ghosts Flashcards
(12 cards)
overview
Dickens uses the ghosts in ‘A Christmas Carol’ as a vehicle to catalyse Scrooge’s path to redemption, yet these entities are presented in distinct ways. Marley’s ghost may be considered as regretful and as a prisoner of his own actions. Similarly, the Ghost of Christmas Past seeks to prompt Scrooge to access his own memories in order to reflect on his past actions. However, the Ghost of Christmas Present is presented as the embodiment of the Christmas spirit and therefore representative of kindness and goodwill. Lastly, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come acts as a deterrent as it warns of the repercussions Scrooge will face if he fails to change his ways. During the Victorian era, there was a crisis in faith leading to a deep fascination with the supernatural therefore Dickens may have made the decision to include ghosts as a way of attracting more people to read his didactic novella.
quote 1
“I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the Ghost. “I made it link by link”
INDICATES HIS REGRET FOR HIS PAST ACTIONS AS HE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS PAST MISTAKES. THE PERSONAL PRONOUN ‘I’ FURTHER SUPPORTS THE IDEA THAT MARLEY’S GHOST RECOGNISES HIS PAST ACTIONS AS TERRIBLE DECISIONS. THE CHAIN REPRESENTS THE IDEA OF THE GHOST BEING HELD CAPTIVE AND HIS LACK OF FREEDOM.
quote 2
“it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds
REPRESENTS THE GREED OF THE GHOST IN HIS LIFE AND HOW IT HAS COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM EVEN IN THE AFTER-LIFE WHERE IT WAS THOUGHT AS A PLACE TO REST AND LIVE IN PEACE BUT DUE TO HIS PAST ACTIONS HE IS BEING PUNISHED.
quote 3
“The ghost stopped at a certain warehouse door, and asked Scrooge if he knew it”
THE SPIRIT BRINGS SCROOGE TO HIS OLD JOB TO SHOW HIM HIS OLD BOSS WHO THE SPIRIT IS ENCOURAGING HIM TO BEHAVE LIKE. HE IS BEING
PROMPTED TO ACCESS HIS MEMORIES.
quote 4
Your lip is trembling,” said the ghost. “
And what is that upon your cheek? THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON SCROOGE, WHICH HAS CAUSED HIM TO SHOW VULNERABILITY AND EMOTION
quote 5
“and such a mighty blaze … and many a winter season gone”
MOTIF OF “MIGHTY BLAZE”, SHOWS THE SPIRIT HAS A VERY BIG WARMTH OF COMPASSION, “MIGHTY” SHOWS THE WARMTH IS EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG, THIS WARMTH HAS BEEN LOST FOR A LONG TIME AND THE SPIRIT IS HERE TO BRING IT BACK GIVEN THE FIRE HAD BEEN GONE FOR “MANY AND MANY A WINTER SEASON GONE”
quote 6
“and they cling to me appealing from their fathers”
SPIRIT HAS TAKE ON A ROLE OF A SURROGATE FATHER, SHOWS HIS CARING NATURE AND FAMILIAL CONNECTION WITH EVERYONE, HE’S HELPING THE CHILDREN AND IS LIKE A PROTECTOR - HE’S VERY IMPORTANT AS THE CHILDREN ARE “CLINGING” TO HIM - A REFERENCE TO HOW MANY BROTHERS HE HAS – THE SPIRIT SHOWS KINDNESS TO THE CHILDREN, DESPITE WHAT THEY HAVE BECOME, SHOWS HIS KIND IS UNCONDITIONAL
quote 7
“are there no prisons… are there no workhouses” -
THE SPIRIT IS ONCE AGAIN USING SCROOGE’S WORDS AGAINST HIM TO MAKE HIM REFLECT AND THINK OF HIS WRONGDOINGS HE KNOWS SCROOGE’S BEHAVIOUR WELL ENOUGH
quote 8
‘The spirit paused a moment as observing his condition, and giving him time to recover’-
ALTHOUGH THE GHOST WANTS TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON SCROOGE THE GHOST GIVING SCROOGE TIME TO RECOVER SUGGEST THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF CONSIDERATION DEMONSTRATING THE FACT THAT THE GHOST IS GUIDANCE AND IS THERE FOR THE BENEFIT OF SCROOGE.
quote 9
‘The Phantom spread its dark robe before him for a moment, like a wing; and withdrawing it, revealed a room by daylight,
’ – EVEN THOUGH THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS YET TO COME IS DESCRIBED TO BE THE EMBODIMENT OF DEATH, WITH THE NOUN ‘PHANTOM’ AND ‘DARK ROBE’, THE USE OF THE SIMILE, ‘LIKE A WING’, DESCRIBED THE GHOST ALMOST LIKE ANGEL. THIS SHOWS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE PHANTOM IS SHOWING SCROOGE THE DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS FUTURE, HE IS DOING IT IN ORDER TO HELP SCROOGE BECOME A BETTER PERSON.
quote 10
‘I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.’
– THIS SHOWS THE IMPACT THAT ALL THE GHOSTS HAD ON SCROOGE, AND HOW WITHOUT THEM HE WOULD NEVER HAVE CHANGED. THEY WERE THE CATALYSTS IN HIS JOURNEY OF REDEMPTION AND EACH OF THEM WERE AS IMPORTANT AS THE OTHER.
