Sunday, December 20, 2009

Describe three main actions made by Scrooge which demonstrate his development from the beginning of the story to the end.

Scrooge demonstrates that he has changed because first he refuses to celebrate Christmas with his nephew or help anyone else celebrate it, then he asks about helping the poor, and finally he sends Bob Cratchit a turkey and arranges to help his family.


The first action Scrooge takes is to not celebrate Christmas. This shows the person he starts out as.  He refuses to come to his nephew’s house for Christmas dinner.  He does not give any money to the poor.  He also complains when his clerk Bob Cratchit wants the day off on Christmas.  He is a lonely, miserly, mean old man. 


After Scrooge has been visited by the first two ghosts, you can tell that he is changing.  The Ghost of Christmas Past really got to him.  He saw his lonely childhood and his pleasant young adulthood, where he was apprenticed to Fezziwig.  Therefore, when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows him people celebrating Christmas, he is more open to it. He sees his nephew and the Cratchits, and begins to understand the importance of family


You can tell that Scrooge is changed by his reaction to Ignorance and Want.   In the beginning of the book, Scrooge said that the poor should go to prisons and workhouses.  When he sees these children, he suddenly wants to take care of them.



"Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge.


"Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?" (Stave 3)



The ghost reminds Scrooge of his words. This shows that Scrooge has changed, however.  He is no longer harsh and self-centered.  He wants to look out for others now.  His time with the spirits has been successful in altering his viewpoint.


The third event would be when Scrooge donates the turkey to Cratchit and pledges to help his family.  He has shown no interest in Cratchit before.  Now he wants to make sure his family is provided for, because he has seen them in his present and future Christmas visions.  He feels a connection to them.  Scrooge even went to Fred’s house for Christmas dinner.

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