Stave 1: Scrooge rebuffs Fred and charity collectors on Christmas Eve. Marley’s ghost then appears with a chain of business objects and warns him about neglecting others. Three further Spirits are announced.
Stave 2 – The First of the Three Spirits: The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge his lonely childhood, his cheerful apprenticeship under Fezziwig, and the loss of his fiancée Belle because of his love of money.
Stave 3 – The Second of the Three Spirits: The Ghost of Christmas Present shows the poor but joyful Cratchit family, including the sick Tiny Tim, and two starving children, Ignorance and Want.
Stave 4: the silent Spirit shows a feared future, including a neglected dead man identified with Scrooge and the Cratchits grieving Tim. Scrooge questions whether these consequences can be changed.
Stave 5: on Christmas morning Scrooge sends the Cratchits a turkey, gives to charity and visits Fred. He later raises Bob’s wages and supports the family. The narrator looks ahead and says Tim does not die.
Marley’s chain of business objects
Characters
Scrooge’s changed conduct affects his relationships and work. Bob is a poorly paid clerk and father; Tim has a voice, relationships and care needs. Fred offers fellowship. Marley warns about neglected obligations; the Spirits guide reflection.
An unequal working space
Context
Published in 1843. Poverty, child labour, education and poor-relief policy provide relevant contexts. The 1834 Act reorganised poor relief in England and Wales; workhouses already existed. The novella uses Christmas gathering and giving to challenge indifference, but these values were not newly invented and do not establish one uniform Victorian belief.
Keep context and chronology clear
幻灯片
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