The Ghost of Christmas past: its role in the novel

This coldness of Scrooge's character is shown again when he is talking with some charity collectors for the poor. His coldness is shown when he says that if the poor would rather dies than go to the workhouse, then "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. " This statement becomes a main part of the novel as when Scrooge asks if Tiny Tim will die the Ghost of Christmas present reminds him of these words. This is because the "surplus population" is not just a figure but real individuals.

Scrooge is told by the Ghost of Christmas Present to find out "What the surplus is, and Where it is" before making such statements.

Dickens has made this an important point because at the time of publishing many did think of the poor in the way that Scrooge did, and so Dickens is making a moral point of trying to educate ignorant people. Another theme, that of caring for others comes when Scrooge meets with Marley's ghost.

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Marley's saying, "Business... Mankind was my business". Where Scrooge sees business in the sense of finance and making money, Marley now understands that someone's "business" is what people should do in life, duty or obligation to others and the world in general.

Marley is trying to tell Scrooge that it is not just his duty to do this it is everyone's. This is important because, again it is a moral message of duty to care for others. This again links in with the time when the novel was written because there were large numbers of people in poverty within London and Dickens believes that everyone has a moral duty to help them and he is trying to convey this message to the readers.

When Scrooge is talking with Marley there is important imagery used, the chains, which Marley is weighed down by, represent what he did in life, money making which weighs down his spirit with the chains.

And he tells Scrooge that his chain was as long as this some seven years ago but he has "laboured on it since" so his chain is even longer. This idea, that doing things that only benefit yourself can affect you when you die, is an important point as it is aimed not only to shock Scrooge's character but also the reader. This is because it is obviously a moral message that being selfish will make you a bad person. Imagery is also used at the end of Stave 3, Scrooge sees under the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Present.

There are two children, whose names show that they are to symbolise Ignorance and Want. Dickens sees that a lack of education combined with poverty makes it impossible for anyone to have a good life. Afterwards, the Ghost tells Scrooge to beware the boy "most of all" because ignorance allows poverty to continue. This is a main message within the book as it shows blatantly the vicious circle in which the poor are trapped within, which can only be relieved by the rich gaining knowledge and losing ignorance. In the second stave Scrooge meets with The Ghost Of Christmas Past.

The ghost has come to show him what Christmas used to be like for him and how he did in fact, enjoy it. He is shown a Christmas party at his place of apprenticeship. His employer Fezziwig has invited all employees to dance and eat and make merry. The Spirit senses Scrooge feels bad about something. "'What is the matter? ' asked the Ghost. 'Nothing particular,' said Scrooge. 'Something, I think? ' the Ghost insisted. 'No,' said Scrooge, 'No. I should just like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now. That's all.

'" This shows again that although he may not be perhaps consciously changing or physically changing Dickens allows his characters moral and sensitive side to show through giving us the impression that Scrooge is becoming more empathetic and less selfish. This contrasts with how Scrooge had treated his clerk in the first stave because then he wouldn't even let him have enough coal to keep him warm, and made him work in "the tank". Dickens wants us to realise and see that Scrooge has changed, in that he can now see that how he was treating his clerk was cruel.

This is important because the previous impression we had of Scrooge is that he would not listen to anyone. Also when the ghost shows Scrooge the woman he was engaged to Scrooge says "Spirit. ' Said Scrooge in a broken voice, 'remove me from this place. " He is clearly distressed here and as Dickens uses the word "Broken" it suggests that he feels regret and is almost on the verge of tears. It also suggests that he is in two minds as if he is broken in two, his two different mind-sets, he realises his mistake, but part of him does not want to admit it.