Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol Essay - 1163 Words

Discuss the ways in which Charles Dickens presents the character of Ebenezer Scrooge as being central to the moral message of A Christmas Carol. In the text ‘A Christmas Carol’, the author Charles Dickens presents the character of Ebenezer Scrooge as central to the moral message in a number of different ways. To identify this, a number of different aspects within the text shall be looked at. These include the morals of the story and the affects of this. The way Ebenezer Scrooge is portrayed as well as what the character he represents. All of these aspects are important in order to deliver the moral messages contained in the text. Some people’s perspective is that looking at the message of the story is key in being able to†¦show more content†¦The Cratchit family for example, who live on almost nothing at all. The mood of the story at the start is very cold, and in this way the author presents Scrooge as central to the moral message. As well as the surface meaning, that money doesn’t make people happy, and those with it, should use it to help people that don’t have that luxury. Moreover, Charles Dickens portrays the character of Ebenezer Scrooge as someone who originally lives life in contrast to this moral message, in order to highlight the importance of it in the text. Scrooge is portrayed as an old, grouchy, selfish man, who cares for nothing but himself and his ever amounting riches. He is someone who has changed as years have gone by, due to the success of his business, and his greed has consumed him as a reason, making him into a very cold person. Charles Dickens does not hint that Ebenezer Scrooge is like this, but he says it at the start of the book: ‘Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as a flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire.’ (Stave 1, pg 2) Dickens’ portrayal of Scrooge makes the reader dislike him almost immediately. However, as the book goes on, the reader starts to feel sympathetically towards the character. In Stave three the reader becomes aware of a chance of salvation for Scrooge as he expressesShow MoreRelatedThe Metamorphosis of Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens A Christmas Carol1476 Words   |  6 PagesMetamorphosis of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge learned a great deal about himself during the visitations of the three ghosts in A Christmas Carol. He learned things that not only changed his life, but also the lives of others such as Tiny Tim and his family. At first these changes came gradually, probably because they where not really fuelled by fear of what might be, but instead by remorse for things he had already done. 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