Ebenezer Scrooge - a selfish person who doesn't like giving or spending and who hates Christmas

“No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him”—because he himself is cold, his heart icy”.

1. Cold-hearted: The weather is a metaphor for Scrooge's behavior as he is cold like winter. He finds any reference to
Christmas irritating, because he sees the holiday as a mere distraction from business.
2. Rude: He is rude to his nephew, refusing to eat Christmas dinner with him, and underpays his clerk Bob Cratchit.
3. Miserly: Scrooge is stingy with his money and will not even allow his clerk Bob Cratchit to have a decent fire to
warm him on Christmas Eve
4. Ill-mannered: His nephew visits to wish him a 'Merry Christmas' and Scrooge is rude to him in response.
5. Self-deluded: When he sees Marley's ghost, Scrooge tries to deny its existence by attributing the vision to something
he has eaten.
6. Greedy: Scrooge hoards his money for no purpose other than to hang on to it.
7. Ignorant: Scrooge is wrapped up in his work and cares nothing for the needs of others. He expresses his disregard
for human suffering when he refuses to contribute to charity, saying that the poor belong in prisons and workhouses, or
even that they should die.
8. Solitary/lonely: Scrooge is described as "solitary as an oyster”

Adjectives to describe Scrooge

1. Uncaring- Not care about the poor
2. Jealous- A envious old sinner
3. Antisocial- wished to be left alone
4. Judgmental- can’t make people happy/merry
5. Bitter- No wind that blew was bitter than he.

Scrooge’s transformation a man who is transformed from a greedy, selfish miser into a generous and good-
natured character by the end

 Change: Scrooge's transformation from a greedy, selfish miser to a generous and kind man demonstrates that
people can change and behave better towards each other.
 Redemption: Scrooge is redeemed by his own willingness to change after being shown the error of his ways by
the ghosts that visit him.
 Importance of change: Dickens uses Scrooge's transformation to inspire readers to work for a more equitable
and fair society.
 Christian and pagan values: Dickens alludes to Christian ideals of charity and redemption throughout the
story.
 Generosity and compassion: The story takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and uses the ideas of
generosity and compassion associated with Christmas to highlight Scrooge's transformation.

Scrooge's transformation is also reflected in his relationships with others:

 He becomes a surrogate father figure to Tiny Tim.
 He actively seeks to mend his relationships with his nephew, Fred.
 He seeks to mend his relationship with society at large.

Symbolism

 Weather: Fog in Stave 1 symbolizes Scrooge's ignorance to the suffering of others.

 Light: The light coming out of the Ghost of Christmas Past symbolizes the memories Scrooge wishes to forget,
and the knowledge he would gain from experiencing and processing them. Indeed, Scrooge attempts to
extinguish the light by using the ghost’s hat as a candle snuffer. However, the light appears inextinguishable—
 even when Scrooge forces the cap on his head, light still filters out from the bottom, suggesting Scrooge can’t
deny, forget, or ignore events of the past; instead, he must bear witness.
 Bells: Symbolize judgment and as a call to moral awakening.
 Music: Symbolizes unity and equality.
 Fire and brightness: Symbolize emotional warmth.
 Scrooge's gravestone: Symbolizes Scrooge's potential fate if he does not change.
 Ignorance and Want: Represent the rich and the poor's struggles.
 Turkey: Symbolizes Scrooge's transformation from stingy to generous.
 The title: Symbolizes Dickens' hope for his message to be passed down from generation to generation

Bob Cratchit - Scrooge’s loyal clerk, he is very poorly treated by his boss and his large family live in cold and
poverty.

 Obedient: Bob takes orders from his boss, Ebenezer Scrooge, without complaining.
 Generous: Bob toasts to Scrooge's health, even though he is treated poorly.
 Sensitive: Bob cries openly when his son Tiny Tim dies.
 Fearful: Bob is afraid of Scrooge's reaction when he arrives late to work after Christmas Day.
 Polite: Bob is always polite and calls Scrooge “sir”.
 Positive: Bob believes in speaking positively and with gratitude about everyone.
 Loving: Bob is a loving father and husband.
 Humble: Bob is a dedicated and humble worker.
 Kind: Bob is a kind man overall.
 Forgiving: Bob is open and accepting rather than bitter when Scrooge eventually shows remorse.
 Hard-working: Bob is a dedicated and humble worker. He is poor and supports his large family on his small
salary

Jacob Marley
 Greedy: Marley was a miserly man who was passionate about his business and the love of money. He was
Scrooge's business partner and friend, and they ran a counting-house in London.
 Chain: Marley is weighed down by a chain of cashboxes, padlocks, ledgers, and steel purses, which symbolize
his greed. He also has an invisible chain made up of seven years of greed.
 Doomed to wander: Marley is doomed to wander the earth for eternity. He returns as a ghost to warn Scrooge
of the consequences of greed and to show him what he could become if he doesn't change.
 Appearance: Marley is described as having a pigtail, waistcoat, tights, and boots. His face is described as
having a dismal light about it.
 Introduces the Christmas ghosts: Marley appears in place of Scrooge's door knocker and introduces the three
Christmas ghosts.

What does Marley's ghost represent?

Marley's Ghost represents the Christian ideas of repentance and redemption. Marley expresses regret at his
own immoral behaviour: 'and never raise [his eyes] to that blessed Star'.

The Ghost of Christmas Past - having a ``bright, clear jet of light'' emanating from its head, and its voice is
described as ``sweet and musical.'' The ghost is neither male nor female

In A Christmas Carol, the light that comes from the Ghost of Christmas Past symbolizes memory, self-
discovery, and the knowledge that Scrooge can gain from his past:

 Compassionate: The ghost is soft-spoken and gentle, and uses incense to spread good spirits.
 Represents memory: The ghost's appearance is fluid, like a candle, to indicate the shifting nature of
memory. The ghost is both childlike and aged, suggesting memory connects different points in life.
  Aware of social issues: The ghost emphasizes that it works to spread positive spirits to the poor because they
have a greater need.
 Well-meaning: The ghost is calm and gentle in its communication with Scrooge.
 Flickering: The ghost flickers like a candle, which reflects that Scrooge's past behavior can be redeemed.
 Uses a cap to dim light: The ghost uses a cap to dim the light, similar to how one would use a candle
snuffer. This aspect of its appearance indicates enlightenment.

What lesson did the Ghost of Christmas Past learn?

From the first ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge learns that the simple things in life like love,
friendship, and laughter hold value.
Why does the Ghost of Christmas Past have a glowing head?
Light shines from the head of the Ghost of Christmas Past. For Scrooge, this light is the enlightenment that
memory can offer. Because memory can be dimmed, however, the Ghost has a candle snuffer it wears as a hat
when it wishes to dim its light.
Why does the Ghost of Christmas Past have so many brothers?
The Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge that he has over 1800 brothers because each Christmas, there is
a new Spirit of Christmas Present. There had been over 1800 Christmases at the time A Christmas Carol was
written.
Why is the Ghost of Christmas Past the most influential?
The Ghost of Christmas Past is essential to reminding Scrooge of where he came from and of the kindness that
Scrooge experienced earlier in his life. Through a glimpse of Scrooge's childhood at the boarding school, the
spirit reminds Scrooge of what it is like to be lonely and abandoned.

The Ghost of Christmas Present - The Ghost of Christmas Present from A Christmas Carol is a jolly,
welcoming, and honest character.

 Jolly: The ghost is described as a "jolly Giant" with a cheerful voice and joyful air. His appearance is similar
to Father Christmas, a traditional figure in English Christmas celebrations.
 Welcoming: The ghost invites Scrooge to join him, exclaiming "Come in! and know me better, man!".
 Honest: The ghost uses Scrooge's own words against him, holding a mirror up to Scrooge's behavior. For
example, when Scrooge asks about Tiny Tim's future, the ghost answers with the same words Scrooge had
previously spoken to the portly gentlemen.
 Prophetic: The ghost predicts that Mankind will suffer unless the lessons of generosity and tolerance are
learned.
 Youthful: The ghost personifies the present moment and only lives as long as the Christmas season.
 Majestic: The ghost appears to Scrooge as a giant clad in green robes with a booming voice.
 Introduces Ignorance and Want: The ghost introduces Scrooge to the symbolic children Ignorance and
Want, underscoring the plight of the poor.

The spirit only lives as long as the Christmas season, and is reborn again each year. Towards the end of their
time together, Scrooge notes that the Ghost of Christmas Present has become much older in appearance.

In A Christmas Carol, what does the Ghost of Christmas Present represent?

The Ghost of Christmas Present represents what an authentic life, truly lived, with family, friends, love and
celebration really looks like. Scrooge does not know what it is like to live a real life; his life is dark and
gloomy, dominated by the pursuit of material wealth. He is alone,...

In A Christmas Carol, where and why does the Ghost of Christmas Present take Ebenezer Scrooge?
The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge to the streets of London to see the
celebratory atmosphere. Next, they visit Bob Cratchit's house (The Cratchits are poor, as Scrooge well knows,
 but they are anticipating the Christmas meal with joy. The sight of Tiny Tim, who is sick and weak, saddens
him). Third, they visit the home of miners on a distant moor to see their Christmas revelries

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Future) -

shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible
save one outstretched hand." Dressed in a black robe that is symbolic of death

 Silent: The ghost is silent and does not speak.

 Frightening: The ghost is the most terrifying of the three spirits and fills Scrooge with terror.
 Mysterious: The ghost is mysterious and unknowable, like the future itself.
 Demanding: The ghost points to where it wants Scrooge to look and does not move until he obeys.
 Personification of death: The ghost is a personification of death and looks similar to the Grim Reaper.
 Death: The ghost is a reminder of the inevitability of death and the fear of dying.
 Shows a possible future: The ghost shows Scrooge a possible future and allows him to draw his own
conclusions.
 Communicates nonverbally: The ghost communicates nonverbally by pointing at things to draw Scrooge's
attention to them.

Who does the Ghost of Christmas Future represent?

The Ghost of Christmas Future represents fear of death. This Ghost intends to show Scrooge that if he
continues in his current fashion, there is a reckoning that awaits him. In death, Jacob Marley paid for his
actions on Earth. If he does not change, Scrooge will suffer the same fate.

Why does the Ghost of Christmas Future not speak?

So, why doesn't the Ghost speak? Perhaps this last Ghost is silent to show Scrooge that he really does have
free will to change the future. By not giving Scrooge definite answers to his questions, the future appears
changeable if Scrooge changes his present course of action.

Fred- Nephew In A Christmas Carol, Fred is characterized by his kindness, generosity, and cheerful disposition.
Dickens shows Scrooge's nephew as the opposite of Scrooge. He is able to abandon himself to childish
pleasures at Christmas and enjoys the company of his friends.

 Kind: Fred is kind-hearted and considerate. He offers kind words and best wishes to his uncle Scrooge, even
though Scrooge is unpleasant and refuses Fred's yearly invitation to celebrate.
 Generous: Fred is generous towards others.
 Cheerful: Fred is happy and loves life. His goodness makes his skin and eyes glow. Even when Scrooge puts
down all his talk of Christmas festivities, Fred persists with his good cheer.
 Optimistic: Fred maintains his optimistic outlook and positive traits throughout the novella.
 Family-oriented: Fred is in love with his wife and enjoys being with her. He also connects with Scrooge
through his family, since Fred's mother is Scrooge's sister, Fan.
 Persistent: Fred doesn't let Scrooge's miserly attitude dampen his spirits.

Mr. Fezziwig - Fezziwig's character is used to contrast with Ebenezer Scrooge's callous conduct towards his
employees, Bob and Fred. This contrasting character is called a foil, and it highlights Scrooge's grumpy nature.

 Cheerful: Fezziwig is a jovial and high-spirited character who is described as the jolliest of fellows.
 Generous: Fezziwig is generous and treats his employees well.
 Kind: Fezziwig mentors Scrooge with kindness and generosity.
 Warm-hearted: Fezziwig is warm-hearted and has a great affection for his employees.
 Good-natured: Fezziwig is good-natured and easygoing.

Elements of the story

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens includes many elements, including:
 Structure: The story is divided into five Staves, each with a distinct episode in Scrooge's transformation. The
three ghosts who show Scrooge his past, present, and future is a significant structural element.
 Themes: The story explores themes of greed, forgiveness, generosity, compassion, and time. Dickens also
uses the story to criticize the Poor Laws, which restricted the underclass to a life of prison or workhouse.
 Setting: The story takes place in Victorian England during the "Hungry Forties".
 Characters: The story features characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Jacob
Marley.
 Literary devices: The story uses many literary devices, including allegory, alliteration, allusions, foil, frame
story, hyperbole, imagery, irony, metaphors, personification, setting, similes, situational irony, and tone.

Figurative language
 Bah! Humbug!
A way to complain about someone who doesn't get into the Christmas spirit. "Bah!" is a way to dismiss
someone, and "humbug" is an unpleasant or grumpy person.
 A Christmas Carol
A phrase used to describe someone who has changed, especially in terms of their generosity and goodwill
during the holidays.
A Christmas Carol also uses figurative language, such as hyperbole and similes:
 Hyperbole
Used when Scrooge says, "If I could work my will. . . every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on
his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart".
 Similes
Used by Scrooge in Stave 5 to celebrate his return to the present, such as "I am light as a feather, I am as
happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man".
 Imagery
Dickens uses imagery to describe the characters' physical appearance and emotions:
 Scrooge's exterior: Scrooge is described as having a "frosty rime" on his head, eyebrows, and
chin. This imagery emphasizes the link between the cold within Scrooge's heart and his frosty
exterior.
 Scrooge's transformation: Scrooge's transformation is shown by the imagery used to describe him at
the end of the story. He is described as "glowing" with good intentions and his face is "wet" with
tears.
 Theme of light and dark
Dickens uses the theme of light and dark to symbolize hope and faith. The cold and dark associated with
Scrooge at the beginning of the story shows that he needs to change.

Allegory Definition
What is an allegory?
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic
characters and events.
 Explanation and Analysis—The Spirits:
 A Christmas Carol is quite allegorical, as it features events and characters with clear symbolic meaning. For
instance, Scrooge represents greed and selfishness. Bob Cratchit represents common humanity. Tiny Tim
represents the disadvantaged members of society. Each ghost stands for a stage of Scrooge's life.

Definition of Alliteration
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob
brought the box of bricks to
Explanation and Analysis—Lyrical Prose:
Dickens uses alliteration to embellish his descriptions of Scrooge and to make them more memorable. One example
occurs in Stave 1:
No warmth could warm, nor wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he [...]

Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly
allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas

Explanation and Analysis—Hamlet:

In Stave 1, the narrator makes an allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet. In this play, the father of young prince Hamlet dies
only to reappear to him as a ghost that demands revenge for his death. The narrator of A Christmas Carol claims that
viewers of Hamlet must be convinced of King Hamlet's death if they are to find his appearance by the tower remarkable:
If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlet's Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more
remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other
middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot.
Explanation and Analysis—The Star of Bethlehem:
Marley's ghost makes an apt allusion to the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the Wise Men to Jesus shortly after he was
born. In this passage, Marley's ghost recalls being an ignorant man who ignored the plights of other people:
"Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star
which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!"

What is foreshadowing? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the
story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making explicit statements or leaving subtle clues about
what will happen later in the text.
Explanation and Analysis—Marley's Return :
Dickens uses foreshadowing to hint at the story's forthcoming supernatural events. The narrator's emphasis on death in
the first stave signals Marley's imminent return:

Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that . [...] You will therefore permit me to repeat,
emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Definition of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements
are usually quite obvious exaggerations intended to emphasize a point
Explanation and Analysis—A World of Fools:
A Christmas Carol is full of hyperbole. From its dramatic characterization to its highly embellished descriptions of the
setting, this text exemplifies exaggeration. For instance, when Scrooge's nephew complains that he is too cross, Scrooge
replies:
“What else can I be [...] when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! [...] What’s Christmas time to you
but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer; a time for
balancing your books and having every item in ’em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I
could work my will,” said Scrooge, indignantly, “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas,’ on his lips, should
be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!"

Definition of Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following
lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages.

Explanation and Analysis—Marley's Face:

The following passage provides just one example of the highly detailed visual imagery employed throughout A
Christmas Carol:
Marley's face. It was not in impenetrable shadow as the other objects in the yard were, but had a dismal light about it,
like a bad lobster in a dark cellar. It was not angry or ferocious, but looked at Scrooge as Marley used to look: with
ghostly spectacles turned up on its ghostly forehead. The hair was curiously stirred, as if by breath or hot air; and, though
the eyes were wide open, they were perfectly motionless. That, and its livid colour, made it horrible; but its horror
seemed to be in spite of the face and beyond its control, rather than a part or its own expression.

Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If
this seems like a loose definition

Explanation and Analysis—Marley's Return :

Dickens uses foreshadowing to hint at the story's forthcoming supernatural events. The narrator's emphasis on death in
the first stave signals Marley's imminent return:
Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that . [...] You will therefore permit me to repeat,
emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Explanation and Analysis—Fun and Games:

Scrooge spends much of the text begging to return to reality, and yet during his encounter with the Ghost of Christmas
Present, he begs to continue the dream:
The Ghost was greatly pleased to find him in this mood, and looked upon him with such favour that he begged like a boy
to be allowed to stay until the guests departed. But this the Spirit said could not be done.

Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison
in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as

Explanation and Analysis—Scrooge's Laugh:

Dickens employs metaphor to deepen descriptions of Scrooge's dynamic transformation. At the end of A Christmas
Carol, the narrator compares Scrooge's laugh to a father:
Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The
father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs!

Definition of Mood
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the
work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing.

Explanation and Analysis:

The mood of A Christmas Carol ranges from exuberance and mockery to dread and uncertainty to sap and sentimentality.
In simpler terms, the mood changes with each stave. For instance, the first stave is gloomy as it presents scenes of
isolation and miserliness. It also has a mood of terror and dread, as Marley's ghost appears in Scrooge's bedroom in Stave
1:
Though he looked the phantom through and through, and saw it standing before him; though he felt the chilling influence
of its death-cold eyes; and marked the very texture of the folded kerchief bound about its head and chin, which wrapper
he had not observed before: he was still incredulous, and fought against his senses.

Definition of Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as
in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent..

Explanation and Analysis—Scrooge's Neighborhood:

Dickens often uses personification to assign human characteristics to things in the counting house. In this way, he
portrays elements of the world of A Christmas Carol as reflections of Scrooge's character or agents that hint at ghostly
events to come. Take, for instance, the neglected water plug in the counting house:
The water-plug being left in solitude, its overflowing sullenly congealed, and turned to misanthropic ice.

Explanation and Analysis—Laughter:

In Stave 2, when the first of the three spirits comes to visit, he shows Scrooge scenes from childhood. Among the
happiest is a scene of boys playing in the fields:

All these boys were in great spirits, and shouted to each other, until the broad fields were so full of merry music, that the
crisp air laughed to hear it.

Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can
be an imagined

Explanation and Analysis:

A Christmas Carol is set in Victorian-era London. The events of the story take place in Scrooge's home on a bleak and
chilly Christmas Eve. Dickens sets the scene in Stave 1:
It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside go wheezing up and
down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city
clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already—it had not been light all day: and candles were flaring in
the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air.

Definition of Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use
the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also.

Explanation and Analysis—Scrooge's Transformation:

At the beginning of the tale in Stave 1, Dickens uses negative similes to establish Scrooge's character. Apparently,
Scrooge is:
Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as
an oyster.

Explanation and Analysis—As Dead as a Door-Nail:

The most famous simile in A Christmas Carol (and arguably one of the most famous similes in literature overall) appears
on the very first page:
Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Explanation and Analysis—Marley's Return :

Dickens uses foreshadowing to hint at the story's forthcoming supernatural events. The narrator's emphasis on death in
the first stave signals Marley's imminent return:
Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that . [...] You will therefore permit me to repeat,
emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Explanation and Analysis—Fun and Games:

Scrooge spends much of the text begging to return to reality, and yet during his encounter with the Ghost of Christmas
Present, he begs to continue the dream:
The Ghost was greatly pleased to find him in this mood, and looked upon him with such favour that he begged like a boy
to be allowed to stay until the guests departed. But this the Spirit said could not be done.

Explanation and Analysis:

The style of A Christmas Carol is conversational, informal, and tongue-in-cheek. Most of its prose shows great
exuberance in service of portraying Scrooge's many emotions. Dickens also employs long, descriptive sentences
throughout the story. This is a classic feature of the Dickensian style; he is famous for his ornate prose. The following
sentence is one of the longest in the first stave:
If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlet’s Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more
remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other
middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot—say Saint Paul’s Churchyard for instance—
literally to astonish his son’s weak mind.

Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or
sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance..

Explanation and Analysis:

A Christmas Carol has a very strong narrative voice. The third-person narrator provides lengthy descriptions and
moralizing judgments. Usually, a third-person omniscient narrator allows readers to understand and sympathize with the
protagonist. However, in this story, the narrator refuses to sympathize with Scrooge. The narrator's initial portrait of
Scrooge is tinged with a disapproving tone, as it becomes clear that the narrator frowns upon Scrooge's coldhearted
ways:
A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about
with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.