A Christmas Carol

1. This is the earliest indicator that Scrooge has strayed from the Christian path, he is not
putting into practice one of the central teachings of Christianity:
Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself.
2. Scrooge has turned his back on Marley and has turned his back on society.
3. The use of exaggeration is central to satirical writing Scrooge is presented as blacker
than black!
4. Dickens presents the loner as a prisoner of his own actions. (Then go into cell).
5. The two benefits of a fire are that it brings both warmth and light, both of these are
absent in Scrooges life. Scrooge lacks warmth in his compassion and consideration
towards his fellow man and as light symbolises hope, Scrooge leads a life where he
seems to have little hope for his own future.
6. Scrooges infamous Humbug acts as a metaphor for his rejection of not just
Christmas Day or the Christmas Season but a rejection of Christianity as Christmas
Day celebrates the arrival of Jesus Christ into the world to save us. It also acts as a
metaphor for his rejection of life as like his partner, Marley, Scrooge is also dead in
terms of a Christmas Spirit and a community spirit.
7. Scrooge is a miser who is miserable. He acts as a perfect negative role model as his
accumulation of wealth has resulted in a barking, gnarling image of Humbug. Wealth
accumulation has not brought him happiness and this is a key religious parable and moral
behind this fairytale for children.
8. Scrooge views any form of human contact or human interaction as an unwanted
interruption from his mission to accumulate wealth.
9. Fred, Scrooges nephew, may be poor but he is generous of spirit. He is kind, giving and
considerate of others, all of the values Scrooge lacks and all of the values promoted by
Christians, especially at Christmas.
10. Scrooges extreme views conflict with those of most Christians.
11. The two portly gentlemen appeal to Scrooges generous, charitable human nature only
to find these human qualities absent.
12. The church and the government seemed to be adopting the same position towards the
poor and that was a self help philosophy/policy.

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