Saturday, December 25, 2010

Which ghost has the biggest impact on Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and why? Show evidence to back up your point.

It is too simple to say that the Ghost of Christmas Future has the greatest impact on Scrooge because Scrooge breaks down and cries when he sees his own dismal grave and asks for mercy. But by the time Scrooge meets Future, Future doesn't have to do much?  It is Marley's ghost that has the greatest impact on Scrooge. Without accepting Marley's visitation, Scrooge would not have changed.


When Marley visits Scrooge, he is still a hardened man who shows no love or human kindness, and even attempts to dismiss Marley, at first, as nothing but a "disorder of the stomach," but soon Scrooge begins to see Marley for who he is, an old tormented friend who has come back to help him, but more so Scrooge sees himself in Marley, and thus the transformation of Scrooge begins.


During Marley's visitation we see Scrooge on his knees begging for "mercy," asking "imploringly" for Marley to "Speak comfort to [him]." And when Marley tells Scrooge to heed him, Scrooge replies by saying he will, but asks Marley not to be "hard upon him! Don't be flowery." And after Marley leaves, Scrooge attempts to say "Humbug," but he can't. All this occurs only hours after Scrooge denies his nephew's invitation to Christmas dinner and tells him that Christmas is a humbug, and after Scrooge denies giving charity to the poor.


Marley has the greatest impact on Scrooge; first, he scares him into believing that he is real; then he warns hims to avoid his evil ways so he can avoid becoming a tormented soul after death, and then has him accept the other ghosts. Without acceptance Scrooge would not have changed.

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