The Selfish Spirit In Ebenezer Scrooge's A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge a man who, despite the cheerful spirit of Christmas, turns to solitary and secrecy throughout this period. The selfish attitude Scrooge portrays correlates to the manifestation of four spirits that present themselves as a warning of what shall occur if he continues on the path of self-interest. Self-interest lives within all of us, it gives us the inclination to put ourselves in front of others. However the spirit of Christmas lives to curtail the selfish motives we all shelter. Scrooge becomes cognizant of his ambivalence regarding his selfish intentions and desire to promote charity. The presence of these external influences stimulates Scrooge to understand his true self. During Scrooge’s supernatural visitation, the spirits help Scrooge comprehend the selfish intentions he harbors. They begin with several flashbacks of Scrooge’s past, which creates the momentum to opening up and accepting their wisdom. The transition from stubbornness to acceptance takes time and the first spirit that appears before Scrooge represents a friendly face. Marley’s appearance has more of a purpose than of coincidence. His purpose …show more content…
It does so because it allows the individual to believe in ones own self. With Tiny Tim passing away and realizing that Scrooge himself will also perish, it motivates hope to emerge once again. Hope becomes critical for Scrooge because it allows him to believe that he can alter the future and allows him to understand that there is still time left to do so. He takes an introspective view of himself and realizes that he is “liberated by the simple-sounding discovery that the future can be altered if one changes and, thus, that human will is free” (279-280). Scrooge now realizes that hope is the key to changing what he has seen throughout the spirits visitations. He will carry this emotion with him as he wakes up on Christmas