How Does Scrooge Grow In A Christmas Carol

The novel A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, tells the story of a man driven by greed. This man seemingly cares more about money and business than anything else, refering to work as his “business”, but after being visited by the ghost of his his former friend and colleague, Jacob Marley, Scrooge realizes there is a different way to think about business. Marley says to Scrooge, “Mankind was my business.”(23) He then goes on to explain the prospects of mankind he believes he should have prioritized in his life over success and wealth. Dickens implies Scrooge had never thought of business in that way; to him, business was work and work was money. Throughout the novel Scrooge learns just how incorrect this mindset was. Dickens wants readers

He was cold and distant to everyone he met and was not exactly nice to people. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows readers, and reminds Scrooge, why he turned into the cold person he had become. It was evident he was not from the wealthiest of families and he was neglected by his friends and family year after year even at Christmas. During one of the scenes the ghost says to him, “The school is not quite deserted… A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still.” (38) This comment left Scrooge in tears. After learning about scrooge’s childhood, it appears that Scrooge tried to make up for it by making as much money as possible, out of fear of being in the same position he was in growing

This ghost would then take Scrooge to different families, poor families, and show him money is not required to have a good time. One of the families he and the ghost visit is that of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. There he watches them eat their Christmas feast and talk to each other. “Then Bob proposed: ‘A merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!’ Which all the family re-echoed.”(70) This scene touched Scrooge sparking an interest in the family’s well-being, especially their young, ill son Tiny Tim. Once again, Scrooge’s original way of thinking was disproved and rather than pitying the poor family he seemed envious, for they had a close, loving relationship with one another and he had just realized that the relationship they shared was something he wanted, as he had just realized it was his business to achieve just