How is the motif of song used to support a theme in A Christmas Carol?
Music has the power to change a person’s life and is present during difficult and joyful times.
In a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens the motif of song shows how people can change and Christmas can unite them.
In stave 1, Scrooge hates christmas and demonstrates his dislike for it strongly. He mistreats a caroller that came by his office.It was christmas eve and Scrooge was in his office when a caroller came up to his keyhole and started Singing "God bless you merry gentlemen"(17). Quickly, Scrooge seized the ruler and the caroller fled the scene.When scrooge does this he is isolating himself from the community. We can see how the song motif, which is the caroller singing, shows the beginning of Scrooge’s change. He is bitter and mistreats people without regret.
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Scrooge was visiting a past Christmas of his with the Ghost of Christmas past. They were watching Scrooge as a young lad all alone in his school, while his peers spent time together on the streets having fun (34). Scrooge had an overwhelming feeling of sadness and pitfulness when he saw his past self. This led him to reflect on his past actions with the caroller and look through his pockets saying “ I wish. But it's too late now”(36).The spirit asked “what is the matter”(36). To which Scrooge answered “ Nothing. There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something : that’s all.” This shows how Scrooge is regretting his past actions with the caroller and trying to make it better even though it was too late. He is evolving from his old bitter self to a compassionate and understanding
This shows that ever since Scrooge had met the Ghost of Christmas Present, his perspective on poor people had changed. When Present was leaving, he showed Scrooge two dolls, Ignorance and Want, which symbolize Scrooge's sins, and how he is fixing them slowly by slowly. Finally, the First Woman said “If he wanted to keep ’em after he was dead, the wicked old screw, why wasn’t he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he’d have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself.” The Ghost had revealed the scenes of the death of a disliked character whose funeral was not attended by his loved ones but just local businessmen who are eager to possess his properties.
This was the very first thing that Past showed him. Scrooge doesn't know yet that this memory changed him. Scrooge becomes remorseful, he regrets things he has done. “There was a boy singing a Chirstmas Carol outside my door last night. I should have given him something…”
Dickens explores the theme of transformation in his novella- A Christmas Carol- by Scrooge’s attitude to the poor and how it converts over the course of his redemption. As a result of his divine intervention; he changes from a selfish and self-centred man consumed by greed to someone charitable and caring. The most notable difference in Scrooge is how he views those living in poverty and the struggles they face. In the opening Stave of the novella, Scrooge is clearly demonstrated as apathetic to those other than himself.
This comes to show that Scrooge was very lonely and grumpy. Scrooge wasn't morally doing the right thing. He could have chosen to be merry and give merry back but he
And he sobbed." (Dickens, 2) This quote displays that Scrooge is moved when he sees his former self in practically the same position he is in now: alone and neglected by everyone during Christmas time. It also shows how he has never changed from being the isolated and neglected person he was as a boy. This scene teaches Scrooge that he must change the ways of his life in order to redeem and save the future of not only his life, but the lives of those around him as well, as he can drastically change the outcome of other people’s lives so that they would never have to experience the same fate that he has already
Throughout A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Scrooge is a vile and selfish character. He distrusts the poor and despises Christmas with all of his heart. Until The Ghost of Christmas Past appears to him. The Ghost of Christmas Past begins to expose Scrooge's true selfishness and insistence on keeping everything for himself as he undergoes his metamorphosis. After the change, Scrooge wants to live a better life.
This is important to the story because Scrooge gets to meet the old Scrooge and he slaps him in the face. It is like he is slapping the reality of what he had done in the past of treating people unkindly. It is now that he realizes he must change his ways in order to make amends with the
By Scrooge learning that he can not go back to change the past, he starts to realize he can still change by changing his present self. By Scrooge learning that Christmas is about spending time with family and finding joy in the things that people have. This makes him want to spend more time with the people in his life. He also realizes how much he has compared to others yet is never happy. Lastly, Scrooge learning that his present affects him in the future gives him the final reason to change himself.
The story A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens, is a story about a rich old man who had a deep hatred for Christmas and everything involved in it. Scrooge shows that he redeems himself, and proves that he's changed throughout the story, through his generosity to the poor, his generosity to Cratchet, and through his newfound love for christmas. To begin, Scrooge shows he redeems himself through his thoughtfulness and generosity for the poor. Scrooge wakes up on Christmas Day in a joyous and delighted mood, “And will you have the goodness —-here Scrooge whispered in his ear.(66)” When Ebenezar is approached by the portly men he gives them lots of shillings to help them and the other poor out.
Maybe their life isn’t what most people would think of when someone says “perfect life”, but they have everything they need, and most importantly, they have family, and that’s all that matters to them. After a bit longer, Scrooge finds out that Bob, the employee he treats with the utmost disrespect, gives a toast to Scrooge, Bob speaks about how Scrooge is the main reason for the life of his family. Present then takes Scrooge away from the Chrachit’s house, and towards Fred’s house, where he was having a Christmas Eve dinner party. Scrooge was invited to the party, but refused to go, as Christmas was something he refused to celebrate. At Fred’s house, Scrooge and the spirit saw Fred and his wife discussing Scrooge.
”Scrooge changes from these traits through his experience with the ghost of the past,present,and future. When the ghost of Christmas past visits Scrooge,it shows that on pg.31 and pg.32,where talking about his past and how he should change the way he acts and saying
Scrooge in "The Christmas Carol" shows how much he hates Christmas, and everyone he works with to change to a happy person with the help of others. Scrooge emphasizes, "What a fine day fellow... An Intelligent boy, a remarkable boy. " This is a critical part of this novel because this shows Scrooge overcame his dislike of Christmas and his entire disliking of people. Instead of rudely gesturing to people, he is now starting to act nicer, and more mature.
One night, in a dream, he is warned by his deceased friend, Marley, that three spirits would come to him. The first spirit is the spirit of Christmas past, and it shows him an event from his past. In the event, Scrooge is seen leaving his lover because she is too poor. Scrooge regrets this decision greatly. The next spirit tells him about the present, and it shows him how his employee, Bob Cratchit, is suffering.
The theme of this stave is greed, Scrooge's greed. He cares only about himself and his money. He hates the poor and anyone with less money than him. Scrooge hates and ignores anyone who is joyful and loves Christmas. He’ll even go to the extreme of hating his family.
Christmas Carol Literary Analysis Have you ever wondered if someone can change overnight? In this book Scrooge changed very rapidly with the ghost appearing and changing him completely . In the beginning of the story Scrooge was hateful and in the end he was very loving. But once he started to change he changed very rapidly.