Theme Of Greed In A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, is a beloved tale that people of all ages have loved for its emotional and moral appeal. It is a story focusing on the life of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy and cold-hearted money-lender, who is visited by four ghostly apparitions who convince him together to change his merciless ways. At the beginning of this tale, Scrooge does not recognize the effects of his greed, so the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future take it upon themselves to show him how much his greed can hurt the people around him. Needless to say, greed is the central theme of Dickens’ beloved novella, and it is revealed by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, in order to change Scrooge’s curmudgeonly ways. The very …show more content…
This cold and dark apparition leads him through the icy streets of London, it shows Scrooge several scenes of people. The foremost scene being a cluster of businessmen discussing the death of a fellow wealthy businessman in town and where his money is going. Their main topic of conversation is his money, whether or not they plan to go to his funeral is merely a secondary thought. They are his comrades, and all that’s in their minds are thoughts of greed. The second scene shown to Scrooge is a foul shop in the backstreets of London, where several vagabonds are selling this same businessman’s belongings, which they stole directly from his home while he was dead in bed. They haggle, laugh, and rejoice in their finds, no guilt for their actions on their minds, only thoughts of the money they’ll receive. Next, Scrooge is show a couple in their home, the husband running home excitedly, and they both rejoice that this businessman is dead. The poor couple is struggling, and trying to pay a debt that this businessman would not give any mercy about. Now that he is dead, they have a chance to pay off the debt and live their lives. Scrooge begs the silent spirit to tell him the name of the businessman who died. In response, the spirit takes Scrooge to the churchyard and points to the tombstone, which reads, “Ebenezer Scrooge.” Scrooge falls to his knees and begs the spirit to change his fate, in return he promises to honor Christmas for the rest of his life. This marks where Scrooge lets go of his greedy ways, and starts a new life, loving others and being merciful to people. For the rest of his life he holds true to his word and honors the spirit of