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ebeneezer scrooge - Coggle Diagram
ebeneezer scrooge
time
importance and significance of time is highlighted to scrooge through his interactions with the spirits - they teach him valuable lessons surrounding this concept in order to better himself
ghost of christmas past teaches scrooge the value of reflecting on the past to become a better person - when scrooge reflects on his time spent with fezziwig he realises he has been treating crotchet unfairly. he reveals to the spirit that he wishes he could "say a word or two to his clerk right now"
ghost of christmas yet to come highlights the way you conduct yourself in the present will have consequences later on in time - exemplified by scrooges chairwoman who takes things from him after his death. she justifies her actions by saying that if scrooge "wanted to keep" his things he should have been more "natural in his lifetime"
poverty
dickens believed that society needed to come together to help stop the spread of poverty and so included this idea within the novella
highlights this point by using a disapproving tone when describing scrooges views to the poor in the opening stave. seen when scrooge makes no distinction between the lower class and criminals - asking the charity collectors if there are any prisons they can send the "poor" too
dickens later mocks this statement when scrooge asks the ghost of christmas present if there is no "refuge" for the children clutching at his robe - to which the spirit echoes "are there no prisons?" evidently parodying his views
redemption
the novella follows scrooges journey of redemption, a transformation which is made more impactful by dickens' depiction of scrooges character in order to foreground this theme
dickens initially presents scrooge as a character that cannot change, alluding to his stubborn nature by clarifying that "no warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him". however as the novel progresses, we see scrooge learn a number of lessons and evolve as a charcter, eventually repenting for his behaviour
this is significant as scrooges repentance does not stop at simple repentance as he goes on and actively tries to recompense his religious actions. for example, while he was rude to the charity collectors at the beginning, whereas in the end it is implied he donates a large sum of money
christmas spirit
dickens uses scrooges character to highlight the ideal way of celebrating Christmas by introducing an emotional element to the celebration. he promotes the idea that christmas is a time for charity and compassion through scrooges behaviour in the final stave. he ensures that this is seen by the ideal by asserting that "it was always said" that scrooge "knew how to keep christmas well"
family
the importance of family is highlighted through the crucial role it plays in allowing for scrooges all important redemption.
evident when he is with the ghost of christmas present who shows him how fred and his family celebrate christmas. scrooge realises that if he has spent time with his family he might have "cultivated the kindness of life", highlighting the crucial role that a persons family can play on their character
materialism
dickens highlights how scrooges materialism costs him significantly more than it benefits him - a theme first introduced by jacob marley in the opening stave when he refers to scrooge as "a man of worldly mind"
this is shown to the reader when he visits his old fiancee belle who tells him that she is leaving him because he has replaced her with a "golden [...] idol"
she continues by saying he has become a man who "fears the world too much", conveying the severe cost of scrooges materialism
this is later identified by fred, who notes that scrooges wealth is "of no use to him" as "he doesn't do any good with it" showing the reader that his obession with material world is essentially useless if he doesn't use his wealth properly
regret
scrooges regret is instrumental in allowing for his redemption- this emotion not only makes scrooge seem human but endears the audience towards him
this is poignantly highlighted when scrooge wistfully wonders what it would be like to have children who "might have called him father", causing his sight to grow "very dim indeed"
implies his been brought to tears, showing the reader his regret while causing them to sympathise with him. ultimately this increases the readers involvement with his character, causing them to anticipate the end of the novella
it is essential for the readers to like scrooges character for dickens' message as it will mean that his redemption appears genuine
isolation
scrooges isolation form society is highlighted through dickens' lengthy descriptions of his relationships with those around him.
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