A Christmas Carol - Book Report/Review Example

(Assignment) Book Review A Christmas Carol The 1843 published ‘A Christmas Carol' is a celebrated novella by Charles Dickens, one of the most renowned writers of the 19th century. This novel portraits some of the innate virtues of human beings, like charity and love which many people hide behind their anger and lust for money. Ebenezer Scrooge, the leading character of this novel is a frigid miser who is exceedingly profit driven and wants the whole world to just leave him alone. Scrooge’s life is his business and it heeds little attention to charity or donations.

Dickens gives an exact view of the bold character Scrooge as he describes, “No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o’clock, no man or women ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such place, of Scrooge”(Dickens, 4). The beginning chapter of the novel portrays the Scrooges character as cold-hearted, greedy and selfish towards the poor people who valued celebrating Christmas. The arrogance of Scrooge is depicted in the novel as Scrooge says to the charity collectors, “I can’t afford to make idle people merry…if they would rather die… then they better do it and decrease the surplus population” (Dickens, 14).

He never agreed to put his effort into things which could not bring him any return. In that time poor people were sent to the workhouse, and Scrooge was very supportive to this system. This show how evil and bitter he was. As we go through the novel, Marley’s ghost visits Scrooge and cautions that if he continues to lead a selfish life he would have to endure the eternity wearing the shackles gifted him by his greed. Marley warns him that three ghosts would visit him; the Ghost of past, the Ghost of Present, and the Ghost of Future.

These ghosts, muffled in black hooded gown haunt him and show him that he was on the wrong path and it was a drastic mistake to haul up money rather than valuing human beings. These ghosts show the readers the three important phases in the life of Scrooge. He was never willing to give any donation to the collectors, and says he had done enough by supporting to the government and nothing more to do. On appearing as a ghost, Marley warns him about his way of leading life. Marley says that money not the only thing that matters.

That he should pay a little more attention to the people around him. Marley says that he didn’t know the importance of helping and caring other human beings, but only after becoming a ghost. Marley reminds Scrooge that kindness and charity are the most important aspects of life. In fact, the conflict of the story lies with more than one aspect or with the combination of several elegant events. For instance, a man vs. man tactic is evident since Scrooge undergoes the transformation. He fights with his own lust and evil perceptions.

At the same time, a man vs. nature phase also occurs when he confronts with the society’s prejudiced outlook. Evidently, Dickens’ novel demonstrates the best approach to optimism. Dickens reiterates that even a wicked person can be transfigured into a man of gracious integrity once he comes across his own internal virtue. The story is meant to those who want to change the course of their life or those who refuse to change as well. Dickens reminds us that one should mine the past, reflect the present, and project the future in order for understanding the actual stature one has gained.

If the evaluation indicates adversity, obviously one must undergo an ‘Ebenezer process’ by altering the life pattern that one has been following. The transformed Ebenezer is the unique model of a virtuous man, for he heeded little attention to people who laughed at him. He was well convinced of the significance of the change he went through and never wanted to compromise with any worldly pleasure thereafter. Dickens’ book altogether is an outstanding Christmas gift to people who genuinely wish to resolve the problems with their life pattern.

Works Cited Dickens, Charles. A Christmas carol in prose, being a ghost story of Christmas. Edition 12. Bradbury & Evans, 1845. Print.