Ebenezer
Scrooge seems to be the most frightened and disturbed by the third spirit, the Ghost of
Christmas Future. There are a two primary reasons for this: the spirit does not answer Scrooge's
increasingly frantic questions about his own future and the spirit shows Scrooge his own
tombstone.
In Stave Four the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge several
upsetting scenes including Tiny Tim's death and people who are in debt to Scrooge and are
relieved upon hearing he has died. Scrooge is most disturbed, however, when he asks about his
own future and the spirit takes him to a churchyard and points to a tombstone.
Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point, said
Scrooge, answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they
shadows of things that May be, only?
Scrooge suspects it
might be his tombstone, and that is why he asks the spirit this. But the spirit does not answer
Scrooge and this causes him to become more and more frantic and upset. He is genuinely
frightened by the spirit's lack of response. The other two spirits answered his questions. Even
if he did not like the answers, there was some comfort in having a response. We see how agitated
Scrooge becomes when the spirit does not reply.
Spirit!
he cried, tight clutching at its robe, hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man
I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this, if I am past all hope!
The spirit returns Scrooge to his home without confirming whether
Scrooge's changes will matter.
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