The most
obvious thing that the ghosts all represent is choices. Throughout his travels in the spirit
world, Scrooge is confronted with choices he has made and the consequences of those choices.
Some choices, such as the ones in the past, Scrooge has tried to forget. Choices in the present
and future are just as important, but Scrooge has given little thought to them.
Specifically, the Ghost of Christmas Past represents events that shaped Scrooges life.
He shows Scrooge himself as a boy, as an apprentice, and as a young man. The person he has
become is shaped through this progression of sad, happy, and sad again. Scrooge comes to
realize that his choices in the past made him who he is.
Spirit! said Scrooge, show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to
torture me? (Stave 2, p. 26)
Thus, Scrooge goes from
being just a mean old miser to a man who is tortured by his past, and perhaps does not even
realize it. Scrooge has shut himself up away from everything, even his emotions. When Scrooge
says, I don't wish to see it, he is vocalizing how he does not want to face his
past.
In the present, Scrooge is shown people enjoying themselves. Scrooge
never enjoys himself, and he realizes that Christmas Present symbolizes happiness and joy found
in togetherness. All of the people are poor, yet content to be so and happy to have each
other. Scrooge is stunned to see that his clerk has a crippled son.
Spirit, said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before,
tell me if Tiny Tim will live. (Stave 3, p. 34)
Scrooge
has never felt affection or interest in anyone, but Tiny Tims gentle, pious manner has
influenced him. The spirit reminds him that Tiny Tim is a member of the surplus population
and Scrooge regrets not having taken interest in the poor before.
The Present
also represents what Scrooge can have. He cannot change the past, but he
can become a part of the present. The Present is basically the future, because it is about to
happen but has not happened yet. Scrooge can relive the positive events, such as Freds party,
with instant gratification the very next day. He is thrilled when he learns this.
The true future is very bleak for Scrooge, as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows
him that he will die alone and his deathbed will be looted by less than savory characters.
Scrooge is in complete denial until he realizes that the dead man whose life he is seeing is
himself.
Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to
which, if persevered in, they must lead, said Scrooge. But if the courses be departed from,
the ends will change€¦ (Stave 4, p. 50)
Scrooge has
clearly decided to reform. He wants to live the life he saw in Christmas Present. This is what
Dickens means when he says:
I will honour Christmas in
my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.
(Stave 4, p. 51)
Scrooge does better than his word, and
becomes a second father to Tiny Tim and a good friend to the Cratchits. He also becomes a good
Uncle. Scrooge realizes, seeing the present as he did, that he has a ready-made family. All he
has to do is open his heart to them.
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