A Christmas Carol is full of symbols and metaphors. Sometimes, there's more to Literature than meets the eye!
The main symbols that you should be aware of are:
Symbols - the Three Ghosts
A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous allegories of all time. An allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy.
The Ghost of Christmas Past:This figure is a personification of memory. In order for Scrooge to grow as a human being, he must remember his past and learn both positive and negative lessons from it. The light that shines from this Ghost's head symbolizes the "illumination" which can come from reflecting on one's past, and the cap which the Ghost wears symbolizes the ability each person has to extinguish the light of memory, if he or she chooses to do (as Scrooge attempts to do at the end of Stave Two).
The Ghost of Christmas Present: This figure is a personification of generosity. All the details of this figure's appearance-its large, exposed breast; its cornucopia-like torch; the abundance of food on which it rests in Scrooge's rooms-lead readers to conclude that this Ghost symbolizes generosity, which for Dickens is at the heart not only of Christmas but also of a truly human life. A sprinkling of seasoning from the Ghost's torch enhances the flavour of meals and of relationships at Christmas. The Ghost stands for generosity not only of material goods, but also and especially of spirit; it alone, for example, protects the "children" Ignorance and Want, and warns Scrooge-and readers-that they must do so as well.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: This figure is a personification of the relentless march of time towards both a fixed and an unfixed end. Resembling nothing so much as traditional depictions of the Grim Reaper, this Ghost may be seen as symbolizing death, the common lot of all human beings; see Fred's comment on Stave One, that all people are "fellow-passengers to the grave." When Scrooge asks to erase the writing on his own headstone, however, he is not asking for immortality; rather, he is asking that his life before his inevitable death be of a different quality than it would be otherwise. Therefore, the Ghost's austerity and imposing manner symbolize the unstoppable passage of time. The Ghost does not engage in conversation or reflection; it simply leads Scrooge from scene to scene, pointing always forward with its outstretched hand. Its stern presence warns readers that-as the saying goes-time waits for no one; should you wish to change your life, do so today. The fact that your life will end is fixed; the meaning that your life will have had is up to you.
The main symbols that you should be aware of are:
- The Three Ghosts,
- Marley's chains
- Music,
- Food
- Fog and blindness
Symbols - the Three Ghosts
A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous allegories of all time. An allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy.
The Ghost of Christmas Past:This figure is a personification of memory. In order for Scrooge to grow as a human being, he must remember his past and learn both positive and negative lessons from it. The light that shines from this Ghost's head symbolizes the "illumination" which can come from reflecting on one's past, and the cap which the Ghost wears symbolizes the ability each person has to extinguish the light of memory, if he or she chooses to do (as Scrooge attempts to do at the end of Stave Two).
The Ghost of Christmas Present: This figure is a personification of generosity. All the details of this figure's appearance-its large, exposed breast; its cornucopia-like torch; the abundance of food on which it rests in Scrooge's rooms-lead readers to conclude that this Ghost symbolizes generosity, which for Dickens is at the heart not only of Christmas but also of a truly human life. A sprinkling of seasoning from the Ghost's torch enhances the flavour of meals and of relationships at Christmas. The Ghost stands for generosity not only of material goods, but also and especially of spirit; it alone, for example, protects the "children" Ignorance and Want, and warns Scrooge-and readers-that they must do so as well.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: This figure is a personification of the relentless march of time towards both a fixed and an unfixed end. Resembling nothing so much as traditional depictions of the Grim Reaper, this Ghost may be seen as symbolizing death, the common lot of all human beings; see Fred's comment on Stave One, that all people are "fellow-passengers to the grave." When Scrooge asks to erase the writing on his own headstone, however, he is not asking for immortality; rather, he is asking that his life before his inevitable death be of a different quality than it would be otherwise. Therefore, the Ghost's austerity and imposing manner symbolize the unstoppable passage of time. The Ghost does not engage in conversation or reflection; it simply leads Scrooge from scene to scene, pointing always forward with its outstretched hand. Its stern presence warns readers that-as the saying goes-time waits for no one; should you wish to change your life, do so today. The fact that your life will end is fixed; the meaning that your life will have had is up to you.