
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
1843Author

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...
More on Charles DickensDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
Related books

The Sandman's Hour by Abbie Phillips Walker
Short bedtime stories for young children. Some were cute and others a little strange, but overall they were fairly interesting and enjoyable.

The Magic Soap Bubble by David Cory
Prepare to embark on an enchanting journey beyond your wildest dreams with "The Magic Soap Bubble" by David Cory. Imagine a world where soap bubbles p...

Four Great Americans: Washington, Franklin, Webster, Lincoln by James Baldwin
Written for children, James Baldwin's history of Washington, Franklin, Webster, and Lincoln brings these men to life in a way that will be interesting...

The Blood of the Vampire by Florence Marryat
It is a Gothic novel that tells the story of Harriet Brandt, a beautiful but mysterious woman who possesses supernatural powers. Published in 1897, th...

Masters of the Vortex by E. E. Smith
This is a captivating science fiction novel that transports readers to the far reaches of space, where ancient secrets, advanced civilizations, and co...

City of Endless Night by Milo Hastings
This is a captivating dystopian novel that takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through a dark and foreboding cityscape. First published in 19...

Paul Faber, Surgeon by George MacDonald
The book tells the story of a young surgeon named Paul Faber, who moves to a small town to start a new life and becomes embroiled in a complicated lov...

Bessie's Fortune by Mary Jane Holmes
This Book is a captivating tale set in the quaint town of Brookside. Within its idyllic streets, a web of secrets and scandals awaits, promising to un...

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her a...

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
The Wind in the Willows allows every person who has always wished animals could talk to dream a little more. In this amazing book, Toad, Ratty, Mr. To...
Reviews for A Christmas Carol
No reviews posted or approved, yet...