Literary Analysis A Christmas Carol

General:

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a short story about Ebenezer Scrooge, a grumpy man who seems bent on being ill-tempered. With a strong dislike for Christmas  Scrooge is even grumpier on the Holidays, refusing a invitation to his nephews dinner. He did regretfully let his attorney, Bob Cratchit have Christmas day off, his only possible Christmas gift. On Christmas eve, he goes home and is visited by his old, and seven years dead business partner Jacob Marley who apparently has been suffering in the afterlife. He warns Scrooge to change his ways. Scrooge is then visited by three ghosts. The ghost of Christmas past shows a part of Scrooge's childhood and earlier Christmas. The ghost of Christmas present introduces us to Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit's son. Because Scrooge so underpays Bob, he can't afford medicine for his terribly ill son. The ghost of Christmas to come shows Scrooge his funeral, where only a few have showed up and only those who were given incentive to. Scrooge awakes from his dream of possible night of ghosts on Christmas day. He vows to change his ways, starting by sending a turkey to the Cratchit's and going to his nephew's.

2. The theme of this short story is very clear and simple. Don't live as Scrooge did in the beginning of the story, always ill-tempered and mean. Try to have a brighter view, and live with a little joy in your life. It will improve your life and the one's of those around you.

3. The author's tone varies through the story, but for the majority, besides characters talking, it denounces Scrooge's ways, showing his his being angry all the time is clearly wrong.

4. 

1. Diction- Dickens use words to give the feelings his characters have more meaning, such as Scrooge's "humbug."

2. Foreshadow- Dickens slowly makes it more clear that Scrooge's ways are leading him to a shallow and lonely grave.

3. Staves- Dicken's splits his short story into five chapters he calls Staves, and each one has a distinct main message about Scrooge  We learn how he is in two, how he was in one, how he will be in another, and we have his respite in the last one.

4. Direct Characterization  Dickens wants no doubt about how mean Scrooge is, so he doesn't beat the bush when describing him.

5. Contrasting Characters  To bring out more of Scrooge's ill-temper, Dickens has Bob Cratchit, who enjoys the Holidays and is very optimistic, to contrast to Scrooge.

6. Dynamic Character- Scrooge goes under a huge  attitude adjustment, helping to show Dicken's theme.

7. Mood- Dicken's makes the reader really dislike Scrooge at the beginning making his transformation even more memorable. 

8. Tone- Dicken's denounces Scrooge's ways often, to show his wrongs.

9. Parallel Character- Jacob Marley was similar to Scrooge, his business partner, and serves as a comparison as to what could happen to Scrooge.

10. Imagery- Dickens has ghosts a reality, and they show Scrooge what he was doing and how he was wrong.

Characterization:

1. Scrooge is directly described be several people, including people on the street and his nephew. We also learn about Scrooge from how much he hates the happiest time of the year and how he treats his employee, Bob Cratchit. It paints a clear image of Scrooge in the reader's head.

2. When Dicken's changes between character's his diction and syntax do change. Mainly from Scrooge's grumpy words and humbugs to a more cheerful words of a another. Another great shift is when Jacob Marley is warning Scrooge of his fate, using omniscient words.

3. Scrooge is possibly one of the most famous Dynamic characters to ever be written in literature. His great transformation from interminably ill-tempered to  joyous about life in a single night is quite famous, and really demonstrates Dicken's theme.

4. I felt like I might a person. Reading about Scrooge, I saw how he was slowly feeling guilty about his actions more and more with each ghost. When he changed his ways, I felt glad for him. He was very realistic.