then sorrowful when he sees his sister and remembers how much he loved her. Second, the ghost takes him to Fezziwig’s warehouse where he was apprenticed and Scrooge is very joyful to see Fezziwig his employer again then he remembered how well Fezziwig treated him and his friend Dick while being apprenticed there. All the workers at the warehouse are having a Christmas party and while dancing Scrooge sees that he made a promise to treat his apprentices as well as Fezziwig treated him, but in real life he treats his apprentice Bob Cratchit very poorly. Third, the ghost shows Scrooge his fiancé who left him because he cared about money more than her, he is furious at his past self for letting her go. Scrooge learned from Past that he should treat everyone people with kindness no matter how much the

Present is a portly apparition wearing a simple green robe and a wreath, he resembles Santa Claus and his mood is joyful and happy. First the ghost takes Scrooge to see two men on the street they bump into each other and get angry. Nevertheless, the spirit sprinkles them with his torch and they immediately change and instead get into an argument about who should go first. Scrooge is a bit curious and asks the spirit what he sprinkles from his torch and the ghost says kindness says: kindness. Second, the spirit takes Scrooge to the Cratchit’s house while they are having Christmas dinner. It is a joyful celebration and Scrooge is shocked on why they so are happy when they are poor, He then sees Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit’s son who is crippled and will die if not given medical attention . Scrooge feels regret not helping the Cratchits and is even more shocked when they toast him and this makes Scrooge feel guilty for not treating Bob better. Third, the spirit takes Scrooge to see his Nephew Fred’s house who is having dinner with his wife and even with his Scrooge’s attitude Fred doesn’t get angry with him and still loves him as an uncle. Scrooge is flattered knowing that his nephew still cares about him. Scrooge learns from Present that he should never forget you are loved “Well, true, wife, Uncle may rail at Christmas till he dies, I think I shook him some with my visit yesterday…[Laughing]