Religion In A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens’s 1843 story, “A Christmas Carol,” highlights major themes during the Victorian period, including money and religion. During the Victorian period, industrialization took place, which affected society’s struggles, and, subsequently, their views on capitalism. Through the miserly protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, Dickens explores the detriment of singularly focusing on finances. However, by exploring his past, present, and future with the accompaniment of ghosts, Scrooge recognizes the value in other experiences: namely religion. Scrooge’s perspective shifts through his experiences in viewing different aspects of Christmas. This expansion allows Dickens to demonstrate the usefulness of money to society, specifically by using it for

One of the first descriptions of Scrooge includes his being “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!” (10). The repeating “-ing” adjectives emphasize Scrooge’s stinginess and highlight his active desire for more wealth. Additionally, the ending of the sentence referring to Scrooge as a “sinner” stresses Scrooge’s departure from religion and morality. In focusing solely on money, he has departed from being a generous, modest person, which are pillars of Christianity. Additionally, by not keeping a fire to keep himself warm in his office, “The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice,” (10). Here, Dickens slyly demonstrates how the cold has a double meaning: it refers to both the cold in the office, but also the cold within Scrooge. The cold is personified, and is seen as actively hardening Scrooge and making him uncomfortable, such as “freezing”, “nipping”, and “shriveling” him. It seems as if his inner coldness is reflecting outwards and actively making him