Drew Blosser

Hon English 4.3

ACC
April 10, 2011

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a Christmas story that most Americans are familiar with,

whether it be the book or the play. It is the story of a stingy old man who cares for nothing but money,

Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, and his transformation into a generous and loving man. In the third stave of the

book, Dickens illustrates how even the meanest old miser can change, no matter how far he may be lost

in this world. He teaches that family love and children are the best Christmas gifts that one could give or

receive. At this point in the story Scrooge has already been visited by the ghost of his old partner,

Marley, and the Ghost of Christmas Past. Now he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present, who

shows him the events of everyone he knows during this Christmas Eve. After witnessing these events

Scrooge is pained by the things that are happening now and what will happen in the future. One such

event is the death of Tiny Tim. The Ghost of Christmas Present says, “If these shadows remain unaltered

in the Future, the child will die…If these shadows remain unaltered in the Future, none other of my race

will find him here” (Dickens, 66). The underlying meaning of the Ghost’s words is that Scrooge has the

power to change these events that have yet to pass; Scrooge can still change. The Ghost tells him that

he has the change to not only make himself happy, but to positively affect the lives of those around him.

Family love, a central theme throughout Dickens’ book, is demonstrated in this stave to Scrooge through

the various companies of people in the story, mostly whom are poor. The spirit shows Scrooge the

Cratchits, some miners, and two lighthouse workers, who although they are poor, are enriched by each

other’s companionship and love. “At last the dinner was all done, the cloth was cleared, the hearth

swept, and the fire made up… Passing through the wall of mud and stone, they found a cheerful

company assembled round a glowing fire… But even here, two men who watched the light had made a

fire” (Dickens, 65-71). As it is illustrated here, fire represents the love everybody has for each other,
keeping them warm and happy inside. Finally, Dickens’ uses his book as a means to argue against a

contemporary philosopher of his time, Malthus. Malthus stated that eventually the world will run out of

food, and that the poor would be the first to die. Dickens’ disagrees with this theory, and displays it in

the third stave, as well throughout the entire book. When Scrooge first encounters the Ghost of

Christmas Present, the giant is surrounded by mounds of food and pools of drink. Dickens also shows

this at the dinner of the Cratchit family. “It was a sufficient dinner for the whole family… yet everyone

had enough” (Dickens, 64). Though the Cratchit family is poor they have more than enough food for the

whole family. Dickens’ book A Christmas Carol shows that you always have a change to change, no

matter how far over to the dark side you have gone, as well that family love is the most important thing

in life, and, finally, that the world is abundant, with enough for everyone to go around.