In
"A Christmas Carol", the author Charles Dickens develops the main
protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge in a very dramatic and powerful manner. In the
beginning of the novel, Dickens describes Scrooge as "hard and sharp as
flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire". This
suggests that he was a very selfish and greedy man who never acted
compassionate towards others. As Christmas arrives, Scrooge projects extreme
negativity towards his thrilled nephew. “What reason have you to be merry?
You’re poor enough,” insinuates that not only is Scrooge a cold hearted man,
but he is also a very materialistic man who finds the slightest joy and value
only in money. However, as the story progresses, Dickens allows Scrooge to
experience his past, present, and future with three spirits who display his
callousness, as well as their consequences. “’If he be like to die, he had
better do it, and decrease the surplus population.’ Scrooge hung his head to
hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and
grief.” After witnessing his own actions and words, Dickens has developed
Scrooge to finally realize his wrongdoings. At this point in the novel, Scrooge
begins to feel sympathy for Tiny Tim, a sick child of his colleague. Dickens
clearly portrays the fear and caution that Scrooge has started to sense towards
his possible future consequences, which allows the reader to feel a sense of
humanity that was absent in him at the beginning of the story. At the end of
the story, Dickens describes Scrooge “as good a friend, as good a master, and
as good a man as the good old City knew…” This explanation is the total
opposite of how Dickens portrays Scrooge in the earlier chapters. Throughout the
journeys with the three Spirits, Scrooge’s character is developed from being a
greedy cold-hearted monster to a caring and affectionate man.
