First, we meet Scrooge's nephew who tries repeatedly to cheer up his uncle, but for every positive thing his nephew says, Scrooge has a negative response.
Next Scrooge is visited by two men who are collecting donations for the poor. Again Scrooge displays no sympathy or generosity.
He's a bitter, insensitive old man. His only real care in the world is money.
Scrooge tells his nephew that Christmas is not a time to be merry, but a time for people to think about and spend money that they don't even have.
He even loses the love of his life because he becomes more concerned with making money than with her.
Initially, Scrooge sees to it that everyone knows about his disregard for the season. Every time someone mentions Christmas, he cuts them off by saying: 'Bah! Humbug!'
This expression has become a cliche, famously coined by Scrooge. Every Christmas, at least one person can be heard uttering the phrase 'Bah! Humbug!' as they make their way through the overcrowded shopping centres and long queues.
Saying 'Bah! Humbug' is similar to saying: 'Rubbish'. It is like saying you don't care or can't be bothered Dickens intended for his readers to learn something from old Scrooge's bad attitude. Thus, the audience encounters Scrooge's three ghosts.
First, it is The Ghost of Christmas Past.
This ghost reminds Scrooge of what he was like as a small child.
Scrooge is also reminded by the Ghost of Christmas Past of Belle, his fiancee, who left him because he cared more about money than about her.
Then comes 'The Ghost of Christmas Present'.
This ghost takes Scrooge on a tour of the Christmas celebrations of various people he knows.
Scrooge is surprised to find he enjoys himself, wishing he could stay longer and participate in the holiday festivities.
Finally, Scrooge meets 'The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come'.
This ghost leads Scrooge through various scenes related to the death of an unknown and mysterious man.
Just before the ghost vanishes, however, he directs Scrooge's attention to the dead man's gravestone, which reads Ebenezer Scrooge!
Characters and change
By the end of the book, Scrooge has had a change of heart. He is no longer saying: 'Bah! Humbug!' He has recognised his error in valuing money over people, and is frightened by the bleak picture of his life if he doesn't change his ways. Scrooge awakes on Christmas morning a new man. He is charitable, and carries the spirit of Christmas with him all the time from then on. This book provides a perfect illustration of how all characters, real or fictional, change as they go through life and how the experiences have a big impact on them.
Food for thought
Have you ever experienced a significant change of heart? What brought about this change?
Do you forgive Scrooge's cruelty when he changes his ways and tries to do the right thing?
Which of the ghosts that visits Scrooge you find the most disturbing? Why?
What other characters in this story experience change?
Are there ways that you feel different now from when you were a child? Are these differences bad, good, or both?
Have you known people who share Scrooge's thoughts about Christmas?
What might you do to help them have a change of heart?
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