
A Christmas Carol
'A Christmas Carol' Summary
Stave one
A Christmas Carol opens on a bleak, cold Christmas Eve in London, seven years after the death of Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge, an ageing miser, dislikes Christmas and refuses a dinner invitation from his nephew Fred—the son of Fan, Scrooge's dead sister. He turns away two men who seek a donation from him to provide food and heating for the poor and only grudgingly allows his overworked, underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, Christmas Day off with pay to conform to the social custom.
That night Scrooge is visited at home by Marley's ghost, who wanders the Earth entwined by heavy chains and money boxes forged during a lifetime of greed and selfishness. Marley tells Scrooge that he has a single chance to avoid the same fate: he will be visited by three spirits and must listen or be cursed to carry much heavier chains of his own.
Stave two
The first spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge to Christmas scenes of Scrooge's boyhood, reminding him of a time when he was more innocent. The scenes reveal Scrooge's lonely childhood at boarding school, his relationship with his beloved sister Fan, and a Christmas party hosted by his first employer, Mr Fezziwig, who treated him like a son. Scrooge's neglected fiancée Belle is shown ending their relationship, as she realises that he will never love her as much as he loves money. Finally, they visit a now-married Belle with her large, happy family on the Christmas Eve that Marley died. Scrooge, upset by hearing Belle's description of the man that he has become, demands that the ghost remove him from the house.
Stave three
The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge to a joyous market with people buying the makings of Christmas dinner and to celebrations of Christmas in a miner's cottage and in a lighthouse. Scrooge and the ghost also visit Fred's Christmas party. A major part of this stave is taken up with Bob Cratchit's family feast and introduces his youngest son, Tiny Tim, a happy boy who is seriously ill. The spirit informs Scrooge that Tiny Tim will die unless the course of events changes. Before disappearing, the spirit shows Scrooge two hideous, emaciated children named Ignorance and Want. He tells Scrooge to beware the former above all and mocks Scrooge's concern for their welfare.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1843Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Authors

Charles Dickens
England
Charles Dickens created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 18...
Books by Charles DickensDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
Related books

On Angel's Wings by Louisa Lilias Plunket Greene
This poignant tale explores the complexities of childhood, family dynamics, and social acceptance. It centers around Violet, a young girl who is ostra...

Favorite Fairy Tales by Various
This book of favorite fairy tales was compiled and illustrated by Peter Newell. it includes Jack The Giant Killer; Cinderella; Sleeping Beauty; Little...

garçonne by Victor Margueritte
Published in 1922, *Garçonne* by Victor Margueritte is a controversial novel that explores the changing social landscape of post-World War I France. I...

The King of Ireland's Son by Padraic Colum
The King of Ireland's Son is a children's novel published in Ireland in 1916 written by Padraic Colum, and illustrated by Willy Pogany. It is the stor...

Selections from Harris's Cabinet by William Roscoe
This collection of works originally published as part of 'Harris's Cabinet' features classic children's poems centered around the whimsical theme of a...

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Christmas Eve. Guests round a fireside begin telling each other ghost stories. One of them relates a true incident involving the governess of his litt...

Stories of Old Greece and Rome by Emilie Kip Baker
The Stories of Old Greece and Rome is an easy to read summary of all of the famous and not so famous Greek and Roman mythological stories. All of the...

Nonsense Verses by Edward Lear
Edward Lear's Nonsense Verses is a delightful collection of some of the author's most beloved nonsense poems and stories. In this volume, readers will...

Governess; Or, The Little Female Academy by Sarah Fielding
The Governess, or The Little Female Academy, written by Sarah Fielding in 1749, holds the distinction of being the first full-length novel specificall...

Elsie's Girlhood by Martha Finley
In "Elsie's Girlhood," Elsie Dinsmore navigates the complexities of adolescence and young adulthood with a strong sense of faith and family values. As...
Reviews for A Christmas Carol
No reviews posted or approved, yet...